Marching bands have taken over the Alamodome this weekend as the Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional runs its two-day course of preliminary rounds and a Saturday night finals showdown. Gates for Friday's preliminary competition opened at 9:15 a.m., with the first bands stepping onto the field by 9:45 a.m. and the day's performances wrapping up at 9:15 p.m.
A Full Weekend on the Alamodome Field
The event, which runs Friday, Nov. 6, and Saturday, Nov. 7, was organized by Bands of America, according to the event's own published schedule. Saturday's preliminary round starts earlier, with gates opening at 6:45 a.m. and competition beginning at 7:15 a.m., before preliminary awards are handed out at 3:30 p.m. Finals gates then reopen at 6 p.m., with the first finalist band taking the field at 7 p.m. and the night's competition running until 10:30 p.m. All times on the schedule are listed in Central time.
FloMarching reported that dozens of bands from Texas and Nevada would converge on the Alamodome for the event, a scale that follows last year's competition, when 14 Texas bands advanced to finals at the same venue, according to a separate FloMarching report on the 2025 San Antonio Super Regional. That event was held Nov. 7-8, 2025, one day later in the calendar than this year's version.
Getting In: Tickets, Bags and Box Office Hours
As WOAI reported, attendees are encouraged to download digital tickets in advance and allow extra time for security screening before heading inside. The Alamodome's northeast and southwest box offices are scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday for anyone who still needs to buy in person, though tickets purchased online in advance through Ticketmaster will carry additional processing fees, per the event's schedule page.
Doors at the Alamodome open 30 minutes before each day's event start time, and the venue says its clear-bag policy will be enforced, with all attendees' bags checked before they're allowed inside. Umbrellas are permitted if the weather turns, according to a report from News 4 San Antonio on this weekend's downtown events.
Parking Lots, Rideshare Drop-Off and Watching for Scams
Public parking is available in Alamodome Lot B for $35 per vehicle, card only, with no in-and-out privileges once you're parked, and the lot itself is limited. Lot B opens at 7:30 a.m. Friday and 4:45 a.m. Saturday, while Lot A — which offers limited accessible parking and serves as the designated accessible drop-off entrance — opens earlier, at 7 a.m. Friday and 4:30 a.m. Saturday.
Rideshare services, taxis and other passenger drop-offs are encouraged to use Lot D at 500 Tower of the Americas Way, which offers a direct walkway to the security entrance. Off-site parking reservations may also be available through ParkWhiz or Ticketmaster for those who'd rather book ahead. The station's report also notes that the Alamodome does not authorize third-party advance sales of parking passes for its on-site lots, even though some outside websites advertise them, and the venue does not establish or control whatever prices those third-party sites charge.
Downtown Traffic Expected to Be Heavy
The Alamodome itself is warning fans to expect heavy downtown traffic and possible street closures tied to the event. Downtown San Antonio is expected to be especially busy Saturday, as multiple major events are set to bring large crowds and traffic into the city center at the same time as the marching band finals. The City of San Antonio is encouraging anyone heading downtown to check event details, road closures and parking information at SA.gov/GoDowntown before they leave the house. For anything else, the Alamodome says event information, venue policies and updates are posted at alamodome.com.
