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John Mulaney is set to make comedy history on July 11, 2026, by becoming the first stand-up comedian to headline at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. The legendary baseball stadium will open its gates to over 40,000 fans, turning into the stage for what promises to be a landmark night in live comedy.
A historic announcement in a place full of memories
The news didn’t come through a press release or a tweet. It came the Mulaney way — with a wink and a sense of occasion. Standing in the broadcast booth at Wrigley Field during a Chicago Cubs game, he sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” then dropped the bomb: he’ll return here in 2026, not as a spectator but as the evening’s headliner. His humor found a perfect echo in that moment, joking, “If Mark Grace could come out there every day and just deliver ripping cigarettes, I can face down this crowd too.”
That kind of tongue-in-cheek confidence is classic Mulaney. He has a way of turning even the boldest announcements into charming, offbeat punchlines. But behind the joke, there’s something deeply symbolic: this is a stand-up comic stepping into a space usually reserved for baseball legends and music giants.
This is no ordinary tour stop
Mulaney’s Wrigley Field show isn’t just a big venue — it’s a landmark in an already impressive tour. The Mister Whatever tour kicked off earlier in 2025 and continues across the U.S. through year’s end. For those who’ve followed him since his early specials like New in Town or Comeback Kid, this is the culmination of years spent refining a voice that blends neurotic self-awareness with a deeply Midwestern sense of timing. To read Gwen Stefani headlines magical 2025 Disney Christmas Parade
There’s no confirmation yet of a recorded special from this tour, but it wouldn’t be surprising. A moment like this begs to be captured. He’s already teased new angles in recent material, and performing at Wrigley seems like the kind of challenge that would push him to deliver one of his best sets yet.
Personally, this kind of move reminds me why I admire Mulaney. He doesn’t just keep doing stand-up — he finds ways to elevate it without losing its core energy. Nothing feels forced, even in a baseball stadium. It still feels like Mulaney telling stories, cracking jokes, walking that fine line between control and collapse.
A career hitting new highs
In recent years, Mulaney has evolved beyond the role of just “comedian.” With Everybody’s Live, the live show he currently hosts, he’s continued to explore new formats, creating spaces that feel less like performances and more like conversations with the audience. But Wrigley is something else entirely — this is scale, spectacle, and legacy all rolled into one.
For perspective, here’s what this Wrigley Field gig represents:
- First-ever stand-up comedy performance in the stadium’s history
- One of the few stand-up acts globally to headline a venue with over 40,000 seats
- A personal and symbolic homecoming — Mulaney was born in Chicago
In a time when comedy is finding massive audiences through streaming and podcasting, this is a return to roots: a mic, a stage, an audience. Except this time, the audience is stadium-sized. To read Toho expands into Europe with bold anime distribution moves
Tickets haven’t gone on sale yet, but there’s no doubt they’ll move fast. Mulaney’s fans, new and old, know this isn’t just another night on tour. It’s the moment you’ll be able to say, “I saw stand-up comedy change scale.” And with John Mulaney holding the mic, you know it won’t lose its soul in the process.
