Super Bowl LI's Most Exciting Events Will Take Place Outside the Stadium

Updated on 1/26/2017 at 1:15 PM

It's more than just a game. For most of us, the Super Bowl is a day to gather with our friends, indulge in salty snacks, and watch a star-filled halftime show during a big football game. But ask anyone who's ever been to the Super Bowl and they can tell you that the experience extends well beyond the confines of the stadium where it is being played. The Super Bowl is an experience that begins several days before the big game and doesn't end until the wee hours after the Vince Lombardi trophy is handed to the winning team. Even the players who are appearing in the big game aren't aware of just how big it is, "When you're playing, you just don't know," legendary NFL cornerback Deion Sanders told me at an event celebrating the countdown to the big day. "When you retire, you're like, 'They're doing all this!'"

And "all this" is more than you can imagine. It's concerts with top talent, tailgates with food from James Beard-winning chefs, Q&As with NFL legends, and more. "Now it's not just about the game," Sanders explained. "It's about the experience, and that can be a lifelong memory that you can share with your friends, your kids, your co-workers, or your family."

So you want to experience all there is to be had during Super Bowl LI in Houston this year? It's easier than you think. You don't need to know someone who knows someone — you just need to be willing to pay for access. NFL On Location Experiences, the NFL's hospitality spin-off, has put together a weekend of food, music, and parties that just may be more exciting than anything happening inside Houston's NRG Stadium. The organization is expertly merging sports and entertainment to create the experience of a lifetime. Oh, and did I mention that it is partially owned by Jon Bon Jovi — yes, that Jon Bon Jovi — so you know the music lineup is going to be top notch.

So what's in store for this Super Bowl weekend in 2017? Read on to see it all.

Food — and Lots of It

If there ever was a town that was known for good steaks, Houston would be it. So it's no surprise that On Location Experiences is bringing in a renowned steakhouse like STK for the weekend. Parties held at NRG Stadium over Super Bowl weekend will feature a menu developed by STK along with Chef Chris Shepherd, chef and owner of Houston's own Underbelly restaurant. Expect to see items like Korean braised goat and dumplings, Texas steak, butternut squash risotto, seared sea bass, and Gulf-style seafood — not to mention these delicious sliders — on the menu.

Club Nomadic

Club Nomadic made its debut at last year's Super Bowl in San Francisco and was so successful that its creator is taking it on the road and bringing it to Houston. The 64,000-square-foot venue will host nightly concerts over the three days leading up to the big game — Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars have already been announced, and more big names are expected to be added to the schedule.

Texans House

Texans House will give fans a truly Texas-style experience over the three days leading up to the game. Houston's home team will use the venue to host interactive experiences and Q&A sessions with current and former NFL players and cheerleaders, teach visitors how to roll their own cigars, offer up local bands, and more.

Minute Maid Park

Perhaps one of the hottest tickets of the weekend — you know, aside from an actual game ticket — may well be a Saturday night concert in Minute Maid Park. Though the talent has yet to be announced, according to On Location Experiences CEO John Collins, the concert will be produced in partnership with CBS Radio and Live Nation, meaning the lineup is likely to be stellar.

So How Do You Get Access to This?

Now that we've whet your appetite for all of the events surrounding the game, I'm afraid we need to bring you down to reality.

Just to get into the stadium for the Super Bowl will cost you $4,630 — and that's just for a ticket. But if you want the full experience — including brushing shoulders with NFL legends Deion Sanders and Phil Simms, who are serving as brand ambassadors for On Location Experiences — you'll have to pony up a bit more. The least expensive packages (around $6,000) are already sold out, but there are several packages still available:

The Diamond Package ($12,399+) gets you 50-yard-line seating and exclusive entry into the stadium before the game and access to the postgame party and trophy presentation right on the field, not to mention priority entry so there's no wasted time on long lines and access to the pre and postgame music venues.
The Premium Package ($10,999+) includes sideline and club seating for the big game and a three-hour pregame party as well as priority entry to the stadium.
The Elite Package ($6,899+) will get you lower level corner, end zone, or upper sidelines seats as well as a three-hour pregame party in the NRG Center.

So, who's joining us in Houston in February?