Midnight Sun Game in Fairbanks, Alaska
Watch Baseball Under the Midnight Sun
The Midnight Sun Game is one of the most unique sporting events in the world—played late at night, without lights, in full daylight in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Hosted annually by the Alaska Goldpanners, this legendary game combines over a century of tradition with a one-of-a-kind natural phenomenon you won’t find anywhere else.
BUTTON: [PURCHASE TICKETS HERE]
Watch: ESPN Feature on the Midnight Sun Game
This ESPN feature highlights why the Midnight Sun Game has become a nationally recognized event, showcasing the history, atmosphere, and surreal experience of playing baseball at midnight in sunlight.
What Is the Midnight Sun Game?
The Midnight Sun Game is played every year around the summer solstice (June 21) in Fairbanks, Alaska.
- First pitch: around 10:30 PM
- Played without artificial lights
- Ends after midnight—in natural daylight
Because of Alaska’s extreme summer daylight, the sun barely dips below the horizon, allowing the entire game to be played naturally.
Why This Game Is World-Famous
Let’s be honest—plenty of baseball games exist. This one stands alone.Established in 1906 (over 100 years of history)
- Played entirely in midnight sunlight
- Hosted by the Alaska Goldpanners since 1960
- Covered by major outlets like ESPN
As ESPN describes, it’s a place where baseball looks normal—until you realize it’s being played late at night with the sun still lighting the field.
What to Expect on Game Night
- A Game That Starts at Night… But Isn’t Dark
- At 10 PM, players take the field under bright skies. By midnight, it still looks like late evening—not night.
- A Unique Alaska Tradition
- The game pauses around midnight for a ceremony celebrating Alaska’s heritage, creating a moment you won’t see anywhere else.
- A Full-Length Game in Daylight
- Most games finish between 1:00–2:00 AM, still without artificial lighting.
Location
- Growden Memorial Field
- Fairbanks, Alaska
- Home of the Alaska Goldpanners
When Is the Midnight Sun Game?
The game is held annually closest to June 21, the longest day of the year. Dates vary slightly each year (typically June 19–21)
Tickets and Planning
-
Tickets go on sale months in advance
-
The game frequently sells out
-
Early arrival is strongly recommended
This isn’t a casual walk-up event—plan ahead or you’ll miss it.
Why You Should Experience It
If you’re building a trip around Alaska, this belongs at the top of your list.
- This is:A bucket-list baseball experience
- A rare combination of sport + natural phenomenon
- One of Alaska’s most iconic summer traditions
There’s no backup version of this anywhere else.
FAQs
- Is it really played without lights?
- Yes—no artificial lighting is used at any point.
- Is it actually bright at midnight?
- Yes. It resembles late evening light, not darkness.
- How long does the game last?
- Typically 3–4 hours.
- Is it family-friendly?
- Yes. It’s a community-focused event with a great atmosphere.
Experience Baseball Like Nowhere Else
The Midnight Sun Game isn’t just something to watch—it’s something you experience.
Plan early. Get your tickets. And see baseball played the way it never happens anywhere else—under the midnight sun.
