Cleveland, OH – The Cleveland Guardians today announced the full slate of Opening Day festivities taking place at the Home Opener celebration on April 8 against the Chicago White Sox at 5:10PM ET. Pregame ceremonies will begin at 4:35PM ET.
The game marks the Guardians 31st Home Opener at Progressive Field and will coincide on the same day as the total solar eclipse, which is expected to bring a large number of folks to downtown Cleveland on April 8.
Guardians alumni and key pieces to Cleveland’s 2016 American League Championship title – Corey Kluber and Michael Brantley – will return to Progressive Field together and partake in the Ceremonial First Pitch. Both players announced their retirement from Major League Baseball this offseason and spent 10+ years in the Cleveland organization.
Chief of Staff at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, Ra-Deon Sledge, will perform the National Anthem and God Bless America. Sledge, a former member of “1 of the Girls” – a Cleveland-based R&B group – has appeared on multiple national recordings and has been with NASA for over 15 years.
The Color Guard will feature the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Marines on Opening Day with a flyover from the 910th Airlift Wing out of Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, flying the C130H Hercules. During the anthem, an American Flag will be held on the field by Cleveland Guardians employees and their family members.
Fans are encouraged to allow extra time for travel due to expected traffic congestion due to the Home Opener and solar eclipse, and are encouraged to take public transportation whenever possible. Gates will open at 2 p.m. *Please note that at solar eclipse totality, the eclipse won’t be visible from a significant portion of Progressive Field due to the sun’s location and ballpark architecture. We encourage all fans to download their tickets to their mobile wallets prior to arriving at the ballpark due to the potentially challenging phone connections on April 8. Admittance to the ballpark will be temporarily paused at ALL Gates from 3:05-3:25PM ET due to the solar eclipse totality, and fans will be able to exit and re-enter the ballpark via both the Left Field and Right Field Gates.
DJ Kyro will be performing in the Right Field District once gates open up until the start of pregame ceremonies. Cleveland Entertainers, including face painters, glitter tattoo and an airbrush artist will be in the Family Deck from when gates open up until first pitch.
Due to renovations at the ballpark, the Guardians Team Store will be temporarily located on Gateway Plaza for the 2024 season. The Team Store tent will open to the public for the first time at 10AM ET on April 8. Additionally, the Home Run Porch Bridge connecting the garage to Progressive Field will be closed during the 2024 season due to renovations.
Fans can still purchase tickets for the sold-out Opening Day by purchasing the Ballpark Pass. For just $49 a month, fans can attend every home game, including the Home Opener, with a Standing Room Only ticket. Tickets can be purchased at CLEGuardians.com/BallparkPass.