Our Guide to the Can’t-Miss Phillies Home Games This Season
From fireworks to London to giveaways you’ll want to steal from your kids, here are the games to have on your radar in 2024.
The Phillies play their 20th season at Citizens Bank Park in 2024. / Photograph by Laura Swartz
Editor’s note: The Phillies home opener has been postponed to Friday, March 29th at 3:05 p.m. due to rain. We have updated this article to reflect this.
It’s been a long, cold off-season, but the boys are back in town. The Phillies start their 2024 season at home this week, and it’s looking to be a special season, from a series across the pond to lots of nostalgia celebrating 20 years at Citizens Bank Park.
They’ve also got some new ballpark eats, which is almost enough to cushion the blow of them ending Dollar Dog Night. It’s always a good time to go to the ballpark, but it’s even better if you get a free hat or some pomp and circumstance out of it. So here are some key dates to put on your calendar for the season.
Opening Day
March 29th
The Phillies open their season at home versus Atlanta on March 29th — postponed from Thursday due to rain. Head to Citizens Bank Park for the excitement, vengeance against the Braves, and maybe a run-in with the Phanatic. Even if you can’t get tickets to the game, head to CBP earlier in the day because they’re throwing a block party outside the Third Base Gate — the Budweiser Clydesdales are coming!
Citizens Bank Park’s 20th Anniversary
April 12th
Throughout the season, the Phillies will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their current ballpark (R.I.P. the Vet). There will be PhanaVision videos reliving big moments, alumni appearances, and special merch commemorating famous milestones. The first tribute will be exactly 20 years after the inaugural game at Citizens Bank Park, on April 12th. That game’s starting pitcher, Randy Wolf, will return to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
The Phillie Phanatic’s birthday cake at Citizens Bank Park / Photograph by Hunter Martin/Getty Images
The Phanatic’s Birthday
April 21st
The Phanatic has a pre-game birthday party every year, with mascot friends in attendance, an elaborate cake, and general whimsy. Also, kids age 14 and under will get cute Phanatic mittens and I am very jealous.
Kids’ Giveaway: London Bus
June 1st
To celebrate the Phillies playing overseas this year, kids 14 and under get a cute double-decker bus the week before the London series. Also, the Phillies play the Cardinals.
Kids get this cute Phillies double-decker bus to celebrate the London 2024 series. / Photograph by Laura Swartz
London Series!
June 8th & 9th
You know what? Just go to London. It’s a great excuse, it’s summer, and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to boo the Mets on a different continent. This is the Phillies’ first international series — MLB started doing London games in 2019. For the rest of us staying home, the games will air at 1:10 p.m. and 10:10 a.m. Philly time.
Shohei Ohtani Comes to Town
July 9th-11th
The biggest superstar of baseball right now — and holder of the largest contract in sports history at $700 million — is coming to town for just one series this season. So, if you want to see Showtime himself, get tickets for their July 9th through 11th series. (They also play the Dodgers on the road later in the season, but this is a lot closer.)
The Phanatic and Shohei Ohtani / Photograph by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images
Cole Hamels Retirement Night
June 21st
Beloved pitcher and World Series champion Cole Hamels is hanging it up, retiring in the red pinstripes he wore for a decade. He’ll be on the field for a celebration of his illustrious career. Fans 15 and over will get replica 2009 NLCS championship rings — which is bizarre since Hamels didn’t have the best showing in that post-season and was the MVP for both the 2008 NLCS and World Series. Also, the Phillies play the Diamondbacks.
Fireworks Games
June 27th & 28th
These games start a little earlier — 6:20 p.m. — so that Citizens Bank Park can get the fireworks in before all the kids fall asleep. The Phillies play the Marlins.
Harry Potter Night
August 13th
The Phils take on the Marlins, and special ticketholders get a Phillies Harry Potter house scarf. If I had to guess, the Phanatic is Hufflepuff. Costumes are welcome, even though you will be watching baseball instead of quidditch.
Phillies Star Wars Night returns August 26, 2024. / Photograph courtesy of the Phillies
Star Wars Night
August 26th
Always a popular one, the Phillies bring back Star Wars Night for the 10th year running. The Phanatic will bring out costumed characters while the Phillies take on the Dark Side, a.k.a. the Astros. (We’re still not over the 2022 World Series.) A special ticket gets you an exclusive Ranger Suárez Mandalorian bobblehead.
Pickleball Night
September 9th
The first 1,000 fans that purchase special $70 tickets to this game will get a Phanatic paddle and Phillies paddle cover. Imagine rolling up to the court with that! Oh, and the Phillies play the Rays. In baseball, not pickleball.
Snag this Phillies pickleball paddle and case! / Photograph courtesy of the Phillies
More Fun and Games
Concerts
Tickets for two games this season double as post-game concert tickets:
- Riley Green, June 22nd
- Kaskade, July 27th
Also, Jimmy Buffett tribute band Jimmy and the Parrots perform a pre-game concert in Ashburn Alley on July 9th for Margaritaville Night, but sadly the 2,000 special-edition Phillies Hawaiian shirts they were selling for the event are already spoken for.
Giveaways
I’m not gonna go into detail about all the remaining giveaways, but I just want to point out this insane Phillies Bullpen Cart that’s being handed to kids 14 and under who are too young to appreciate it on 1980s Retro Night (July 11th).
Retro bullpen car giveaway / Photograph by Laura Swartz
And if you’ve been spending all season jealously watching your kids get spoiled by Phillies giveaways, your time has come! For Mother’s Day (or rather, “Mother’s Appreciation Day presented by Pep Boys”), women ages 15 and over get a free pink Phillies bucket hat. Father’s Day (this one’s sponsored/appreciated by Chevy) earns men ages 15 and over a free hat on June 23rd.
2024 Phillies giveaways on display for media before the season. / Photograph by Laura Swartz
Heritage Celebrations
- April 11th: Asian Pacific Heritage Celebration
- May 21st: Greek Heritage Celebration
- May 31st: Irish Heritage Celebration
- June 17th: Pride Night
- June 18th: Jewish Heritage Celebration
- June 19th: HBCU Day
- August 14th: Italian Heritage Celebration
- August 27th: Goya Latino Family Celebration
- August 29th: German Heritage Celebration