ALL TIME RESULTS
| # | Season | Host | Score | Guests | Score | Winning Pitcher | ||||||
| 55 | 1960 | Alaska Goldpanners | 11 | Fairbanks Pioneers | 0 | Ray Wheeler | ||||||
| 56 | 1961 | Alaska Goldpanners | 10 | Military All-Stars | 4 | Paul Long | ||||||
| 57 | 1962 | Alaska Goldpanners | 8 | Military All-Stars | 3 | George Mies | ||||||
| 58 | 1963 | Alaska Goldpanners | 1 | Wichita (KS) Dreamliners | 3 | Dave Newkirk | ||||||
| 59 | 1964 | Alaska Goldpanners | 5 | Grand Junction (CO) Eagles | 10 | Barry Lersch | ||||||
| 60 | 1965 | Alaska Goldpanners | 4 | Univ. of Southern Cal. Trojans | 3 | George Mies | ||||||
| 61 | 1966 | Alaska Goldpanners | 8 | Oregon St. Univ. Beavers | 3 | Don Rose | ||||||
| 62 | 1967 | Alaska Goldpanners | 3 | Kumagai-Gumi Japan | 10 | Yasuo Fujitsu | ||||||
| 63 | 1968 | Alaska Goldpanners | 7 | Santa Clara Univ. Broncos | 0 | Brent Strom | ||||||
| 64 | 1969 | Alaska Goldpanners | 2 | Boulder (CO) Collegians | 5 | Burt Hooten | ||||||
| 65 | 1970 | Alaska Goldpanners | 3 | Univ. of Arizona Wildcats | 4 | Leon Hooten | ||||||
| 66 | 1971 | Alaska Goldpanners | 12 | Stanford Univ. Indians | 3 | Rich Troedson | ||||||
| 67 | 1972 | Alaska Goldpanners | 4 | Ponchatoula (LA) Athletics | 5 | Kenny Alfred | ||||||
| 68 | 1973 | Alaska Goldpanners | 5 | Brigham Young Univ. Cougars | 8 | Lynn Allan | ||||||
| 69 | 1974 | Alaska Goldpanners | 7 | Washington St. Univ. Cougars | 6 | Wayne Steele | ||||||
| 70 | 1975 | Alaska Goldpanners | 4 | Vanderbilt (TN) Commodores | 3 | Thad Troedson | ||||||
| 71 | 1976 | Alaska Goldpanners | 6 | Westwood (CA) Bruins | 4 | Greg Harris | ||||||
| 72 | 1977 | Alaska Goldpanners | 12 | Alberta (CAN) Generals | 11 | Mike Boddicker | ||||||
| 73 | 1978 | Alaska Goldpanners | 1 | Wichita (KS) Coors | 10 | Wayne Fontenot | ||||||
| 74 | 1979 | Alaska Goldpanners | 8 | Univ. of North Carolina Tar Heels | 2 | Dave Wiggins | ||||||
| 75 | 1980 | Alaska Goldpanners | 16 | Univ. of Wisconsin Badgers | 5 | Ron Romanick | ||||||
| 76 | 1981 | Alaska Goldpanners | 11 | Intermountain (UT) Badgers | 4 | Dan Plesac | ||||||
| 77 | 1982 | Alaska Goldpanners | 8 | San Francisco (CA) Senators | 3 | Eddie Delzer | ||||||
| 78 | 1983 | Alaska Goldpanners | 7 | Anchorage (AK) Bucs | 2 | Todd Simmons | ||||||
| 79 | 1984 | Alaska Goldpanners | 9 | Taiwan Olympic Team | 0 | (Dion Beck) | ||||||
| 80 | 1985 | Alaska Goldpanners | 11 | Moraga (CA) Marauders | 12 | Blas Minor | ||||||
| 81 | 1986 | Alaska Goldpanners | 8 | San Francisco (CA) Senators | 1 | John Sipple | ||||||
| 82 | 1987 | Alaska Goldpanners | 1 | Mat-Su (AK) Miners | 2 | Louie Herrera | ||||||
| 83 | 1988 | Alaska Goldpanners | 6 | Hawaii Island Movers | 5 | Jim Richardson | ||||||
| 84 | 1989 | Alaska Goldpanners | 7 | San Diego (CA) Sea World | 3 | Dennis Gray | ||||||
| 85 | 1990 | Alaska Goldpanners | 12 | San Bernadino (CA) Tribe | 3 | Jerry Stafford | ||||||
| 86 | 1991 | Alaska Goldpanners | 9 | Lake Tahoe (NV) Stars | 8 | Benji Grigsby | ||||||
| 87 | 1992 | Alaska Goldpanners | 1 | Victor Valley (CA) Mets | 2 | Kris Kramer | ||||||
| 88 | 1993 | Alaska Goldpanners | 10 | Lake Tahoe (NV) Stars | 4 | Robert Donnely | ||||||
