Dos Equis Pavilion’s New Parking Policy Hits a Sour Note, Will Require Parking Passes

There are certain truths we have long held dear in Dallas: the Cowboys will break our hearts, traffic on Central Expressway is a nightmare and parking at Dos Equis Pavilion is a chaotic free-for-all. Well, you can now scratch that last one off the list. In a move that is likely to have concertgoers collectively groaning, the venerable Fair Park venue announced that starting in 2026, the era of “free” parking is officially over.

On Wednesday, the venue posted on its social media channels that “anyone who parks at the venue will need to purchase a parking pass in advance or on the day of the show.” These passes will be sold separately from concert tickets, ending a long-standing tradition that made Dos Equis one of the few major local venues where you didn’t have to sell a kidney to park your car.

For those of us who have braved the labyrinthine asphalt expanse of the venue’s lots, this news is a mixed bag of dread and morbid curiosity. Let’s be honest, the parking experience has always been part of the adventure. If you attended the sold-out Pierce the Veil show this past year, you know the drill: arrive hours early to snake through a seemingly endless queue, and then prepare for an equally epic exodus after the encore. It’s a rite of passage, a test of patience fueled by the anticipation of live music. Now, imagine adding the delightful step of swiping a card or fumbling for a digital pass at the gate.

The public reaction was swift and, shall we say, less than enthusiastic. Social media lit up with the kind of sarcastic wit that only a new, inconvenient fee can inspire. One user lamented, “cool, so now nobody will ever want to come to shows 😒,” while another pointedly remarked, “Because concert tickets aren’t expensive enough.” Our personal favorite? “Lol this was one of the only things y’all had going for this place.” Ouch.

To its credit, the venue’s social media team waded into the comment section to do some damage control. In response to one Instagram user, the official Dos Equis Pavilion account explained the logic: “GA parking was included on tickets with a fee. It’s now a separate transaction… Our goal is letting fans choose which parking they desire, without already paying for GA via the concert ticket.” The idea is that fans using rideshare services won’t have to subsidize parking for those who drive.

It’s a fair point. But it also raises questions. Will this new revenue stream lead to a miraculously efficient parking system with streamlined entry and exit? Will we see clearly marked lanes, cheerful attendants and maybe even a tram to whisk us away from the far-flung corners of the lot? Or is this just another way to squeeze a few more dollars out of an already increasingly expensive entertainment industry?

Only time will tell. For now, we have a little more time to enjoy the beautiful anarchy of free parking at Dos Equis Pavilion. So, go ahead and get stuck in traffic one last time for old times’ sake. Starting in 2026, you’ll be paying for the privilege.