ST. LOUIS—Cardinals fans will notice fewer theme nights on the 2025 schedule at Busch Stadium this year while at the same time seeing a continued focus on higher quality promotional items given away, team officials say.
The club in recent years has hosted as many as 60-65 theme nights, believed to be at or near the league lead where fans purchase a special ticket that covers the cost of the item as well as a seat for the game. This year there are 32 scheduled with the potential to add a few more.
“We really sit down and look at what the fans like, what has been successful for us. Part of it comes from what we have the rights to, so this year we got the licensing to use Barbie, we have the licensing to partner with Minecraft so part of it comes from that but a lot of it is just looking at consistent history of what fans have always shown up for and adding some new ideas in,” said Bethany White, Manager of Fan Engagement. “We’re not doing as many of the smaller nights… we are hoping to put all of that energy into making our favorite nights even bigger.”
In addition to the new nights for Barbie and Minecraft, previous favorites like Star Wars, College Nights, Mizzou, Illini, SLU nights, Pride Night and Christmas in July also return. 80’s night also returns after an absence of several years in September, when the club celebrates the 1985 World Series team.
Unlike the promotional items handed out with regular gameday tickets, theme tickets allow fans to choose specific sizes.
On the promotional front, expect to see a focus on quality over quantity. Giveaways will be limited to 20,000 fans instead of 25,000.
Megan Eberhart, the team’s director of promotions marketing said the new items in 2025 include a reimagined Battlehawks tumbler, a new take on a Fredbird hat and retail quality clothing for adults to pair with youth items.
Eberhart acknowledged that the club’s planning for 2025 promotional items was complicated by offseason deliberations over whether third baseman Nolan Arenado and other notable players like Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray might be traded. All three have no-trade clauses. Contreras and Gray chose to stay, while Arenado reportedly said no to at least one trade proposal. His status could be up in the air throughout the season.
“You have to have a backup plan in case something changes, which it could, right…so we’re always prepared. The offseason’s fun because it’s a time to just strategize and think about what could happen what will happen and this season was definitely exciting…with the unpredictables,” Eberhart said.
The club has the benefit of a popular mascot in Fredbird and a strong alumni list, she added.
