Jacksonville is getting its own dose of high-energy, rule-bending baseball next spring. Boom Ball, a co-ed reimagining of the sport that blends former minor league players, collegiate softball stars and reality TV personalities, will play VyStar Ballpark on May 8, 2027, as part of its expanding national tour.
The announcement comes after Boom Ball wrapped a successful inaugural 2026 season, completing a multi-city U.S. tour that included minor league ballparks in Michigan, Ohio and Texas, according to MiLB.com. Jacksonville was named alongside Jackson, Mississippi, as one of the first confirmed stops on the expanded 2027 schedule, a sign of the tour's growing footprint as it moves beyond its debut markets. As first reported by Action News Jax, the Jacksonville date will unfold over six action-packed innings lasting roughly two hours.
David Ratz, Vice President of Special Events for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, said the franchise is thrilled to bring the tour to town as part of its mission to provide affordable family entertainment, per the same MiLB.com announcement. Boom Ball team officials, in a news release, said excitement continues to grow for the show baseball experience the league has built.
What Makes Boom Ball Different From a Regular Ballgame
Boom Ball is billed as a new high-energy reimagining of baseball that combines elite baseball and softball talent with immersive, personality-driven entertainment. The league is explicitly co-ed, featuring former minor league and collegiate players alongside softball stars and reality TV personalities.
Rather than standard nine-inning play, the format breaks each six-inning game into distinct mini-events, including a trick play showcase, softball challenges, speed innings and a home run derby, the league's own site notes. Teams like the Lucky Llamas and Chaos Crew lean on trick plays and high-impact moments to keep crowds engaged throughout, fusing fast-paced action with interactive fan moments rather than the traditional lulls of a nine-inning game.
The touring roster includes former collegiate softball athletes Chloe Malau'ulu and Hannah File, according to a report from the San Antonio Current, which also notes that teams blend former college and minor league baseball players with entertainment figures and American Ninja Warrior competitors.
A Four-Hour Fan Experience Before First Pitch
Tour stops are structured as four-hour fan experiences that kick off with Boom Fest, a 90-minute pre-game festival featuring interactive activities and player appearances, according to Fun 4 Alamo Kids. At other tour stops, Boom Fest has run from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. ahead of a 7 p.m. first pitch, followed by opening ceremonies and the main event.
Getting into that main event requires navigating Boom Ball's online ticket lottery system, which manages distribution across tour stops rather than offering straightforward direct sales. Base tickets start at $25, with launch-day deals and premium passes also available, per the same San Antonio Current report.
Among those premium options is a charitable tier launched in June 2026, when Boom Ball introduced a national partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The $75 “St. Jude All-Star” ticket passes direct $20 per purchase to the hospital and include post-game field access, according to a release distributed via PR Newswire. Standard tickets also carry a $1 donation to the hospital.
A Ballpark With a New Name and a Winning Tenant
The Jacksonville date lands at a venue that recently underwent its own rebrand. VyStar Ballpark formally adopted its current name ahead of the 2025 season under a 15-year naming-rights deal running through 2040, following a merger between 121 Financial and VyStar Credit Union, according to News4JAX. The stadium was previously known as 121 Financial Ballpark.
That ballpark's main tenant, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, won the International League championship and the Triple-A National Championship in 2025 while consistently ranking among Florida's top minor league teams in fan attendance, per MiLB.com's report. The Jumbo Shrimp are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.
It won't be the first time Jacksonville's downtown ballpark has drawn crowds for baseball outside the traditional mold. The venue hosted a Savannah Bananas exhibition game in March 2024 that generated viral videos with a Dirty Dancing routine that reached over 12 million views, underscoring local appetite for entertainment-first baseball ahead of Boom Ball's arrival next May.
