Major League Baseball (MLB) today announced fan engagement activity, including a first-of-its-kind takeover of Trafalgar Square, in support of
MLB World Tour: London Series 2023 presented by Capital One. MLB London Series: Trafalgar Square Takeover will see the iconic landmark transformed into the ultimate festival of baseball between June 23-25
to celebrate MLB returning to the UK, as St. Louis Cardinals take on Chicago Cubs in a 2-game series at London Stadium.
MLB London Series: Trafalgar Square Takeover will be an opportunity for fans to experience MLB in the centre of the capital with baseball activities, ballpark food, MLB merchandise and a
full programme of entertainment including live screening of MLB World Tour: London Series 2023 presented by Capital One.
With twice as many active baseball and softball players across the UK as a decade ago, MLB is aiming to continue this growth and inspire more communities to experience the charm of the sport, as well as be part of one of the biggest
sporting events of the summer.
MLB London Series: Trafalgar Square Takeover will include:
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Home Run Derby X: The Cage –
A new baseball format, that uses augmented reality to blend real life and virtual gameplay
that will see MLB Legends, local stars, and the general public
step up to the plate over the weekend. Played in a mixed reality world and set in an epic cage structure, players will be able to send digital balls high into the iconic London skyline.
·
Game screenings – Live broadcast of St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs at London Stadium on huge outdoor screens
·
The Ballpark Experience – A festival of American cuisine and beverage will bring to life the spirit of the ballpark in Trafalgar Square.
From Pizza to Po’Boys; burgers to BBQ – plus as many hot dogs as you could want – you’ll find the best of ballpark food on offer including authentic American delights from Whole Foods Market. The
bar service will be operated by Feast-It, with Mondo providing custom brews from St. Louis and Chicago.
·
Merchandise – fans will have the chance to pick up
Exclusive MLB World Tour: London Series merch, headwear from all 30 teams and limited-edition line of graphic t-shirts produced in collaboration with Champion. Fans will also be able to design baseball cards, customize caps and design
their own bags, courtesy of New Era, ’47 and Topps.
·
Skills challenges
– Pop-up challenges will give fans the chance to show off their hitting and pitching skills.
The free event in the iconic square serves as the perfect warm-up for those heading to London Stadium to see the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs play out their 130-year rivalry on UK soil, as well providing opportunity to
introduce hundreds of new fans introduced to the sport, a key part of the MLB’s wider drive to introduce more fans to the game to create a legacy for baseball.
In addition to MLB London Series: Trafalgar Square Takeover,
MLB will have several activities across London throughout June. Focussed on promoting the
MLB World Tour: London Series 2023 presented by Capital One, MLB will bring baseball directly to new audiences through cultural touchpoints and capitalising on high organic footfall locations.
Starting in June, MLB will run City Collabs with well-known restaurants
Patty&Bun and Yard Sale Pizza.
Patty&Bun will be representing the St. Louis Cardinals and in June, menus will feature the new ’BBQ on the Cards’ Burger. Inspired by the incredible flavours of St. Louis BBQ heritage, this mouth-watering
burger includes an aged beef patty, succulent BBQ beef brisket burnt ends, pickled red chillies with red Leicester cheese and chilli mayo, all served up on a soft brioche bun.
Yard Sale Pizza will be repping the Chicago Cubs, with the
Wrigley Field Hot Dog Pizza available across all their 10 shops – a Chicago classic featuring Vienna beef hot dog, diced white onions, sweet pickle relish, guindillas and American mustard, inspired by the iconic hot dog that Cubs fans love to eat at
their home stadium, Wrigley Field.
Across the weekend of
MLB World Tour: London Series 2023 presented by Capital One, Boxpark, with a
reputation as the preeminent venue for watching live sport, will stream both London Series games across all three Boxpark venues; Shoreditch, Croydon & Wembley. An interactive, elevated screening experience will be offered to engage
and educate the crowd about baseball as they take in the action.
Home Run House, the year-round batting cage experience bar located in Westfield Stratford, will also be a location for fans to celebrate the return of regular season games to London.
Ben Ladkin, Managing Director, MLB Europe said: “There will be no missing the MLB London Series when it returns for the first time since 2019. Taking over Trafalgar Square, an iconic London
venue, is the perfect representation of the coming together of this uniquely American sport with a growing UK fanbase. Whether you are an existing fan or a total novice, the event – featuring challenges, big screens, global stars and the full ballpark food
experience – will have something for you. We’re sure that many fans for life will be created over the course of this unmissable weekend.”
MLB London Series Trafalgar Square Takeover is a non-ticketed free to attend event, with entrance and registration on the door.
