The National Football League is coming to Long Beach — at least for one day.
Thanks to the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, the NFL will kick off the 2022 season on Thursday, Sept. 8, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, with the home team playing the Buffalo Bills. But the NFL Kickoff Experience — a daylong festival followed by a watch party — will take place on Alamitos Beach, in downtown Long Beach.
Best of all, the Kickoff Experience is free to attend. And the Vince Lombardi Trophy will be in Long Beach to allow fans to take selfies; rings from all 56 previous Super Bowl winners will also be on display, with multiple other photo opportunities available too.
Rams and Bills legends will sign autographs.
Fans will be able to test their skills with football-related games, including a field goal kick, a 40-yard dash and the ubiquitous video games with a Plug & Play Challenge. Youngsters can catch punts, attempt a pass over a defender and even try on NFL gear.
There will be a beer garden hosted by Bud Light, as well as the Smirnoff Tavern, for those at least 21 years old, along with other food and drink concessions for a tailgate party. And a large NFL shop will have merchandise branded for all of the pro teams (with an emphasis on the Rams and the Chargers).
People can also help give back, helping the United Service Organizations assemble 10,000 USO Care Packages for military service members. The packages will be filled with snacks, such as healthy treats and beverages, to remind the soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen and women of home, according to a USO spokesperson. The packages will be distributed worldwide during the holidays.
A highlight of the day will be the 4 p.m. concert by J. Balvin, known as the Prince of Reggaeton. The Colombian-born musician has won five Latin Grammy Awards and been nominated for Grammys for the last three years.
The Latin pop star has sold more than 45 million records worldwide. The concert will be televised as part of the pregame show on NBC.
Once the concert ends, attendees can pull out lawn chairs and blankets to settle in for a watch party of the game. Seating space is on a first-come, first-served basis. There also will be a standing-room-only area.
While it’s free to attend the NFL Kickoff Experience, tickets are required for entry for those older than 18. After registration, tickets will be on the NFL OnePass smartphone app — the app also is required to participate in some of the day’s activities. There will be an option at the event for those without smart phones who have registered for tickets.
Adults are limited to two tickets each, not including minors. Those younger than 18 don’t need tickets, although they should be registered. Tickets are available at NFL.com/2022kickoff.
While the Kickoff Experience is being set up in a large space on the beach, it still will be limited to capacity, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis. There also will be a significant security screening, including walk-through metal detectors.
Small bags (18x16x8) are allowed, as are water bottles and lawn chairs. But no outside food or drink is allowed, along with all of the items typically banned at sporting events and amusement parks.
The security gates will open at 11 a.m. for prescreening, and the venue will open at noon. Mass transit and car sharing are recommended, with parking available at the Long Beach Convention Center lot (entry on Seaside Way) for $15 and at the Pike Garage for $26.40 for the day. Parking can be purchased in advance at longbeachcc.com and parklb.com/special-events.
For more information, go to nfl.com/kickoff.