What should I know before going to the French Open?
Facts checked November 2, 2026 by the French Open Insider editorial team
Short answer
Your ticket exists only in the official Roland-Garros app, so log in before you leave and charge your phone. In 2026 day-session gates opened at 10:00 and play began between 11:00 and 12:00. Bring photo ID, a bag of 15 liters or less, sun and rain layers, and leave the stroller at home. No tickets are sold at the gates.
Your ticket is in the app, in your name
Since 2024 Roland-Garros tickets have been 100% mobile: each one sits in the official Roland-Garros app, and there are no paper or print-at-home tickets. A PDF or a printout will not get you in.
Log in to the app before you leave and carry a battery pack. Tickets are issued in a name: in 2025 Europe 1 advised checking your name and date of birth on the ticket, and said valid ID would be requested at the entrance.
There is no box office: Roland-Garros ended gate sales in 2018. If your day is sold out, see how to buy French Open tickets.
First-timer checklist
| Item | What to know |
|---|---|
| Ticket | In the official Roland-Garros app, logged in, on a charged phone. No paper or PDF. |
| Photo ID | Matching the name on the ticket. |
| Bag | 15 liters or less. No lockers inside; two free left-luggage points outside. |
| Arrival | Gates at 10:00 (9:00 on May 18 to 20), after a security checkpoint. |
| Children | Under 4 free on an adult's lap. No strollers or pushchairs. |
| Water | A reusable bottle for the water fountains. |
| Sun and rain | Hat, sunscreen and a light rain layer. |
| Payment | A payment card. Whether cash is taken is not published. |
| Leave at home | Selfie sticks (2022 list); glass, cans and large containers (2021 rules); umbrellas with a metal or pointed tip (2019 rules). |
Getting through the checkpoint and the gates
All visitors pass one of three security checkpoints, at Auteuil, Molitor or Boulogne, before the stadium gates, and Roland-Garros advises arriving early for them.
The official travel FAQ gives day-session gates at 10:00 and first matches at 11:00, 11:45 or 12:00 depending on the day. Night-session gates open at 18:30 and the night match on Court Philippe-Chatrier starts at 20:15. The match times guide converts these to US and UK time.
Food, alcohol and leaving the grounds
Roland-Garros has not published a rule on bringing your own food, so plan to buy lunch inside. In 2026 the new Jardin des Chefs next to Court Simonne-Mathieu served lunch from 11:30 to 15:30. Alcohol has been banned in the stands since May 30, 2024. More in food and drink at Roland-Garros.
Plan to stay inside once you enter: Mastercard's 2026 package terms say all exits are final. Roland-Garros has not published a re-entry rule for general tickets.
Heat, rain and the 2026 heat rule
Paris averages highs of 20°C (68°F) in May and 23°C (74°F) in June (Météo-France normals). The 2026 tournament opened at 33°C (91°F). Its heat rule set cooling breaks at 30.1°C WBGT, a heat-stress index rather than the air temperature, and a suspension of play at 32.2°C WBGT.
In rain only Court Philippe-Chatrier and Court Suzanne-Lenglen keep playing, under their roofs. See the rain policy and the weather and packing guide.
People also ask
Can you enter Roland-Garros without a ticket?
No. Every visitor needs a ticket for that day in the official Roland-Garros app, and none are sold at the gates. Children under 4 are the exception: they enter free on an adult's lap.
What are the essentials to bring to Roland-Garros?
Your phone with the app ticket and a battery pack, photo ID, a bag of 15 liters or less, a reusable bottle, sun protection, a rain layer, a payment card and comfortable shoes.
Can you take food into Roland-Garros?
No official rule on outside food has been published, and guides disagree. The 2021 stadium rules banned glass, cans and large containers, so leave those behind and expect to buy most of your food inside.
How do you get to Roland-Garros by metro?
Take Line 10 to Porte d'Auteuil, about a minute's walk from the Auteuil security checkpoint, or Line 9 to Michel-Ange-Auteuil, about 8 minutes on foot. For step-free access, take RER C or tram T3a to Pont du Garigliano.