Big Slick lost popular event due to World Cup. But tickets go on sale next week
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Softball game May 29 canceled because Royals are out of town amid World Cup scheduling.
- Game replaced by private VIP experience ‘Just This Year’ at Kauffman Stadium, $3,500+
- Presale Feb 11 (subscribers), public sale Feb 13; proceeds benefit Children’s Mercy.
The 17th annual Big Slick Celebrity Weekend will look a lot different this year because of that international sporting event called the FIFA World Cup.
Big Slick organizers reiterated Thursday that the yearly weekend’s popular celebrity softball game won’t take place. It will be replaced by a limited VIP party on Friday, May 29.
The weekend’s main event, the Big Slick Party & Show, will take place on Saturday, May 30, at T-Mobile Center.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Feb. 13, with presales Feb. 11.
As always, Kansas City’s talented group of homegrown celebrities — Jason Sudeikis, Paul Rudd, David Koechner, Heidi Gardner, Rob Riggle and Eric Stonestreet — will host. The names of other celebrities joining them for the weekend are announced closer to the event.
So what happened to the softball game?
It’s usually played at Kauffman Stadium before a regularly scheduled Royals game. But there are no MLB games scheduled for Friday, May 29 this year.
“Due to scheduling limitations around Kansas City’s exciting FIFA World Cup bid, Big Slick is rolling into town when the Kansas City Royals are out of town,” Big Slick organizers said in a statement.
So they replaced the softball game with a private, limited-capacity “experience” at Kauffman Stadium called “Just This year.” Tickets start at $3,500. Tickets for the main event at T-Mobile start at $100.
The VIP evening “offers face-to-face time with Big Slick’s celebrity hosts and their friends alongside curated entertainment, conversation and music throughout the night,” organizers said.
The softball game is expected to return next year, they said.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 11, Big Slick insiders/email subscribers (sign up at bigslickkc.org) can buy presale tickets for the May 30 event at T-Mobile and shop for a limited number of VIP tickets for both the VIP event and T-Mobile show. Subscribers will get details via email.
At 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 13, tickets to the T-Mobile show will go on sale to the general public through the Big Slick website or at T-MobileCenter.com.
All proceeds from the Big Slick events benefit pediatric cancer research at Children’s Mercy. Big Slick has raised more than $30 million for the hospital.
Six World Cup matches are scheduled for GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium between June 16 and July 11.
This story was originally published February 5, 2026 at 2:37 PM.
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