Cubs to host 2027 MLB All-Star Game, first time at Wrigley Field since 1990
In a long-awaited announcement, Major League Baseball confirmed the Cubs will host the 2027 All-Star Game at Wrigley Field.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced the news during a Friday morning ceremony at the Friendly Confines, which previously hosted the marquee event in 1947, 1962 and 1990. The 97th Midsummer Classic is scheduled for July 13, 2027, with the sport’s collective bargaining agreement set to expire after the 2026 season, which adds a layer of uncertainty.
“My contingency plan is to make an agreement with the players and play the ’27 season,” Manfred said during a brief session with reporters in Wrigley Field’s home dugout.
Philadelphia will host next year’s Midsummer Classic, in recognition of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and a callback to 1976, when Veterans Stadium hosted the All-Star Game during the nation’s bicentennial.
The Cubs’ persistent lobbying efforts to land the All-Star Game lined up with the $1 billion Wrigleyville project that renovated the ballpark and redeveloped the neighborhood.
From MLB’s point of view, an ongoing issue was the security concerns about staging a huge event in an old stadium located in a densely packed residential area. The Cubs worked extensively with Chicago’s City Hall to alleviate those concerns. The city, state of Illinois and Cubs recently came to an agreement to surround Wrigley Field’s perimeter with concrete bollards and widen the sidewalks along Addison Street.
The estimated cost of the joint project is $30 million, the Chicago Sun-Times previously reported, and will be split between the state, the city and the team.
“I’m just really happy we finally got to this point,” Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said. “We spent an incredible amount of time and energy and resources to get the ballpark in good shape. We felt like it was our turn. We’re ready for it.”
The news conference began with a moment of silence for Cubs icon Ryne Sandberg, the Hall of Famer who died this week at the age of 65 following a cancer diagnosis. The dignitaries on hand included Illinois governor JB Pritzker, Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson and a group of Sandberg’s longtime teammates.
The last time the Cubs hosted the Midsummer Classic, Sandberg won the 1990 Home Run Derby, a moment in a legendary career that helped catapult the franchise toward national relevance and turn Wrigleyville into a huge tourist attraction.
“There’s no better place for the All-Star Game,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Everybody’s excited about it. Players are thrilled with it.”
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