The Chicago Bears will kick off their 2026 preseason next Saturday with a Peanuts twist, turning their only home exhibition game of the year into a family-focused celebration featuring Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and a stadium full of themed giveaways. The Bears x Peanuts Kids Game by United Airlines takes place Aug. 15 against the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field, with kickoff set for noon.
The matchup marks the Bears' preseason opener and their sole home exhibition contest at Soldier Field this year, according to FOX 32 Chicago. The team officially announced the collaboration on June 11 as the launch of its 2026 Home Game Themes lineup, describing the Peanuts partnership as a way to unite two multigenerational, Chicago-connected brands around a family-oriented gameday, per the Chicago Bears.
Fans who buy a specialty Bears x Peanuts ticket package will receive an exclusive 4-inch sitting Snoopy plush keychain charm dressed in a Bears jersey, redeemable at Gate 15 on gameday, the team's ticketing page notes. Soldier Field gates open two hours ahead of the noon kickoff, and the venue — owned by the City of Chicago and operated by the Chicago Park District — requires 100 percent mobile ticketing for all 2026 events.
Costumed Characters and Concourse Activities Planned
Gameday activations include costume appearances by Snoopy and Charlie Brown, temporary Snoopy-themed face-tattoo stations, and early-entry pennant giveaways for arriving fans. Kids attending will also find a four-piece collectible Peanuts button pack tucked inside Mott's Kids Meal Boxes, part of the concourse offerings the Bears organization detailed for the event.
United Airlines, headquartered in Chicago, is presenting the Kids Game as part of its role as a Hall of Fame Partner of the franchise. Portions of gameday sales and specialty concession offerings benefit Bears Care, the team's charitable arm, which has distributed more than $34 million to Chicagoland healthcare and youth initiatives over the years.
Peanuts' Long History With Football
The timing lines up with a milestone year for Peanuts, which debuted on October 2, 1950, and is marking its 75th anniversary across 2025 and 2026 with international exhibitions, symphonic tours, and sports licensing partnerships, according to License Global. Football has been woven into Peanuts lore since November 1951, when creator Charles M. Schulz introduced the strip's famous recurring gag of Lucy yanking the football away from Charlie Brown, a bit that ran in newspapers for nearly five decades, per the Charles M. Schulz Museum.
The preseason opener also arrives as Bears season-ticket holders are still absorbing a 13.5 percent average increase in their 2026 invoices across nine regular-season home games and this one preseason contest, as Hoodline previously reported. That pricing context frames what fans can expect heading into the only chance to see the Bears at Soldier Field before the regular season kicks off.
