Opening Day to feature show of solidarity with Ukraine, special 50/50 raffle benefiting Ukrainian relief efforts and traditional elements; tickets for Opening Day and remainder of regular season on sale now
April 5th, 2022
CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs will kick off the 2022 regular season Thursday, April 7, at 1:20 p.m. CDT at Wrigley Field against the Milwaukee Brewers. The club’s opening homestand will include a four-game series against the Brewers April 7-10 followed by a six-game road trip to Pittsburgh (April 12-13) and Colorado (April 14-17).
In a show of solidarity with Ukraine, Opening Day will include a performance by the Ukrainian American Youth Association Choir of the Mykola Pavlushkov Branch in Chicago who will sing the Ukrainian national anthem and a special Cubs Charities 50/50 Raffle will support Ukrainian relief efforts. Cubs associates also will wear a pin to show their support for Ukraine and Ukrainian flags will be flown around the ballpark.
Additionally, in keeping with tradition, Cubs Season Ticket Holders will take part in the on-field flag presentation and John Vincent will sing the national anthem. Cubs Hall of Famers will throw out the ceremonial first pitch and sing the seventh-inning stretch.
Fans also will notice that Wrigley Field’s outfield grass has a different design for Opening Day this year as the Cubs and Pennington teamed up to create a social media fan voting experience where fans decided the final field design.
The Cubs remain committed to providing a safe, clean and friendly environment for fans to enjoy Cubs baseball. Before heading back to the Friendly Confines this season, fans should take note of the following:
- Gates open 90 minutes prior to first pitch for 6:40 p.m. games and two hours prior to first pitch for all other games.
- Only bags smaller than 16 x 16 x 8 inches in size are permitted and exceptions will be made for medical bags and diaper bags that accompany guests with young children. Backpacks are prohibited.
- All purchases at Wrigley Field, from retail and concessions to in-seat vending and raffle tickets, are cashless.
- All food and beverage orders can be placed through the MLB Ballpark app or a scanned QR code located throughout the ballpark.
- Cubs tickets are available exclusively as mobile tickets via the MLB Ballpark app.
Single game tickets remain available for the Cubs home opener April 7 as well as for regular season home games. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting www.cubs.com/tickets or by calling the Cubs Ticket Office at 800-THE-CUBS (800-843-2827). There is a six-ticket purchase limit for Diamond games per household, credit card or email address, and a 14-ticket limit for all other games. There is a maximum limit of 40 total tickets per order. Tickets for group outings, premier rentals and ticket packs for the regular season also are available.
New at Wrigley Field:
As part of the Wrigley Field Brick Paver Program reintroduced in 2020, new engraved brick pavers were installed outside of the ballpark along Waveland Avenue. Fans who purchased brick pavers will be notified directly with more information on how to locate their brick paver.
Fans also will notice a new flag on the exterior rooftop of Wrigley Field that honors the first Black coach in A.L. or N.L. history, Buck O’Neil, and his enshrinement into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. O’Neil joins the other 24 Cubs recognized National Baseball Hall of Famers honored with rooftop flags atop Wrigley Field.
In partnership with hospitality partner Levy, the Cubs are introducing four new concession items to Wrigley Field’s offerings for the 2022 regular season. Menus have expanded at Wrigley Field to include these new dishes:
- The Twisted Tater: crispy spiral potato skewer served with dill pickle dip
- Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich: breaded chicken breast dipped in Nashville hot sauce topped with coleslaw and bread and butter pickles, served on a toasted brioche bun
- Smoked Brisket Sandwich: slow-smoked Lillie’s Q beef brisket dipped into a zesty barbecue au jus and topped with giardiniera, served on a hoagie roll
- Maxwell Street Style Pork Chop Sandwich: seasoned pork cutlet, caramelized onions and mustard on a toasted bun
Local favorites such as Vienna Beef, Hot Doug’s, Home Run Inn Pizza, Garrett Popcorn Shops, Lillie’s Q and newly added Intelligentsia coffee will bring fans local flavors they know and love.
Cubs fans will notice construction taking place at Gallagher Way while the new “Statue Row” is being built. Statue Row will be the new home for all Wrigley Field statues, including the Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Santo and Billy Williams statues, but excluding the Harry Caray statue, which will remain in its current location. Additional construction also will take place on the corner of Addison Street and Sheffield Avenue for the remainder of the 2022 season.
**Charitable Efforts:**
The Cubs Charities 50/50 Raffle returns for the season Thursday, April 7, with a special raffle benefiting Ukrainian relief efforts. Half of the net proceeds from the Opening Day raffle will be donated to the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) which works to support the millions of Ukrainians in need and other Chicago-based nonprofit organizations working directly with Ukrainian refugees in the Chicagoland area.
Fans across Illinois can purchase tickets for the Cubs Charities 50/50 Raffle online starting at 11 a.m. CDT until the end of that day’s game or through a Raffle Ambassador at Wrigley Field when gates open until the bottom of the eighth inning. For all Cubs home games this season outside of the special Opening Day raffle, the winning ticket will receive half of the net proceeds from the game’s raffle ticket sales and the other half will benefit Cubs Charities and its mission to mobilize the power of sport to champion youth, families and communities. Cubs Charities also will be hosting its first guaranteed jackpot Saturday, April 9. For more information on the Cubs Charities 50/50 Raffle, visit www.cubs.com/raffle.
Homestand Details, April 7-10:
Thursday, April 7, Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 1:20 p.m. CDT
- National anthem: John Vincent
- Ukrainian American Youth Association Choir of the Mykola Pavlushkov Branch in Chicago singing the Ukrainian national anthem
- Pregame: On-field flag presentation with Cubs Season Ticket Holders
- Special Recognition: Video board recognition for Cubs Season Ticket Holder George Wiseman’s family
- First pitch and 7th inning stretch: Cubs Hall of Famers
- Broadcast: Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network, 670 The Score, Cubs.com
Friday, April 8, Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 1:20 p.m. CDT
- National anthem: Courtney Reed and Conor Ryan from “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
- Pregame: Olympic legend Edwin Moses and Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin join Laureus and Lost Boyz, Inc. for on-field recognition
- First pitch: Courtney Reed and Conor Ryan from “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” as well as former Chicago Blackhawks player and three-time Stanley Cup champion Marian Hossa
- 7th inning stretch: Harry Caray video
- Broadcast: Marquee Sports Network, MLB Network, 670 The Score, Cubs.com
Saturday, April 9, Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 1:20 p.m. CDT
- Promotion: Knit Glove Koozie presented by Jim Beam, first 10,000 early arriving fans 21 years of age or older
- Cubs Charities 50/50 Raffle first guaranteed jackpot of the regular season
- National anthem: John Vincent
- First pitch and 7th inning stretch: Cast members from the second season of the hit show “Love Is Blind”
- Broadcast: Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score, Cubs.com
Sunday, April 10, Chicago Cubs vs. Milwaukee Brewers, 1:20 p.m. CDT
- Promotion: Canvas Tote Bag presented by StubHub, first 10,000 early arriving fans
- God Bless America and national anthem: The Klinger family
- 7th inning stretch: Actor and comedian Jim Belushi
- Broadcast: Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score, Cubs.com
For up-to-date broadcast and schedule information for the 2022 regular season, please visit www.cubs.com.
