Seattle Seahawks Tunnel Club Experience – Is It Worth It?
Welcome to the Tunnel Club, the most exclusive part of Lumen Field for a Seattle Seahawks game. We’ll take you behind the scenes and through every inch of the pre-game hospitality area billed as the best club at Lumen, so you can decide if the price tag is worth it to you.
What is the Tunnel Club?
The Seattle Seahawks opened the brand new Tunnel Club for the 2023 season, and tickets quickly sold out. The EQC Tunnel Club is a small lounge that gives visitors exclusive access to players as they come in and out of the locker rooms. Visitors can expect all inclusive food and drinks, including top shelf alcohol, an up-close view of the Seahawks players as they prepare for the game, and even special guest appearances from Taima, the Seahawks hawk, and Blitz, the Seahawks mascot.
The Tunnel Club holds about 150 people and offers the most in-the-action VIP experience possible at Lumen Field. But is it worth it? Read on for our complete review.
Tunnel Club Entry
Tunnel Club tickets include VIP entry to Lumen Field through Gate 6, near WaMu Theater. Tunnel Club visitors get early access, with gates opening 3 hours before kickoff. We arrived at the 3 hour mark and there was a short line to go through security, which moved quickly. Visitors then split into 2 areas, some going into a VIP area and others going into the Tunnel Club.
A greeter scanned both our game ticket and our Tunnel Club ticket before inviting us into the building and directing us to the club. The club entry is large and well signed, so it is easy to find and a very short walk from the entrance.
We scanned our Tunnel Club tickets again before receiving lanyards granting us access to the club and heading inside.
Tunnel Club Experience
The first thing you see when you enter the Tunnel Club is the DJ, which immediately set the tone that the Tunnel Club is here to party. I’m used to VIP experiences in Seattle like the Diamond Club and the Press Club at Mariners baseball games, and the Tunnel Club is nothing like those. The Tunnel Club is loud, fun, and in your face. It’s also a lot smaller than I was expecting, with very few seats for a club of its capacity.
The club consists of a long, narrow space with cocktail tables that overlooks the player tunnel and dead-ends near the opening at the south endzone onto the field. There is a full bar, sponsored by Patrón, a small but tasty all inclusive food buffet, and a seating alcove with booths and padded seats. There are also 2 individual, all-gender private restrooms.
Though there were a few families in the club, this is primarily an adult space. Having taken our kids to many VIP sporting experiences, I can say with certainty that they would not have enjoyed the Tunnel Club (at ages 8 and 11). The music was loud (but the songs were clean), the space is fairly tight, and there are few places to sit. Seeing the players and the mascots would have been interesting for them, but it is a long wait from when doors open to when the players come out, and kids will get bored several hours before the interesting stuff. Teenagers may find it fun but I wouldn’t go younger than about 15.
Additionally, the space is challenging if you have mobility issues. There is a plush lounge area with seating for about 25 people in a small alcove behind the food station. Seating consists of a mix of bar top tables with bar stools, booths, and a small number of round 2-person tables with padded seats. The majority of visitors will be standing for the entirety of their time in the Tunnel Club, and the seated area is far from the tunnel itself. If you are sitting, you may not see the players, and you definitely will not interact with them.
Tunnel Club Food and Drinks
The Tunnel Club is an exclusive space, but also a small space, and they do a nice job of not taking up too much space for a buffet while still offering a wide variety. It is an all inclusive premium food experience, so it’s not hard to fill up those 3 hours before kickoff. Everything we ate was delicious. If you are used to the huge buffets at the Mariners, though, you will be underwhelmed. The menu consisted of chips and dips, a make your own nacho bar, shrimp ceviche, a salad, a cheese board and bread, and 2 hot dish options, roasted chicken with vegetables and pulled pork sliders. There were also key lime parfaits and assorted cookies and brownies.
There were grab and go options which you could take back to your seats, including a candy bar and boxes of popcorn.
In terms of food allergy support, I would give the Tunnel Club a B grade. My husband is gluten free, and he could eat the pork without the bun as well as all of the chicken dish and most of the cold items. There were food labels with some allergen information, but it was a bit confusing. It’s a big step, however, to even have ingredient labels! So many places overlook this, and though it’s a small touch, it really makes a superior guest experience. Unfortunately, there were no gluten free desserts he could enjoy (though there were candy options).
My son (who did not attend) has a nut allergy, so I am always on the lookout there. The desserts would have been tricky, with the nut-covered brownies on the same plate touching the cookies and using shared utensils. Another easy fix – put the nut-containing items on their own dish with their own utensil and help prevent cross-contamination.
Dairy sufferers would have many options, though likely no dessert choices other than candy.
The 245-square foot bar sponsored by Patrón was excellent, with adorable single-serve palomas mixed up and ready for visitors as we entered. Another commonly ordered item was an espresso martini. Overall, the bar had excellent glassware (beautiful cut crystal and fun shapes) and tasty drinks, though the line could move slow at times. When I visited, they ran out of the grapefruit juice for palomas by kickoff. The bar also has an espresso machine and can make specialty coffee and had nonalcoholic beverage options as well. There are water dispensers for convenience while in the club, and the bar has bottled water you can take to your seat.
Visitors are not allowed to take glassware from the Tunnel Club to their seats, but the bar has plastic cups and you can take wine or beer out of the club with you. You are not allowed to take mixed drinks or other alcohol out. Though the super cute Patrón single-serve bottles were made of plastic, we were not allowed to take them with us (rules of the venue, not Patrón). I did see some people sneak them into their bags successfully, but my bag was too small and we had to leave ours behind. Patrón had intended for us to take them, so it felt like a miss all around.