| 89 | 1994 | Alaska Goldpanners | 15 | San Diego (CA) Stars | 6 | Darin Blood | ||||||
| 90 | 1995 | Alaska Goldpanners | 10 | San Francisco (CA) Seals | 4 | Chris Bloomer | ||||||
| 91 | 1996 | Alaska Goldpanners | 5 | Anchorage (AK) Bucs | 3 | Adam Pettyjohn | ||||||
| 92 | 1997 | Alaska Goldpanners | 12 | Kelowna (CAN) Grizzlies | 0 | Craig Jones | ||||||
| 93 | 1998 | Alaska Goldpanners | 14 | Kelowna (CAN) Grizzlies | 7 | Pete Fredericks | ||||||
| 94 | 1999 | Alaska Goldpanners | 7 | San Diego (CA) Waves | 1 | Jason Berni | ||||||
| 95 | 2000 | Alaska Goldpanners | 3 | Santa Barbara (CA) Foresters | 2 | Adam Heaps | ||||||
| 96 | 2001 | Alaska Goldpanners | 2 | San Diego (CA) Waves | 1 | Andy Davidson | ||||||
| 97 | 2002 | Alaska Goldpanners | 2 | California Running Birds | 1 | Sean Timmons | ||||||
| 98 | 2003 | Alaska Goldpanners | 3 | California Running Birds | 1 | Drew Jenson | ||||||
| 99 | 2004 | Alaska Goldpanners | 9 | Kenai (AK) Peninsula Oilers | 1 | Sean Timmons | ||||||
| 100 | 2005 | Alaska Goldpanners | 3 | Omaha (NE) Zone | 1 | Sean Timmons | ||||||
| 101 | 2006 | Alaska Goldpanners | 2 | Beatrice (NE) Bruins | 1 | Chris Kissock | ||||||
| 102 | 2007 | Alaska Goldpanners | 1 | San Diego (CA) Waves | 6 | Tim Stromble | ||||||
| 103 | 2008 | Alaska Goldpanners | 10 | California Running Birds | 6 | Bill Lee | ||||||
| 104 | 2009 | Alaska Goldpanners | 6 | Lake Erie (MI) Monarch | 3 | Jesse Darrah | ||||||
| 105 | 2010 | Alaska Goldpanners | 4 | Heroes of the Diamond | 3 | Simon Kudernatsch | ||||||
| 106 | 2011 | Alaska Goldpanners | 2 | San Diego (CA) Waves | 1 | Mac Acker | ||||||
| 107 | 2012 | Alaska Goldpanners | 7 | Everett (WA) Merchants | 5 | Cody Priest | ||||||
| 108 | 2013 | Alaska Goldpanners | 4 | San Francisco (CA) Seals | 1 | Michael Bennett | ||||||
| 109 | 2014 | Alaska Goldpanners | 13 | Lake Erie (MI) Monarch | 6 | Chasen Ford | ||||||
| 110 | 2015 | Alaska Goldpanners | 7 | Seattle (WA) Studs | 4 | Sean Bennetts | ||||||
| 111 | 2016 | Alaska Goldpanners | 9 | Kenai (AK) Peninsula Oilers | 2 | Joe Fernandez | ||||||
| 112 | 2017 | Alaska Goldpanners | 2 | San Diego (CA) Waves | 4 | Kevin Palm | ||||||
| 113 | 2018 | Alaska Goldpanners | 6 | Orange County (CA) Surf | 4 | Toby Davis | ||||||
| 114 | 2019 | Alaska Goldpanners | 4 | Seattle (WA) Studs | 5 | Anthony Brady | ||||||
| 115* | 2020 | Eielson AFB/Brewers | 15 | Black Spruce/Pirates | 13 | FAABL | ||||||
| 116 | 2021 | Alaska Goldpanners | 3 | Everett (WA) Merchants | 0 | German Fajardo | ||||||
| 117 | 2022 | Alaska Goldpanners | 10 | San Diego Waves | 9 | Matthew Pinal | ||||||
| 118 | 2023 | Alaska Goldpanners | 5 | Michigan Monarchs | 1 | Daniel Sotelo | ||||||
| 119 | 2024 | Alaska Goldpanners | 10 | Seattle Studs | 2 | Trey Peters | ||||||
| 120 | 2025 | Alaska Goldpanners | 2 | Anchorage Glacier Pilots | 7 | |||||||
| 121 | 2026 | Alaska Goldpanners |
*115: The Goldpanners Season was canceled due to the COVID Pandemic. In keeping with tradition, the 115th Midnight Sun Game was the first solstice contest since 1959 to be played entirely by local Fairbanksans. Eielson Brewers defeated the Black Spruce Pirates 15-13.
