Here's the part most first-timers don't find out until they're already circling the Sun Valley neighborhood: Empower Field at Mile High doesn't sell single-game parking to the general public. The on-site lots are reserved for season ticket holders, and only a limited batch of spaces opens up first-come, first-served in Lot A and Lot C on game day itself — $45 and $55 a space, credit card only, according to the stadium's own directions and parking page. If your group shows up without a plan, that's strike one.
Strike two: if half your group is counting on a rideshare home, the pickup spot after the game isn't where you got dropped off — it's a corner of the Ball Arena lot roughly 15 minutes away on foot, per that same page, which is a rough way to end a cold November night.
A charter bus or party bus rental sidesteps both problems. Your group gets one parking arrangement instead of a dozen, and the bus is exactly where you left it when the game ends — no 15-minute walk, no hunting for a car in a lot that's already emptying out. Below is everything verified against the stadium's own published pages: where a bus can realistically drop and stage, what parking actually costs, when the roads get tight, and what it takes to get a group of 20 or 50 to Sun Valley without the scramble.
Why Rent a Charter Bus or Party Bus to Empower Field at Mile High?
Coordinating a Broncos game day the normal way means someone buys a $45 or $55 parking pass hoping the game-day batch in Lot A or C hasn't sold out, someone else downloads a rideshare app and hopes the surge isn't too bad, and the group still ends up split across two or three separate arrivals. A charter bus or party bus rental collapses all of that into one pickup, one drop, and one pickup window after the final whistle.
It's the same logic behind most of the stadium and arena trips found through Centennialminibuscompany.com — the traffic and parking problem repeats itself at Centennial sporting event transportation requests for Rockies games, Nuggets nights, and Avalanche games downtown, and Broncos Sundays are simply the biggest version of it. One quote request covers pickup anywhere in Centennial or the greater Denver metro, a drop as close to the stadium as the schedule allows, and a bus staged and ready when your group is ready to leave.
Charter Bus & Party Bus Drop-Off at Empower Field at Mile High
The stadium's own parking page names one curbside zone for passenger drop-off and pickup: the northeast corner near Gate 5 on Mile High Stadium Circle, the road that rings the stadium. That's the drop point the venue publishes for rideshare traffic, and it's the closest coordinated curb to the gates that the stadium's materials name at all — there is no separate motorcoach zone published on the official parking and directions page. Because that curb assignment is the venue's call and can shift by event, the group's exact drop point gets confirmed against the current game-day traffic plan when you book, rather than promised in advance.
Where a Bus Waits During the Game — Bus Parking Near Empower Field at Mile High
Here's the honest gap in the stadium's own materials: the parking page lists Lots A, C, D, G, and L plus four off-site options — Ball Arena, Auraria Campus, the Denver Aquarium, and Riverside Church (2401 Alcott Street) — but none of it is written with a 45-foot coach in mind. Lots A and C are priced and marketed as single-space, credit-card spots for cars, and the off-site lots are described only as opening roughly four hours before kickoff, with pricing and availability that the venue itself says "vary per venue." Nothing on the page confirms oversized-vehicle access to any of them.
Centennialminibuscompany.com closes exactly that gap: request a quote through a large network of bus companies serving Centennial, and the group size and vehicle length go with it, so staging gets confirmed against what a lot can actually take that week rather than guessed at from a parking map built for sedans.
The stadium's own page doesn't name a bus lot. That's not a reason to skip the trip — it's the reason to compare options through Centennialminibuscompany.com instead of driving in cold and hoping a Lot A space is still open at $45 a car.
Gate Times, Tailgating Rules & the Curb
For Broncos games, "general gates to the stadium open two hours prior to kickoff," per the stadium's A-Z fan guide, with United Club and Ent Credit Union Suite Level ticket holders let in an hour earlier for the club lounges. Standard lots open 4.5 hours before kickoff; Lot C, reserved for early tailgating, opens 6 hours out and is "expected to be sold out 30 minutes to 1 hour after lot opening." That sellout window is the single most useful number in this guide — if your group is driving in on its own, the tailgate spot is usually gone before most fans have finished lunch.
