Savannah Bananas Head to Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge
Baseball in Death Valley? It's happening. The Savannah Bananas are coming back to Baton Rouge in 2027, and this time they're bringing Banana Ball to Tiger Stadium. If you've never seen this team play, picture a baseball game that feels more like a halftime show, with dance routines, pitchers on stilts and a crowd that never sits still. Here's everything we know so far.
More on living in Baton Rouge.
What happened
The Savannah Bananas announced their return during a livestream on Thursday, October 15, alongside the schedule for the 2027 Banana Ball World Tour. Baton Rouge gets two games against the Firefighters:
Wednesday, March 4, 2027 at LSU's Alex Box Stadium
Friday, March 6, 2027 at Tiger Stadium, the team's Tiger Stadium debut
The games are part of Death Valley Live, a series of events around LSU put on by LSU, Visit Baton Rouge, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership. That's the same series that brought Zach Bryan to Tiger Stadium. (The Advocate, WAFB, WBRZ)
This isn't their first trip to town. The Bananas played at Alex Box Stadium in 2024 and 2025. According to owner Jesse Cole, the 2024 Baton Rouge run produced the team's third-highest ticket demand that season, with fans coming in from Utah, Texas, Mississippi, New York and even Canada.
The numbers
100,000+ seats in Tiger Stadium, a huge jump from a college baseball park
About $24 million in estimated economic impact for the 2027 games, according to Laura Cating of Visit Baton Rouge, mostly because of Tiger Stadium's size
About $1.5 million in direct and indirect impact from each of the first two Baton Rouge series
140,000+ people expected to express interest in tickets, per Visit Baton Rouge
About $25.1 million in visitor spending from the Zach Bryan concert, the first Death Valley Live event, for comparison
The East Baton Rouge Metro Council also voted on Wednesday, October 14, to approve rebates of local sales taxes on ticket, concession and parking sales tied to the two games.
How to get tickets
Banana Ball tickets don't go on sale first come, first served. They're sold through a lottery. The lottery opened Thursday night, October 15, and closes in about two weeks, so if you want a shot at seeing them in Death Valley, sign up soon at bananaball.com.
Why it matters for Baton Rouge
Big one-time events are what bring visitors into a city, and visitors spend money at our hotels, restaurants and shops. Laura Cating with Visit Baton Rouge said as much: it's these one-time events that draw people here. A $24 million estimate in early March, well outside football season, is a nice boost for local businesses.
For homeowners, especially around LSU and the south Baton Rouge corridor, it's also a reminder of what makes living here fun. Tiger Stadium isn't just for Saturdays in the fall anymore. Concerts, Banana Ball and whatever Death Valley Live adds next all keep the area busy and keep Baton Rouge on people's radar. If you live near campus, plan for game-day traffic and parking those two days.
What to watch next
The lottery deadline: it closes about two weeks after it opened on October 15.
Game times and ticket details: watch bananaball.com and Visit Baton Rouge for updates.
More Death Valley Live events: organizers have now used Tiger Stadium for a concert and a baseball game. We'll see what's next.
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I cover what's happening around Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish every weekday. Comment "Report" on my Instagram or Facebook video, or DM me "REPORT" on TikTok, and I'll add you to my weekly newsletter, The Red Stick Report. You can also reach out to me directly anytime. I'm always happy to talk Baton Rouge.
Cover photo by Cody Groce on Unsplash.
