Banana Ball returns to Target Field in 2027

If you've ever thought baseball could use a bit more chaos, the Savannah Bananas are about to give you exactly that. The Banana Ball World Tour is returning to Target Field on June 4 and 5, 2027, with a matchup between The Party Animals and The Firefighters, and the most important thing to know right now is how to actually get a ticket.

Here is the catch: you can't just buy them. To attend, you have to join the ticket lottery list before it closes at midnight on October 31, 2026. A random drawing happens roughly two months before the event, so the window to get on that list is shorter than the games themselves. Season Seat Members get priority presale access, which is the only sure way around the lottery. Once tickets are available, standard seats start at $35, while Meet and Greet tickets begin at $125. Children three and under get in free as long as they sit on a parent's lap.

For anyone who has never seen it, Banana Ball is not the baseball you grew up with. It's a fast-paced version of the game built for entertainment, and the rules reflect that. There is a strict two-hour time limit, games are won by points rather than runs, and bunting is banned outright — if you bunt, you're ejected. Batters can't even step out of the box without it being called a strike, and walks are replaced by 'ball-four sprints,' where the batter races to first while the pitcher has to touch every fielder on the diamond. The crowd is part of the game, too: if a fan catches a foul ball, it's an out. Ties are settled by a 'showdown tie-breaker' where the team that won more innings takes the game, and the 'Golden Batter' rule lets any player bat in any position once per game. Toss in choreographed dances, comedic sketches, and stunts performed by the players, and it's easy to see why the tour bills itself as the greatest show in sports.

The team behind it all started small. The Savannah Bananas were founded in 2015 as a college summer team in Savannah, Georgia, and officially took the name on February 25, 2016. They spent seven seasons in the Coastal Plain League, winning three Petitt Cup Championships in 2016, 2021, and 2022, and saw more than 35 players drafted along the way. In 2022, they left the league to play Banana Ball year-round. Today, the Banana Ball Championship League runs six teams: the Savannah Bananas, the Party Animals, the Firefighters, the Texas Tailgaters, the Loco Beach Coconuts, and the Indianapolis Clowns.

A few Target Field reminders for when the dates roll around: the stadium is smoke-free, and there's no re-entry once you're inside. Bags need to be a single compartment, no larger than 16 by 16 by 8 inches; bigger bags and backpacks can be stored for free near Gate 6 and Target Field Station. Parking is available at Ramps A, B, and C, as well as Hawthorne and Hennepin at 10th, with accessible drop-off zones along 7th Street near the Majestic Clubhouse Store and Gate 14. Family restrooms are on the Main Concourse, in Grandstand section 238, and on the Suite and Terrace Concourses. For tickets, the official lottery runs through BananaBall.com, and the team's social media @TheSavBananas keeps the hype going with over 14 million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.