El Paso’s Iconic Sun Bowl Tradition Faces New Limits

If you were planning on checking out the BTS shows by climbing the infamous mountain at the Sun Bowl stadium, not so fast!

Because this time around, University of Texas at El Paso officials are making it very clear: that long-standing El Paso “tradition” is officially off-limits.

UTEP Says Stay Off the Mountain for Sun Bowl Shows

BTS is certainly causing quite a commotion across the Sun City. Between hotel drama and BTS fever, the upcoming shows are shaping up to be one of the biggest concert weekends of the year. Now, UTEP is warning fans not to head up the mountain for a free view.

READ MORE: BTS Fans Are Taking Over El Paso Like Never Before 

During a recent media roundtable, officials said climbing the mountain to watch the show is simply too dangerous. Law enforcement will be keeping an eye on the area, and “no trespassing” signs and fencing will be in place.

Okay, but what's going to happen when Post Malone shows up?!

The Sun Bowl Mountain “Hack” Every El Pasoan Knows

Now, if you’re from El Paso, you already know this is easier said than done.

Because no matter what event is happening at the Sun Bowl- concert, game, or anything in between- there’s almost always a crowd posted up on that mountain. It’s not just a workaround, it’s basically a rite of passage.

From locals who grew up watching shows from afar to out-of-towners who quickly learn “the spot,” the mountain has become El Paso’s unofficial free seat. It’s part hustle, part tradition, and 100% El Paso behavior.

Even Coldplay Noticed El Paso’s Mountain Crowd

When Coldplay took over the Sun Bowl during their Music of the Spheres tour, fans lined the mountain both nights, watching from the rocky backdrop of the Franklin Mountains.

READ MORE: El Paso BTS Army Creates Buddy System App

Instead of ignoring them, frontman Chris Martin actually gave the mountain crowd a shoutout mid-show, even joking in a song about their “very cheap… actually free” tickets.

El Paso Had A Lot To Say About the Mountain Ban

So now that the warning is out, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the reactions were pretty much exactly what you’d expect.

From jokes to straight-up “we’ll see about that” energy, El Paso social media did not hold back.

At the end of the day, UTEP’s message is clear: stay off the mountain and enjoy the show from inside Sun Bowl Stadium.

But if there’s one thing this city has proven time and time again, it’s that Sun Bowl concerts tend to come with their own unofficial traditions.

With new enforcement measures in place this time around, it’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out once the music starts.