🔥 HOT NEWS: Getz, Venable, top prospects, Bo Jackson… SoxFest is loaded — but the question fans won’t stop asking is who isn’t showing up ⚡.DD

Late January always brings a certain kind of electricity to Chicago — the kind that doesn’t come from the standings, but from possibility.

SPORTS-BBA-SULLIVAN-COLUMN-TB | Chicago Tribune/GettyImages

For White Sox fans, it’s the season-before-the-season. Spring training is close enough to feel real, yet far enough away to still be perfect in your imagination.

And right in the middle of that emotional window sits SoxFest — the rare moment where the organization and the fanbase meet face-to-face, not separated by a scoreboard.

This weekend, SoxFest Live returns to Chicago, and the timing couldn’t be more loaded.

The White Sox have undergone a complete overhaul in recent years — front office changes, coaching turnover, and a growing push toward becoming more than just a local team.

After years of losing, the rebuild has started to feel like it has direction. The young talent is real. The optimism is real.

And SoxFest is where that optimism gets tested in public.

Where and when is SoxFest Live 2026?

SoxFest Live will take place on Friday, January 30th and Saturday, January 31st at the Ramova Theatre, located in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood — a setting that feels intentionally intimate for an event built around access.

Friday’s schedule begins with doors opening at 5:30 PM, followed by an opening ceremony at 6:20 PM. Saturday is slightly earlier, with doors opening at 5:00 PM and the opening ceremony beginning at 6:00 PM.

But the most important difference isn’t the time — it’s who gets in.

Friday night’s festivities are exclusive to White Sox season ticket holders, while Saturday’s event is open to the public. In other words: one night is for the inner circle, the other is for the entire city.

How much do tickets cost?

Saturday general admission is priced at $35, and it includes access to the Level 1 theatre, the main stage, and the taproom.

Fans with general admission can meet select White Sox players, take photos, and attend the standard event programming.

For those looking for the full “VIP” experience, the White Sox are offering an MVP Experience priced at $275 per ticket.

It includes everything from general admission, plus access to the Level 2 lounge, extra photo opportunities, private meet-and-greet sessions with some players, drinks, and even four tickets to a game.

It’s not just a ticket upgrade — it’s a statement about what SoxFest has become: part fan celebration, part premium experience.

Which White Sox players will be there?

The attendance list is packed with the names fans actually want to see — especially those who represent the future.

Among the players and prospects scheduled to attend:

Sam Antonacci, Anthony Kay, Davis Martin, Tanner McDougal, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Shane Smith, Kyle Teel, Grant Taylor, and Miguel Vargas.

White Sox manager Will Venable and general manager Chris Getz will also be present, along with one of the most iconic names connected to the franchise: Bo Jackson.

Fans will also have opportunities to meet broadcasters including Brooke Fletcher, Chuck Garfein, Len Kasper, Connor McKnight, and John Schriffen, adding another layer of familiarity and energy to the weekend.

The absence everyone will notice

But the loudest part of SoxFest might be what isn’t happening.

Fans hoping to meet Japanese star Munetaka Murakami, one of the newest and most exciting additions to the White Sox, will have to wait.

His attendance had been listed as “to be determined,” but MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reported Murakami won’t arrive in the United States in time for SoxFest Live.

He’s still expected to arrive in time for spring training in Arizona — but that doesn’t erase the disappointment.

Because SoxFest is about moments.

It’s about proximity.

It’s about the feeling that the future is finally close enough to touch.

And for many fans, Murakami was supposed to be the face of that feeling.

Why SoxFest matters more than it seems

SoxFest isn’t just a weekend event — it’s a temperature check.

After COVID and “other factors” caused the event to be canceled from 2021 through 2024, its return for the second year in a row feels symbolic.

It’s the White Sox saying, “We’re back in front of you now.” And for fans who’ve waited through losing seasons and organizational chaos, that access hits differently.

The vibe around the team entering 2026 is undeniably optimistic. Players, coaches, and fans all seem to believe something is being built on the South Side.

SoxFest Live is where that belief becomes real — where the smiles, the questions, the awkward moments, and the unspoken tension all live in the same room.

And by the time the weekend ends, White Sox fans won’t just be leaving with photos and autographs.

They’ll be leaving with a feeling.

The only question is whether that feeling will be hope… or the first hint of doubt. ⚡