Chicago Cubs celebrate Opening Day at Wrigley Field, commemorate two historic milestones

As the sun rose behind the "Friendly Confines" fans were also up bright and early taking photos in front of the marquee on Opening Day 2026.

"We've done this for the last couple of years now. I'm a huge Cubs fan," said Brandon Osika, who traveled from Northwest Indiana for the game. "It's like a holiday here. Wouldn't miss it."

He said on Opening Day, there was lots of energy in Wrigleyville, with Chicago ready for baseball to be back in the city.

This year is a special one for the Cubs, as the team celebrates two milestones: the 10-year anniversary of the 2016 World Series championship and the 150th anniversary of becoming a National League franchise.

Jennifer Martindale, Cubs Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications, said in honor of the 10-year anniversary, the Cubs will be bringing back the beloved chalk wall that fans created in 2016.

The chalk wall developed organically when fans began writing messages on the Wrigley Field outer walls honoring the Cubs and loved ones who didn’t make it to see the historic 2016 season.

"We've lovingly recreated that chalk wall this year on the left field interior concourse," Martindale said. "Fans can go and look for the messages they wrote back in 2016."

She said the festivities culminate in the unveiling of a special monument on July 18.

"We're going to be unveiling a new monument out in Gallagher Way that celebrates our three World Series championships, and many of the 2016 team members will be coming back to help us unveil that and celebrate with our fans," Martindale said.

For the 150th anniversary, players are wearing a special patch on their jerseys all season long, and the Cubs are selling merchandise that features the 150th logos and artwork.

"We also have some special giveaways for our fans this year that celebrate iconic people and moments from Cubs history," Martindale said.

Cubs Senior Vice President of Ticketing Cale Vennum said for the die-hard Cubs fans, some of the items available include various bobblehead figurines.

"We've got Ben Zobrist celebrating his greatest hit in Cleveland. We've got the Kerry Wood 20-strikeout bobblehead," he said.

And if you're a more casual fan, Vennum said you can go to one of the Cubs' several themed nights happening throughout the season.

"We've got our Survivor 50th Anniversary collaboration. We have our Hello Kitty night. We have our heritage series with Japanese heritage, Spanish heritage and others," he said. "There is truly something for everyone at Wrigley Field."

He said the hope is that those more casual fans end up falling in love with Wrigley Field.

"Maybe the Cubs isn't something they grew up with or they're not diehards but they can identify with a group of people and come out and celebrate and then experience Wrigley Field and experience the magic of being a Cubs fan and being in this historic ballpark," he said.

The ballpark is set to host 81 baseball games this season, but Cubs Chief Commercial Officer Colin Faulkner said Wrigley Field is a "365-day-a-year venue."

"We have a great lineup of concerts this year," he said. "Mumford and Sons is going to play here. We've got two Noah Kahan shows, our first EDM show with Rufus du Sol. We've got Tyler Childers here. Savannah Bananas are going to play a weekend here."

Wrigley Field will also host Chicago-native John Mulaney for the stadium's first ever comedy show.

Faulkner said he hopes these events eventually bring fans back to Wrigley Field for a Cubs game. Either way, he said the goal is to foster togetherness.

"The world can be so divisive," Faulkner said. "There are so many things trying to divide people, but the thing we believe here is we're bringing people together."