Interacting with Players
The real fun and value of the Tunnel Club is the fan experience of getting to see players up close. You really feel like you are part of the Seahawks, and many players were kind enough to stop by as they were returning from pregame warmups to sign autographs, give fist bumps, and pose for pictures with fans. The club offers unparalleled views of the players, including all the starters, and you really feel like you are behind the scenes as they prepare for the game. When we returned for halftime, a legendary former player honored at the game was waiting to chat with fans – it’s these touches that really made it feel like a premium experience.
It was really quite cool to see the tunnel light up and the Seahawks walk by in their full gear, some of them riling up the club visitors and everyone cheering. There’s nothing like the energy of a home game, and that really started in the Tunnel Club.
The Tunnel Club at Halftime
The Tunnel Club closes at kickoff and reopens at the 2 minute warning before halftime. Not knowing how much game stoppage there would be, my husband and I left our seats around the 8 minute mark in the second quarter and headed back down to the club. We were the first to arrive, but not by much, and we were directed to start a line. We were near a TV, so we could still see the action, but it did feel like a bit of wasted time. Ultimately, I’m glad that we arrived early, because we were able to divide and conquer. He grabbed two spots along the tunnel and I headed to the bar. The bar was instantly flooded with people, so I recommend splitting up if you can or else you will have either a good spot to see your favorite players heading into the locker room or you will have a drink, but not both.
The tunnel is much smaller going into halftime than it was during the pre-game experience, so that’s something to know. Players go straight into the locker room through the closest entrance to the field, so they do not walk through the club as they do during the pregame festivities. I was surprised at how short halftime felt, so it makes sense why they go straight in and out. What this means for you, though, is that only about 15 people can stand along the rail and have a clear view of the players. It makes for more room in the club itself, as they remove the barrier that formed the tunnel in the pre-game festivities, but it is harder to see.
There was different food out at halftime, more focused on game-day snacks and light bites. I had potato wedges with ranch and bbq sauce, and I also saw hot dogs and other ballpark type foods.
Tunnel Club Bathrooms
The Tunnel Club is clearly a retrofit of other areas of the stadium, and nowhere is this more evident than the restrooms. There are only 2 individual restrooms, which as you can imagine, creates quite the line at kickoff and at the end of halftime. I was the last person allowed in line at halftime, and they made my husband find a bathroom outside the club because they close the club as the second half kicks off. For a premium club, it didn’t feel very premium to be told to go find another bathroom.
The bathrooms themselves were large and modern, with nice touches like premium soap and hand lotion and free hygiene products. They clearly got a lot of use and could have been a touch cleaner, but they were a big step up from a typical stadium bathroom.
Practical Tips
Arrive Early
If you want to get a spot along the railing, where you have the optimal viewing experience of players, arrive within the first hour of opening. If you want a spot at the far end of the club along the turf, arrive in the first 15 minutes. These were the first spots to be claimed and they never got less busy. The turf spots along the railing were the best spots to get autographs and pictures with players, who typically enter and exit the Seahawks home locker room directly onto the turf. The longer player tunnel is used only during the actual kickoff, and the players don’t typically interact with fans when they are getting in the zone.
Dress Appropriately
Visitors to the Tunnel Club are required to be in Seahawks gear or neutral attire – no opposing team clothing is allowed. Additionally, you will likely be standing the entire time, so wear practical, comfortable shoes and keep your belongings to a minimum. The cocktail tables do have purse hooks, which is a very convenient addition, but if you are standing along the tunnel edge, there is only a small ledge for plates and drinks and nowhere to place additional items. If you don’t absolutely need it, don’t bring it.
Don’t forget to check the prohibited items at Lumen Field and familiarize yourself with the clear bag policy so you don’t have any delays entering the stadium.
What Does the Seahawks Tunnel Club Cost?
Tunnel Club tickets are sold as an exclusive membership for season ticket holders, and there are also a select number of single-game Tunnel Club tickets sold. Tickets are only available through the Seahawks website directly, or in an offline sale with season ticket holders. They are not available for resale on ticket marketplaces. I learned the hard way that Tunnel Club ticket costs vary by game – the game I went to cost $1000 per ticket, but I found a game later in the season where the same experience was only $500 a ticket. If you have some flexibility, definitely check multiple games for the best price.
One really important note is that Tunnel Club tickets do NOT get you into the game itself. You have to buy separate game tickets, as the Tunnel Club is only open for 3 hours before kickoff and during halftime. You can’t watch the game from the club (you couldn’t see the game even if the club was open) so you leave the club and go to your seats during the game.
If you’re looking for game tickets, check out our guide to the best seats at Lumen Field. We have charter seats in section 312 and consider them some of the best in the stadium, but our article covers everywhere you might want to sit.
Is the Seahawks Tunnel Club Worth It?
Honestly, this is a tricky one. In terms of Seahawks gameday experiences, I think this is the best. You get an all inclusive experience with good food and drinks, player interactions, a visit from Taima, a flyby from Blitz, and a unique spot to watch the pregame activities. However, you couldn’t possibly eat or drink anywhere close enough to feel like you got your money’s worth, which means that you have to really value the special guest experiences to justify the price. If you are a diehard 12th man, perhaps this will be worth it for you. I personally don’t see myself spending $1000 per ticket again (in addition to my game tickets!), though I did enjoy my time. If you have a huge entertainment budget and you love the Hawks, this is definitely a memorable experience and one you won’t regret.
