Banana Ball is coming back to North Carolina in 2027, but don't expect to see the Savannah Bananas themselves on the field. Instead, two of the league's spinoff squads, the Firefighters and the Loco Beach Coconuts, are set to play at Truist Field in Charlotte and Durham Bulls Athletic Park over two separate weekends next year.
According to K104.7, the Firefighters and Loco Beach Coconuts will play at Truist Field, home of the Charlotte Knights, on April 9 and 10, 2027. The same two teams will then head east to Durham Bulls Athletic Park, home of the Durham Bulls, for a two-game set on June 18 and 19. The Firefighters were the third team to join the Banana Ball league back in 2024, according to WRAL, while the Loco Beach Coconuts were one of two newcomers in 2026, alongside the Indianapolis Clowns.
Why the Bananas Themselves Are Sitting This One Out
It's a notable shift from past visits: the Savannah Bananas, the team that popularized Banana Ball and turned it into a national phenomenon, won't be suiting up in North Carolina in 2027. The same WRAL report notes the Bananas won't play in the state next year after barnstorming through Chapel Hill the previous spring. Instead, it's the league's growing roster of spinoff teams carrying the Banana Ball brand into Charlotte and Durham.
That expansion has been rapid. Since launching in 2016, the Bananas have grown the concept into a full multi-team operation known as the Banana Ball Championship League, per WRAL. Confirmation of the return to Truist Field also came through milb.com, which reported simply that Banana Ball is returning to the ballpark in 2027.
A Proven Draw for Both Ballparks
North Carolina has become reliable territory for Banana Ball crowds. Durham Bulls Athletic Park previously hosted three games between the Bananas and the Party Animals in 2024, and the WRAL report notes all three sold out immediately — echoing an earlier three-game Durham run in 2023. Over in Charlotte, Banana Ball already drew sellout crowds over two nights at Bank of America Stadium, home to the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC, in June 2025, with milb.com reporting that showcase pulled in more than 148,000 fans, including over 54,000 visitors from outside the region.
The momentum carried into Truist Field this year, where Banana Ball teams drew 9,000 fans per night, according to the Charlotte Business Journal. That outlet reported the three-game series brought new fans to the ballpark and generated additional revenue for the Knights. According to the Knights, Banana Ball games at Truist Field drew more than 27,000 attendees in 2026, per K104.7's reporting.
How to Get In Line for Tickets
Fans hoping to snag seats for 2027 won't be able to simply buy tickets outright. Instead, they can join a Banana Ball ticket lottery, with the 2027 Ticket Lottery List closing October 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET, according to thesavannahbananas.com. Joining the list does not guarantee the chance to buy tickets — a random drawing will determine who gets access before the games. Once tickets do go on sale, standard admission starts at $35, with Meet and Greet tickets starting at $125, per milb.com. Banana Ball organizers will announce exact game times later, K104.7 reported.
Part of a Much Bigger 2027 Tour
The Charlotte and Durham stops are a small slice of a much larger expansion. The 2027 Banana Ball Championship League tour is planned for 79 stadiums across 74 cities, including the league's first international stops, according to the Los Angeles Times. That report adds that games in Mexico and Canada will be new for next year. Banana Ball creator and owner Jesse Cole said he expects the 2027 tour to draw an estimated 4.3 million fans.
That growth builds on numbers that have climbed steadily for years. The Savannah Bananas say they played in front of about 2 million fans in 2025 across a 72-game schedule, and expected 3.2 million fans for a 75-game Banana Ball World Tour across 45 states in 2026, according to the Sports Business Journal. The organization also says every game has sold out over the past decade, spanning nearly 600 games.
