Orange Bowl Visitor Guide
Last reviewed: October 30, 2026. Sources for this page are listed in its fact sheet.
Short answer first. The Capital One Orange Bowl hosts a College Football Playoff Semifinal on Thursday January 14, 2027, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The two teams are not known until the quarterfinals finish on January 1, 2027, so this is a book the trip now, learn the matchup later event: hotels, flights, and game day logistics can all be planned today. Every ticket is digital, parking in most lots needs a physical hang tag bought in advance, and the stadium runs the NFL clear bag policy. This guide covers the visitor side of the game, not predictions.
A packed football stadium at sunset. This is a stock photo of a stadium in California, not Hard Rock Stadium. Photo: Robert Hernandez Villalta, Pexels.
When is the game, and who is playing?
The Orange Bowl's own game day FAQ states it plainly: the 2027 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl kicks off on Thursday, January 14, 2027, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It is the 93rd edition of the Orange Bowl. The matchup is set by the playoff bracket: the winners of two quarterfinal matchups, played on December 30, 2026 at the Fiesta Bowl and on January 1, 2027, meet in this semifinal, and the winner advances to the national championship game. The highest seeded team is designated the home team. Because the teams land only two weeks before the game, fan travel demand spikes twice, once when tickets go on sale and again on New Year's Day, and hotel pricing around the stadium and in Miami Beach moves with it.
Tickets: digital only, and where resale is official
All tickets to the Capital One Orange Bowl are digital and are accessed through the Orange Bowl Mobile App, per the organizer; there are no physical tickets at the gate, though a souvenir commemorative ticket can be bought after the game. Fans looking at resale are directed by the organizer to Ticket Galaxy, named as the Official Fan Ticket Exchange of the Capital One Orange Bowl. Accessible seating is handled through the Orange Bowl Ticket Office, which the organizer lists at (305) 341-4701 and [email protected]. Two practical rules follow from the digital setup: charge your phone, and transfer tickets to each person in your group before game day, because a ticket only counts once its transfer has been accepted.
Parking and the bag policy: the two things that catch visitors out
Parking is the detail to solve first. The organizer states that a physical hang tag parking pass is required to enter the black, purple, pink, and silver lots on game day, and that mobile passes are accepted only at the orange and yellow lots. Arriving with the wrong pass format for your lot is a game day problem with no easy fix, so buy parking when you buy tickets and check which lots your pass actually opens. The organizer also lists an Uber Shuttle option, with pre booked flat fare shared rides from a dedicated pickup at Hard Rock Stadium to fixed locations around Miami after the game. Inside the gates, Hard Rock Stadium follows the NFL bag policy: one clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bag no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches, or a one gallon clear freezer bag, plus a small clutch about the size of a hand. Medically necessary items are excepted after inspection at Gate E. Almost everything else, from non clear purses to umbrellas and selfie sticks, is prohibited.
Where do you stay for the Orange Bowl?
Hard Rock Stadium sits in Miami Gardens, inland and north west of Miami Beach, so the stay decision is a trade. Stay near the stadium, in Miami Gardens, Aventura, or Hollywood, for the shortest game day trip and the easiest drive back after a night game. Stay in Miami or Miami Beach if the trip is bigger than the game: January is peak season, the beaches and the winter events calendar are the rest of the holiday, and our Miami hotels hub is the place to compare areas. Either way, book refundable rates early and recheck prices after the teams are set on January 1, when demand from two specific fan bases lands at once. Our getting around Miami guide covers the drive and rideshare picture, and the MIA airport guide covers arriving for the game.
The facts that matter
Capital One Orange Bowl, checked against orangebowl.org on October 30, 2026: College Football Playoff Semifinal, Thursday January 14, 2027, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida; the matchup pairs the winners of the December 30, 2026 and January 1, 2027 quarterfinals, with the highest seed as the home team; all tickets are digital through the Orange Bowl Mobile App; official resale is through Ticket Galaxy; physical hang tag parking passes are required for the black, purple, pink, and silver lots, with mobile passes accepted only at the orange and yellow lots; the NFL clear bag policy applies. The organizer's FAQ does not publish a kickoff time, so none is printed here; your ticket carries it.
Check hotels for Orange Bowl weekend on Expedia
Frequently asked questions
When will the Orange Bowl teams be announced?
After the quarterfinals. The organizer states the semifinal pairs the winners of the December 30, 2026 Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal and a January 1, 2027 quarterfinal, so the matchup is set on New Year's Day, about two weeks before the game.
Can I get a paper ticket?
No. The organizer states all tickets are digital, through the Orange Bowl Mobile App. A physical commemorative ticket can be purchased after the game as a souvenir.
Is the Orange Bowl in Miami?
It is at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, a separate city north west of downtown Miami. Allow real travel time from Miami Beach, especially on a Thursday game night.
Keep planning
Build the rest of the January trip with the Miami Marathon visitor guide later the same month, the Miami events hub, and our Miami in December guide if you are arriving early for New Year.