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NCAA March Madness Free “Fan Fest” at Chase Center’s Outdoor Plaza (March 24-26)

EVENT UPDATE: There are no upcoming events known for this event series - please check the organizer website for any updates.

The NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament hasn’t taken place in San Francisco since 1939 when it was on Treasure Island (how cool!). So now, after 80 years, “March Madness” finally returns to the City as the Chase Center plays host to this year’s West Regional.

Although tickets to the games are hopelessly sold out, you can still get close to the action at the free three-day “Fan Fest” taking over Thrive City Plaza in front of the arena. Distract yourself from your bracket getting busted with lawn games, live art, giveaways and a pop-up basketball court (Friday only) with a 3-point and free-throw contest.

Plus you can watch game highlights where the players will look much much larger-than-life on the plaza’s ginormous 42-foot tall video screen or on TVs at any of the bars and restaurants surrounding the plaza including Gott’s, Dumpling Time and Harmonic Brewing.

The most fun will be Friday, since there are no games at Chase Center that day, there’s much more space for activations, fun and activities.

NCAA March Madness Fan Fest
Watch the games on 42-foot screen in front of Chase Center
March 24-26, 2022
Thrive City Plaza, Chase Center, 1 Warriors Way, SF
FREE (subject to capacity)

Fan Fest Start Times (approx)
– Thursday – 2-9p
– Friday – 3-9p – includes pop-up basketball court + lounge seating + DJ, balloon artist, 360 photo ops
– Saturday – 2 hours prior to tip-off

Please note on Thursday and Saturday, activations will wind down throughout the second game, but the game will be on the big screen the whole time for people to watch.

About Fan Fest
NCAA March Madness returns to San Francisco for the first time since 1939. We’re celebrating this milestone with an immersive fan experience where fans can celebrate March Madness in Thrive City, our outdoor plaza. Enjoy live entertainment, games, crafting stations, seating lounges, live commemorative art, and photo opportunities. Plus, experience our outdoor court, designed for fans to run drills and win exclusive prizes with our 3-point contest, free-throw contest, and more!

About the Games
The Tournament action at Chase Center tips off with the top four seeds from the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship West Regional on Thursday, March 24. No. 1 seed Gonzaga plays No. 4 seed Arkansas at 4:09 p.m. and at 6:39 p.m., No. 3 seed Texas Tech will play No. 4-seed Duke.

The winners of these two Thursday games will advance to face each other on Saturday, March, 26, with the winner of that moving on to the Final Four.