TL;DR: Tickets for the Group Stage in San Francisco will go on sale on Wednesday, July 20 at 10:00 AM PT starting at $26.00 USD via Ticketmaster.

Before you pack your bags for the ultimate road trip across the United States for the 2016 League of Legends World Championship, you’ll need to get your tickets. First up, we’ll be in San Francisco over two weeks for the Group Stage. Scroll down for everything you need to know to reserve your spot and attend Groups in San Fran:

Tickets

When do Group Stage tickets go on sale?

Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, July 20 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time (PT) via Ticketmaster.

How much are tickets?

Tickets prices have been updated to $38.00 ($29.50 base price + $8.50 service fees) for the Orchestra and $26.00 ($19.50 base price + $6.50 service fees) for the Loge/Balcony, plus applicable fees.

Where are the best seats in the house? What does the setup look like?

The Group Stage will be a traditional stage setup like the regular season of the NA LCS. Orchestra seats are closest to the stage, but every seat will provide a great viewing experience.

Can you confirm the final prices after fees and taxes?

Fees vary based on the individual buyer since you might need to pay taxes based on your location. Fees also vary based on how you decide to receive your ticket such as e-ticket, will call, mailing, etc. Find out more information on Ticketmaster.

Do I have to make an account to buy tickets?

Yes, Ticketmaster requires an account to purchase tickets. To save time, we recommend that you sign-up and create an account before tickets go live.

Will there be a queue/waiting page for tickets?

If the event is in high enough demand, an automatic system will go live to mitigate the traffic for Groups. Ticketmaster uses a queue system that will select purchasing order by random lottery. Remember that being in the queue or lobby doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be able to purchase tickets.

How many days are my ticket(s) good for?

One ticket gets you a seat at one day of the event.

I want to go to multiple days of the event. Can I buy a ticket package?

There’s no multi-day ticket package available. You’ll have to purchase your tickets individually for each day.

Are seats assigned? I want to sit with my friends.

If you want to sit with your friends, buy tickets together. Seats are assigned for every ticket.

Are tickets refundable?

Tickets are non-refundable.

How many tickets can I purchase at once?

Six tickets may be purchased per order.

When in September will more tickets go on sale?

We’ll confirm early September ticket sale timing in the coming weeks once we’ve finalized our production plans for all the venues.

There will be extremely limited quantities released in early September based on our final production setup. If you want to guarantee a seat at the Group Stage, we suggest not waiting since we cannot guarantee availability after the initial wave of tickets.

When will tickets for other Worlds events (Quarters, Semis, Finals) be released?

Venue and Event Details

Where is the venue?

Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove St, San Francisco, CA 94102

When do Group Stage games start on each day?

Games begin at following local times (PT):

Group Stage – San Francisco, Week 1:

• September 29 – October 2: 4:00 PM

Group Stage – San Francisco, Week 2:

• October 6 – October 7: 4:00 PM
• October 8 – October 9: 1:00 PM

When do doors open at Groups?

Doors open for the auditorium at the following local times (PT):

Group Stage – San Francisco, Week 1:

• September 29 – October 2: 3:00 PM

Group Stage – San Francisco, Week 2:

• October 6 – October 7: 3:00 PM
• October 8 – October 9: 12:00 PM

If you’re interested in checking out some of the community activities and Riftwalk on-site, we will open doors sooner for the venue. Scroll down to the Community Events section for more information about what to expect on-site.   

Why does Groups start at different times on different days during Week 2?

In the second week, we have the possibilities of tiebreakers so we want to be able to start early enough to accommodate them and best accommodate as many regions as possible to watch the live action of Group Stage matches.

What language will the live commentary of the event be in at Groups?

Live commentary will be in English.

Will there be radios with other languages commentary available?

Due to the local popularity of this event, we expect that the overwhelming majority of fans will be from North America. As a result, translation radios to hear alternate-language commentary will not be provided.

Is there an age restriction for players to attend Groups?

All attendees under 13 must be accompanied by an adult over the age of 18. The accompanying adult is required to have a valid ticket for the event.

Can I bring my camera into the venue?

We encourage photos and videos from your seat but leave monopods, selfie sticks, tripods, and large rigs at home. Generally, anything that can block the view or disrupt the experience of the others around you is a no-go.

Can I bring my own food and drink into the arena? Where can I smoke? Can I bring a backpack to the venue?

We’ll release a Group Stage Survival Guide for attendees closer to the event to answer these questions.

Will there be a hotel block for the Group Stage?

Unfortunately, we will not offer a hotel block for any of the stages of Worlds.

As we previously mentioned, we’ll be sharing the San Francisco with Dreamforce ‘16 during the Group Stage – Week 2.  We also recommend that you make hotel arrangements as early possible and explore options outside of the city.

Format, Match Schedule, and Group Draw

What’s the Group Stage? What’s the format?

The 2016 World Championship tournament is split into two phases: the Group Stage followed by the Knockout Stage.  

As we previously announced, 16 teams are sorted into four groups comprised of four teams each in the Group Stage. They play in double Round Robin-style, Best of 1 (Bo1) matchups, meaning each team plays every other team in its group twice. Eight teams advance to the Knockout Stage and matchups will transition to Bo5 format. The Knockout Stage begins with Quarterfinals in Chicago.  

What games are being played on which day?

As with Worlds 2015, the first week of groups will feature 3 of the 4 groups per day. The second week will feature only one group per day.

The match schedule will be released a few days after the Group Draw. Please be advised that you might not see your region play on a particular day.

When is the Group Draw?

The Group Draw will take place live on Saturday, September 10 in Los Angeles, CA.

What are the stakes?

In the Group Stage, teams are playing for placement into the Quarterfinals round of the Knockout Stage of the tournament. The top two teams from each Group will be placed in the Quarterfinals bracket based on their record within their Group.

Placement is important, as teams that finish No 1. in their group will play a team that finished No. 2 from another group.

Placement is important, as teams that finish No 1. in their group will play a team that finished No. 2 from another group.

Community Events / Riftwalk

Will there be other events (cosplay, merch, etc) at the Group Stage event?

We’re still working on our final plans so we’ll confirm when we get closer to the event.

Cosplayers are always welcome to attend any esports event. We’ll share the cosplay policy closer to the event in our Group Stage Survival Guide.

What’s the Riftwalk? Will it be at Groups?

As seen at PAX East and soon to be seen at NA Summer Finals in Toronto, the Riftwalk is an immersive, interactive journey through League’s history, showcasing memorable moments from the last six years, beloved community contributors, and the community that’s made it all possible.

The Riftwalk will be in venue of our Group Stage in San Francisco. There won’t be separate tickets for the experience. If you have a ticket to the Group Stage, you’ll be able to visit the Riftwalk on-site at the following times:

Group Stage – San Francisco, Week 1 (September 29 – October 2): Doors open at 1:00 PM PT for Riftwalk and line will be capped at 3:00 PM. The Riftwalk will reopen at 4:30 PM until close.

Group Stage – San Francisco, Week 2 (October 6 – October 7): Doors open at 1:00 PM PT for Riftwalk and line will be capped at 3:00 PM. The Riftwalk will reopen at 4:30 PM until close.

Group Stage – San Francisco, Week 2 (October 8 – October 9): Doors open at 10:00 AM PT for Riftwalk and line will be capped at noon. 

Visiting the Riftwalk requires a valid ticket for the day’s matches (i.e. if you have a ticket for Friday, you can only visit the Riftwalk on Friday, you can’t use a Friday ticket to go on Saturday, etc.)

Don’t miss your chance to see the kick off the 2016 World Championships with us in San Francisco this Fall.