As the home of the Philadelphia Phillies, Citizens Bank Park offers an interactive and unique experience to baseball fans. The venue hosts all Phillies home games, and on July 14, Philadelphia will host the 2026 MLB All-Star Game for the first time in thirty years.

According to the MLB website, the MLB All-Star Game, also known as the Midsummer Classic, is the most watched All-Star event in sports, with the 2025 All-Star Game drawing a peak viewership of 8.1 million on FOX Sports. The last All-Star Game hosted by the Phillies was in 1996 at Veterans Stadium. According to Noah Herbert, freshman and Conestoga baseball team catcher, the All-Star Game allows for greater community involvement in Philadelphia.

“There’s going to be a lot of tourism around the city with all these people coming into Philadelphia,” Herbert said. “Around here, the (All-Star Game) is going to have an impact because people are going to want to watch the game and maybe go to the city. If they’re with their family, they might stay at a friend’s house and then go to the game.”

Leading up to the All-Star Game, All-Star Week from July 10-14 includes a variety of fan events. The Phillies venue will host All-Star Village, a fan festival featuring interactive baseball attractions, from July 11-14. On July 12, All-Star Sunday will feature top minor league prospects on a Major League stage in the Futures Game and the new MLBx, a 3-on-3 knockout baseball competition. The Home Run Derby, where players compete to hit the most home runs in a timed contest, will take place on July 13, and All Star Week will culminate with the MLB All-Star Game the day after.

“I would go to the (Home Run Derby). It’s fun. You get to see guys hit a bunch of home runs, and you might be able to catch the ball,” Herbert said.

The MLB American League and National League play against each other at the All-Star game, which consistently features Phillies players in the lineup. Former Phillies players like Steve Carlton and Ryan Howard are expected to take part in All-Star Village. Social studies teacher and avid Phillies fan Brian Gallagher expects several current Phillies players to participate in the All-Star Game.

“Right now, (Bryce Harper) is having an amazing year, so I’m hoping to see him in (the All-Star Game),” Gallagher said. “As for other players, (the Phillies) got a few. Kyle Schwarber could be (playing). They have some really great players playing for them who’ve been good for the sport and great for (Philadelphia) as well.”

The All-Star Game is usually held in the middle of the baseball season, giving fans a break from the 162 games of the MLB season. According to Gallagher, the All-Star Game promotes baseball to a wider audience.

“I think the (MLB All-Star Game) is important for baseball fans as it gets a group of players who are potential Hall of Famers and very famous to market the sport to a bigger population. They control the TV in July in terms of sporting events,” Gallagher said. “To get (the sport) out to a wider population, to market the game, is really important for baseball.”

Viktor Wang can be reached at [email protected].