Tailgating itself is allowed everywhere except two specific sections: the fan guide states plainly that "tailgating is NOT allowed in the B-Valet and the carpool section in Lot A" for Broncos home games. Elsewhere, the rule is simple — one vehicle, one space, no blocking a lane or another car's spot.
Empower Field at Mile High Transportation: Every Option Compared
A private bus isn't the only way to reach a Broncos game, and it isn't automatically the right call for two people. Here's an honest look at the realistic options for reaching Sun Valley on game day.
| Option | Cost shape | Arrive together? | Walk to the gates | Best group size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private charter or party bus | One flat rate, split across the group | Yes — one vehicle, one arrival | Drops at the NE corner near Gate 5 | 15–56 |
| RTD W Line light rail | Per-ride fare, each rider | Only if everyone rides the same train | 8-minute walk from either station | Any, no group control |
| Denver Trolley Football Shuttle | Flat round-trip fare from Confluence Park | Only if booked on the same run | Short walk from stadium drop | Small groups, limited seats |
| Rideshare | Per car, each way, plus post-game surge | No — multiple cars, multiple ETAs | Drop at Gate 5, pickup a 15-minute walk away at Ball Arena | 1–4 per car |
| Drive & park on-site | $45–$55 per space if a spot remains | No — caravans split up | Varies by lot | 1–2 cars |
RTD Light Rail & the Denver Trolley Football Shuttle to Empower Field at Mile High
Two RTD light rail stops sit within an 8-minute walk of the stadium, per the venue's own fan guide: Empower Field at Mile High Station and Decatur-Federal Station, both served by the W Line. RTD's standard one-way light rail fare is $2.75, according to RTD's current fare page — workable for a couple, harder to coordinate for 30 people trying to tap through the same fare gate before kickoff.
Denver's vintage trolley operator also runs a dedicated Football Shuttle from Confluence Park for every Broncos home game, at $10 round-trip or $7 one-way, per the stadium's fan guide. It's a nice option for a small group already near downtown, but seating is limited and it isn't built around a private group's schedule the way a chartered vehicle is.
What Size Party Bus or Charter Bus Fits Your Empower Field at Mile High Trip?
Group size and gear — folding chairs, a couple of coolers, a portable grill — decide the right vehicle more than anything else. Here's how the lineup breaks down for a Broncos trip.
| Vehicle | Typical seats | Best for | Key amenities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van | Up to ~14 | Suite groups, small groups | Premium leather, individual climate control, USB charging |
| Party bus | ~15–35 | Tailgate groups wanting the ride to feel like part of the day | LED lighting, premium sound, wraparound seating |
| 25-passenger minibus | ~25 | Mid-size groups, quicker loading | Reclining seats, strong A/C for a summer preseason game |
| 35-passenger minibus | ~35 | Larger office or club groups | Overhead storage, climate control |
| Charter bus | Up to 56 | Full tailgate groups, season-ticket groups | Undercarriage bays for grills and coolers, onboard restroom, WiFi |
For a group hauling a grill and coolers, the deep undercarriage bays on a full-size charter bus matter more than the seat count — that's where the gear rides instead of stacked in the aisle. Browse the complete vehicle lineup for exact seat counts and amenities by size.
Empower Field at Mile High Charter Bus Rental Prices
There's no single sticker price for a Broncos game trip, because the quote is shaped by a handful of clear factors: vehicle size, total hours (including tailgate time and the post-game wait), the date and opponent, and the mileage from your pickup point to Sun Valley. A December game against a division rival prices differently than a summer preseason date, mostly because of demand, not distance.
To give you an idea, a group of 40 needing roughly ten cars at Lot A and C rates would run somewhere around $450–$550 in parking alone before anyone buys gas — and that's assuming spaces are still open by the time the group arrives. One bus replaces all of that with a single quote.
A single bus replaces a whole caravan. That's roughly ten parking spaces at $45–$55 apiece, ten tanks of gas up I-25, and a group that arrives in staggered waves — versus one flat rate split across everyone and a single arrival together.
