2026 San Diego Padres seasonSan Diego Padres Opening Day is Thursday, March 26, with first pitch at 1:10 p.m.Out of the 162 games in the 2026 season, there are more than 80 opportunities for fans to catch the Padres at home. New this year, big screen televisions over the Tower lofts, menu offerings, and a cocktail lounge. The 2026 season is also the first with San Diego’s new Special Event Parking Zones fully in effect. Here’s everything fans should know before heading to Petco Park this year. The grass is cut, the lines are painted and the San Diego Padres are ready to take the field for the 2026 Major League Baseball season. All that’s left is to fill the stands with fans. New this year, drivers are guaranteed to pay an increased special event parking fee for Opening Day. It’s the first full season where the surge pricing at parking meters in the Gaslamp is in effect. Once inside Petco Park, fans will be treated to a few new menu offerings, more big screens and the stadium’s first cocktail lounge, the Diamond Room. Here’s what spectators should know before heading to Petco Park to watch the Friar Faithful this year. MLB Mar 23 Spring Training is over! What will the Padres Opening Day roster look like? MLB Mar 23 San Diego Padres name Nick Pivetta their Opening Day starter Padres Mar 19 On Friar Podcast: Gang Back Together, Padres Storylines a Week from Opening Day When is Opening Day? The first pitch of the season is set for 1:10 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, for the three-game series against the Detroit Tigers in a matchup evocative of the 1984 World Series, NBC 7 SportsWrap’s Derek Togerson was keen to point out. Nick Pivetta is the Friars Opening Day starter. What are other important dates for the 2026 Padres season? The Padres released their schedule which includes several interleague games and home games for Jackie Robinson Day on April 15, Mother’s Day on May 10, Memorial Day on May 25, and Labor Day on Sept. 7. See the full schedule here. The Padres 2026 regular season schedule. (San Diego Padres) What else is there to look forward to at Petco Park? From giveaways to special events, the Padres have stacked this year’s lineup with extra festivities for Padres fans. Every Friday, guests can head to Gallagher Square ahead of first pitch for Party in the Park happy hour, with drink specials, live music and more. New this year, Saturdays with Nova Kombucha will feature drink specials and live music in Gallagher Square. Three Saturday games will also have postgame firework shows. On Sundays, Kids Fest takes over the square with bounce houses and face painting. After the game, kids can run the bases. A different branch of the military will also be saluted each Sunday for Military Appreciation Days. Interspersed throughout the season are Theme Games celebrating heritage, pop culture and more with special tickets that come with exclusive Padres items. Some have postgame concerts, like one with Los Tucanes de Tijuana for the Padres’ Hispanic Heritage Celebration in September. There are even games where you can take your dog to the ballpark. Then, there are Giveaways; the ever-popular bobbleheads will be doled out to the first guests on these select dates. Clothing items, a poncho and even a lunch box are up for grabs on certain dates. What is the Diamond Room? New for 2026, the Diamond Room is a 70s-themed cocktail lounge at the corner of K Street and 7th Avenue, adjacent to Petco Park. New this year, the Padres have opened its own cocktail lounge at the spot formerly housing City Tacos adjacent to the Gaslamp Gate at K Street and Seventh Avenue. The 1970s -inspired Diamond Room opened in January and will offer an intimate and upscale experience with turntables a disco ball and moody vibes to 50 guests at a time. Elevated cocktails and small bites will be offered. A partnership between the Padres hospitality group, the Diamond Room will offer cocktail classes and other events and is available for private parties. Where to park for San Diego Padres Games Parking around Petco Park is more expensive than ever. Most privately operated parking garages and lots are $20 to $60 a game. And this year, there won’t be any relief at parking meters thanks to a Special Event Parking Zone that boosted rates to $10 an hour within a half-mile of Petco Park two hours before and four hours after game start times. While some councilmembers have proposed rollbacks, no changes have taken effect by the start of the season. Fans can pay for parking in advance or use a third-party app like Spot Hero if they’d like to secure their spot in advance. How to skip parking altogether Of course, the Metropolitan Transit System encourages fans to skip the parking chaos by taking mass transit. With additional service before and after games, the MTS trolley can get guests to the game every 15 minutes for $6 a day or less, MTS says. Trolley riders can exit the trolley at 12th Imperial, Gaslamp Quarter or Park Market. Bus options are also available. Here are the routes. For visitors from North County, the North County Transit District is offering additional rides during Padres games. A day pass is $15 but cheaper fares are available for less ride time or select groups. How to watch the Padres on TV There are more options in 2026 to watch Padres games. But in the era of streaming services, more options can also mean more frustration.  Padres games are still available on television – and thank goodness for that. The over-the-air Padres.TV channel only shows games and is available through a handful of TV providers in the San Diego market. There will be occasional games that pop up on other channels, like four nationally televised matchups airing on NBC’s platforms. Watch the July 5 at the Dodgers and Aug. 9 against the Astros on NBC 7 and Peacock. Two other games will air exclusively on Peacock: May 17 at Seattle, and September 13 in San Francisco. Padres.TV is the streaming service for fans in and around San Diego. It costs $99.99 for the season and carries everything but those national TV games.  Here’s a full breakdown of how to watch the Padres for the 2026 season. LISTEN: With NBC 7 San Diego’s Darnay Tripp and Derek Togerson behind the mic, On Friar will cover all things San Diego Padres. Interviews, analysis, behind-the-scenes…the ups, downs, and everything in between. Tap here to find On Friar wherever you listen to podcasts.  This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less