Tips and tricks to have a safe and fun Super Bowl weekend

Santa Monica will be buzzing with excitement and football fans this weekend as the Super Bowl comes to Los Angeles for the first time in nearly 30 years. The Rams will play at their home stadium in what will be a major event for the region. Here are tips and tricks to ensure you have a safe, stress-free and fun weekend.  

Whether you are heading to the game, celebrating at home, or visiting Santa Monica, your safety remains our top priority.

• We encourage the community and our visitors to always “See Something, Say Something” and report suspicious activity. For non-emergency, urgent public safety issues, please use the following phone numbers to be connected to a public safety dispatcher: Non-emergency police: 310-458-8491 |Non-emergency fire/medical: 310-458-8660 
• Call or text 9-1-1 to report an emergency in Santa Monica needing police, fire or ambulance response.  
• When calling 9-1-1, know your location. Look for landmarks, cross street signs, and building names/addresses to help dispatchers and first responders if visiting and unfamiliar with local addresses. 
• Going to the game? Be sure to get the latest public safety alerts by following @UnifiedLA on Twitter and texting ‘INGSB’ to 888-777 to receive text alerts.  

Over the last few weeks, LA County and Santa Monica have made great progress in recovering from the latest COVID-19 surge. Let’s not fumble on the progress we have made, keep yourself and others safe from COVID-19 during your celebrations by following these safety tips: 

• Get your COVID-19 vaccine and/or booster shots, they are the most effective way to prevent serious illness and hospitalization from COVID-19. 
• Mask up if you plan to celebrate around groups of strangers outside of your immediate household and are unsure of everyone’s vaccination status.  
• Wear a well-fitted mask. N95/KN95 masks are the most effective in providing protections but if one is not available, a well-fitted surgical mask also provides protection from transmission. 
• Socially distance a minimum of six feet from others, when possible, in both indoor and outdoor settings. 
• Stay home if you are feeling ill, sick, or experiencing flu-like symptoms, and avoid gathering around others. Consider getting tested if you feel that you may have been exposed to COVID-19.  

Our City transportation team has been closely tracking pre-game events slated to take place in Santa Monica - and expect lots of visitors for Super Bowl weekend. Follow these tips and tricks to help avoid traffic associated with the big game and the events in the week leading up to it.  

• Use the Transit app (available on iOS and Android) to plan your transit trip around Santa Monica and buy your fare, try a scooter or electric bike, or if you plan to drive – park in one of the City’s many parking facilities and enjoy the sunshine as you walk to your destination.  
• If you’re driving to Downtown Santa Monica, try parking in structures a short walk from all the action such as the Civic Center Structure (333 Civic Center Drive), Structure 1 (1234 4th Street), Structure 2 (1235 2nd Street), or Structure 9 (1136 4th Street).  
• If you are headed to Santa Monica Beach or Pier, try parking at Lots 4 South (2030 Ocean Way) or 5 South (2600 Barnard Way). Not only will you save money due to lower parking fees, but you will get some fresh air in that additional short walk. 
• There’s roadwork on Main Street (between Pico and Olympic boulevards) so avoid that area if you can, and any tour buses coming to town should use the City’s established Tour Bus Zones when loading or unloading passengers. Keep in mind that the 2nd Street loading zones may be congested, so try other zones, including those along the south side of Wilshire Boulevard between Ocean Avenue and Third Street Promenade.  
• If you are headed to any of the pre-game activities like the Super Bowl Experience in DTLA, we highly encourage taking public transportation, and doing so can get you a discounted ticket to the event. 
• For the day of the game, parking at SoFi Stadium will be challenging and expensive. Save your money for a souvenir jersey and take the Big Blue Bus from Santa Monica to one of SoFi Stadium’s multiple off-site shuttle locations. With a little planning, your roundtrip can cost as little as $12! By taking transit, you will avoid stadium congestion and surge pricing on rideshare services. Here’s how you can take the Big Blue Bus to the SoFi Shuttle. 
• If the huge cost and stress savings are still not enough to convince you to take transit to the big game, parking is available in and around the stadium for a fee. For information on parking, other shuttle pick-up sites across the region, accessible parking & mobility assistance, and taxi/rideshare information click here. For parking information at the Aviation/LAX Metro Station, click here. 

We are excited to welcome visitors and locals alike for Super Bowl weekend. Santa Monica has a wide variety of outdoor dining options, festivities, and amenities available to enjoy the big game safely and we encourage everyone to buy local!  

• Football Festival at Third Street Promenade with the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers to commemorate the big game coming to LA 
• NBC's official pre-game show at the Santa Monica Pier. 
• Super Bowl game events and specials for this big weekend. For a full list of hotel deals, events, and local business specials, go to Super Bowl Specials | Santa Monica Super Bowl Deals. 

Let’s all remember to have a safe and fun Super Bowl weekend. Go Rams!