A Game-Day Example
To give you an idea: for the Broncos' Thursday night home game against the Seahawks on October 15, 2026 (kickoff 6:15 PM MDT, per the Broncos' 2026 schedule), a 40-person office group books a charter bus with a 3:00 PM pickup from a Denver Tech Center hotel in Centennial. The bus reaches Sun Valley by roughly 3:45 PM — well ahead of the 4:15 PM gate opening, two hours before kickoff. The group tailgates near the bus, walks in together, and the bus stages nearby for a pickup arranged for about 9:15 PM.
An 8-hour rental at that size might run around $2,300 — about $58 a person, with the parking scramble and the post-game walk both handled before anyone leaves Centennial.
Driving to Empower Field at Mile High from Centennial and the Denver Metro
The stadium sits in Sun Valley, west of downtown Denver along the South Platte River, which puts it roughly 18–20 miles north of Centennial via I-25 — typically a 30- to 40-minute drive off-peak, and considerably longer once game-day traffic backs up the corridor through downtown. I-25 is the direct route for nearly every group coming up from Centennial, the Denver Tech Center, or the southeast suburbs, feeding toward the stadium via the 6th Avenue exits on the west side of downtown.
The trade-off of driving yourselves is the same one every fan runs into: even a clean drive up I-25 dead-ends into the same sold-out Lot A and Lot C problem described above. A bus reserved as a block of hours skips that math entirely — the group leaves Centennial on one schedule and gets picked up on another, with no one responsible for finding the last open space.
Denver International Airport to Empower Field at Mile High
For groups flying in for a game, Denver International Airport (DEN) sits roughly 25 miles northeast of the stadium, on the opposite side of downtown from Centennial. One bus gathering the whole group at baggage claim and running straight to Sun Valley or a Centennial hotel avoids splitting a tired travel group across several rideshares on arrival day — the same reason a Centennial airport transportation pickup is one of the more common requests tied to a Broncos weekend.
Tailgating & Bag Policy at Empower Field at Mile High
A charter bus doubles as the tailgate's storage unit — the undercarriage bays hold the grill, the coolers, and the folding chairs that would otherwise ride on someone's lap. But the stadium's rules still apply once you're parked, straight from the official A-Z fan guide and clear bag policy page:
- Bags have hard dimensions. One clear bag no larger than 12″ × 6″ × 12″ (or a one-gallon clear freezer bag), plus a small clutch no larger than 4.5″ × 6.5″. Standard backpacks, purses, and tinted bags are turned away at the gate. Diapers and wipes may travel in an approved clear bag, but a diaper bag itself is not permitted.
- Outside alcohol means ejection. The fan guide states it plainly: guests carrying outside alcoholic beverages are ejected without a refund. Inside the stadium, alcohol sales stop at the end of the third quarter, with a two-beverage limit per purchase.
- No re-entry. Once a ticket is scanned, that guest cannot leave and come back in — worth knowing before anyone wanders off to the parking lot mid-game.
- Standard footballs, air horns, and laser pointers are all barred, along with oversized umbrellas, video cameras, and stainless steel water bottles. A locker option exists outside Gate 8 for a cost if someone brings something that doesn't comply.
Leaving Empower Field at Mile High After the Game
Getting out is where a bus earns its keep the most. With no re-entry policy and one main flow of foot traffic heading for the lots and the Ball Arena rideshare corner, huge numbers of fans hit the exits inside the same twenty minutes. Anyone who drove in is stuck in the same crawl as everyone else, and anyone relying on rideshare is walking 15 minutes before a car even shows up.
With a bus, that part is already arranged. The group agrees on a pickup window and a landmark before the crowd ever splits up, the bus stages nearby during the game, and it's there when the group walks out — no surge fare, no group scattered across a dark parking lot trying to find each other by phone in a spot with weak signal.
What's on the Calendar at Empower Field at Mile High in 2026
Per the Broncos' official 2026 schedule, the home slate runs from preseason through the end of the year:
- Preseason: vs. Green Bay Packers, August 21, 2026, and vs. Minnesota Vikings, August 28, 2026.
- Regular season: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, September 20; vs. Los Angeles Rams, September 27; vs. Seattle Seahawks, October 15 (Thursday night); vs. Kansas City Chiefs, November 1; vs. Las Vegas Raiders, November 22; vs. Miami Dolphins, December 6; and vs. Buffalo Bills on December 25.
