Wacky baseball returns to Uptown in 2026
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Photo: Ashley Smithson/Courtesy of Banana Ball
Banana Ball returns to Charlotte in 2026 as the Firefighters and the Texas Tailgaters head to Truist Field June 4-6.
Why it matters: This will be the first time fans will see Banana Ball at Truist Field.
Context: The wacky dancing style of baseball, which has been made popular by the Savannah Bananas, has expanded to include the Firefighters, the Texas Tailgaters, the Party Animals, Loco Beach Coconuts and the Indianapolis Clowns — all teams under the Banana Ball umbrella.
- The three-game stint at Truist Field will be part of the new Banana Ball Championship League, according to Banana Ball founder Jesse Cole.
- "All six teams in the BBCL will play a 60-game schedule that culminates with the Banana Bowl Championship next October," Cole said in a statement.
What's next: Fans will sign up for the Banana Ball Ticket Lottery once the World Tour City Draft ends Thursday, Oct. 9, for a chance to buy tickets. The lottery closes on Oct. 31.
- Game times will be announced at a later date.
Flashback: The Savannah Bananas took on the Party Animals during a two-night stint at Bank of America Stadium down the street from Truist Field earlier this year.
By the numbers: In June, more than 1480,000 fans total watched Banana Ball at Bank of America Stadium, which holds roughly 74,000 people. 54,000 of those fans came from outside the Charlotte region, according to the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. The games generated $38.6 million in economic impact, per CRVA.
Zoom in: CRVA is working with the Charlotte Knights, which owns the 10,000-seat ballpark and the Charlotte Sports Foundation, to bring Banana Ball back to Charlotte.
Zoom out: Banana Ball will be one of more than 200 events held at Truist Field next year, Knights executive VP and COO Dan Rajkowski tells Axios.
- This year includes roughly 225 events, a significant jump from when the ballpark used to be used for only 100 events.
- The ballpark's grass field is replaced every March to keep up with the demand.
- Truist Field hosts everything from minor league baseball games to college games and club college hockey games, plus movies, yoga, a pumpkin patch and a holiday market called Light the Knights.
- Light the Knights draws around 150,000 people, Rajkowski says.
- The only time the ballpark is slow is mid-January, Rajkowski says, adding that there's not much room on their calendar, but they're going to try to add more events.
