Arts & Entertainment
Chicago Cubs to Host All-Star Game for First Time in More Than 30 Years
Diners sit at bar patios near Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs, before a home game against the Orioles on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. (Andrew Adams / Capitol News Illinois)
Baseball’s biggest names will be heading to the Friendly Confines in July 2027 as Wrigley Field is set to host the MLB All-Star game for the first time in more than 30 years.
Chicago Cubs leaders joined Gov. JB Pritzker, Mayor Brandon Johnson and other elected officials Friday to make the announcement official after months of speculation that the game would be returning to the North Side.
“The amazing transformation that has happened at Wrigley Field, and indeed Wrigleyville will provide a great setting for one of our most important events,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said.
This will mark the eighth time Chicago has hosted an All-Star game, the second most of any city trailing only New York (9).
The game has been held at Wrigley Field on three previous occasions, in 1947, 1962 and 1990. The White Sox have also hosted four All-Star games in 1933, 1950, 1983 and most recently in 2003.
“We’re proud to invite the world to take in all that Chicago and the state of Illinois have to offer,” Pritzker said.
The last time the All-Star Game was played at Wrigley Field was in 1990! pic.twitter.com/fiMO2UNcQx
— MLB (@MLB) August 1, 2025
Beyond the game itself, the multi-day all-star festivities at Wrigley will also include the Home Run Derby and a celebrity softball game.
Crain’s Chicago Business first reported last month that the game would be returning to Chicago in 2027 after city officials signed off on additional funding to cover the installation of new security bollards around Wrigley Field.
Manfred on Friday said the completion of that project was “really important for us” and for the security of the game.
The announcement comes just days after the death of Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg, who passed away following a battle with cancer. Officials held a moment of silence in his honor at the announcement Friday.
Sandberg, a 10-time All-Star, played in the last All-Star Game at Wrigley in 1990 and won that year’s home run derby
“He was a great player, he was probably a better man,” Manfred said, “and his loss has been felt throughout baseball.”