The Christmas Day game against Buffalo is the one to plan around early — a holiday-weekend home date is rare on any NFL schedule, and both parking and vehicle availability tighten well before December. The November 1 Chiefs game and the November 22 Raiders game carry the same divisional-rivalry demand every season. Whichever date is on your group's calendar, the earlier the group size and pickup point are locked in, the more likely the right-size vehicle is still available.
Also planning a trip to Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre or a Rockies game at Coors Field? Those guides cover their own drop-offs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly does a charter bus drop off at Empower Field at Mile High?
The stadium's own parking page names the northeast corner near Gate 5 on Mile High Stadium Circle as its published passenger drop-off and pickup zone. No separate motorcoach curb is listed, so the exact drop point for your event date is confirmed when you book.
Where does a bus park during the game?
The stadium's parking page lists Lots A, C, D, G, and L on-site plus four off-site options — Ball Arena, Auraria Campus, the Denver Aquarium, and Riverside Church — but none of it is published as bus-specific. Staging gets confirmed against your group's vehicle size and the event date as part of the booking.
How much does parking cost at Empower Field at Mile High?
Lot C, for early tailgating, runs $55 a space and opens 6 hours before kickoff; it typically sells out within an hour of opening. Lot A, the carpool section requiring four or more riders per vehicle, runs $45 a space. ADA parking runs $35 in Lot L or $40 in Lots D and G. All are credit-card only and first-come, first-served on game day, per the official parking page.
How much does it cost to rent a bus to a Broncos game?
Pricing depends on vehicle size, total hours including tailgate and post-game wait, the date and opponent, and mileage from your pickup point. You can compare vehicles and get pricing in under a minute through the quote tool, or call 720-799-8650.
When do gates open for a Broncos game?
General gates open two hours before kickoff. Guests with United Club or Ent Credit Union Suite Level tickets can access the club lounges an hour earlier. Standard parking lots open 4.5 hours before kickoff, and Lot C's early tailgating section opens 6 hours out.
Can our group tailgate?
Yes, with two exceptions — tailgating is not permitted in the B-Valet area or in Lot A's carpool section. Everywhere else, the rule is one vehicle per space with no blocking of lanes or neighboring spots. A charter bus's undercarriage bays are a convenient place to store the grill and coolers until the lot opens.
What's the bag policy?
One clear bag no larger than 12″ × 6″ × 12″ (or a one-gallon clear freezer bag) plus a small clutch no larger than 4.5″ × 6.5″ per guest. Standard backpacks, purses, and tinted bags are not allowed through the gates.
Is there a train or shuttle to Empower Field at Mile High?
Yes. RTD's W Line serves both the Empower Field at Mile High Station and the Decatur-Federal Station, each an 8-minute walk from the gates, at a $2.75 standard one-way fare. Denver's trolley operator also runs a Football Shuttle from Confluence Park for every home game, at $10 round-trip.
Neither is built around holding a large group together the way a private bus is.
What's the closest airport to Empower Field at Mile High?
Denver International Airport (DEN) is the only major commercial airport serving the area, about 25 miles northeast of the stadium. One bus gathering the group at baggage claim avoids splitting arriving travelers across several rideshares.
How far in advance should we book?
As early as your date and headcount are set, especially for the December 25 game against Buffalo and the November divisional matchups against Kansas City and Las Vegas, when both vehicles and stadium parking tighten well ahead of the date. For most other dates on the schedule, a few weeks of lead time is workable, but earlier always means more vehicle options.
Book Your Empower Field at Mile High Bus Today
Whether it's a full tailgate group heading up I-25 for a Sunday game, a suite group flying into DEN, or an office outing for the Christmas Day matchup against Buffalo, Centennialminibuscompany.com connects you to a large network of bus companies serving Centennial so you can compare charter buses, party buses, minibuses, and Sprinter vans for the trip to Sun Valley. Check current ranges on the Centennial bus rental prices page, browse the frequently asked questions for how the quote process works, or call 720-799-8650 any time for a free quote at no obligation — or use the online tool for pricing in under a minute.
