The wildest show on turf is coming to The Trop. The Savannah Bananas released their 2027 schedule, which includes two games in St. Pete against the Loco Beach Coconuts, both hosted at Tropicana Field.
Banana Ball arrives in town on May 7 and May 8 of 2027, and tickets are available exclusively through a lottery system. The lottery closes at midnight on October 31, so if you’re interested, apply now. These games are sure to sell out. A reminder: being selected for the lottery doesn’t mean you are required to buy tickets. If your interest is more on the “maybe” level, it’s still worth applying just to be safe.
The spring 2027 games will mark the Bananas’ first appearance in St. Pete, though it’s the second attempt at bringing the wild baseball showcase to town. They were originally scheduled to play a game in the Sunshine City in 2025, but that was moved to Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium after hurricane damage to The Trop.
At this point, most people with an internet connection have at least heard of the Savannah Bananas. What started as a single team in a minor league stadium in Savannah, GA, has grown into one of the most popular sporting events in the country.
Pitchers hurl fastballs while wearing 8-foot stilts. Outfielders make catches mid-backflip. Choreographed dances break out at every opportunity. Players roam the stands. Former Broadway stars don the jersey. And in between it all, actual baseball is being played.
That, perhaps, is the most impressive part of Banana Ball. These are legit baseball players, some of the best athletes the sport has to offer. Many of the players you see on the field playing for any of the Banana Ball teams were once stars of the traditional game, playing in the College World Series, being picked early in the MLB Draft, and working their way up through the minor leagues.
If this isn’t the pro baseball experience they dreamed of as kids, it’s just because baseball dreams hadn’t yet become this creative, over-the-top, and wildly entertaining.
If tickets to games in St. Pete don’t work out, it’s worth keeping an eye on the midseason Banana Ball Open, which brings a four-game round robin to Disney’s Wide World of Sports. It’s an annoying drive, but if you’re determined to see them in action, that’s the next closest you can get if you miss the chance in St. Pete.
You can apply for the ticket lottery here. Be sure to select “Tampa Bay” as your city of interest, and we’ll all collectively agree to give them a pass on that.