The St. Louis Cardinals have experienced a dramatic decline, going from a team that could fill over 40,000 seats on weekdays and consistently rank in the top 5 for attendance to now sitting 19th in league attendance at Busch Stadium in 2025. This fall from prominence hasn’t gone unnoticed by the league.
In recent years, the Cardinals have had fewer home games scheduled on holidays, and in 2026, this trend will reach its peak. As MLB.com’s John Denton highlighted, the Cardinals will be away from Busch Stadium for every major holiday during the baseball season.
The #STLCards will be on the road for the holidays in 2026:
* Easter (April 5 at DET)
* Mother’s Day (May 10 at SD)
* Memorial Day (May 25 at MIL)
* Juneteenth (June 19 at KC)
* Father’s Day (June 21 at KC)
* Independence Day (July 4 at Cubs)
* Labor Day (Sept. 7 at SF)
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) August 26, 2025
This season, the Cardinals’ sole holiday home game will be on Labor Day, when they face the Athletics. In 2024, they were in a similar situation, playing every holiday game away from home. Back in 2023, their only home game on a holiday was Memorial Day.
However, the Cardinals will still play at Busch Stadium on some baseball-themed holidays. They’ll welcome the Cleveland Guardians on Jackie Robinson Day, the Texas Rangers on Lou Gehrig Day, and the San Francisco Giants on Roberto Clemente Day.
The St. Louis Cardinals’ fall from prominence has been startling, especially considering how their success once packed Busch Stadium with over 40,000 fans, even on weekdays, and kept them in the top 5 for attendance year after year. However, by 2025, the team now ranks 19th in league attendance, and this sharp decline hasn’t gone unnoticed by Major League Baseball.
In recent seasons, the Cardinals have seen fewer holiday home games on their schedule, and this trend will intensify in 2026. As noted by MLB.com’s John Denton, the team will be away from Busch Stadium for every major holiday during the baseball season.
This year, the Cardinals’ only home game on a holiday will be on Labor Day when they host the Athletics. In 2024, the Cardinals didn’t have any holiday home games, playing all of them on the road, and in 2023, their only home game on a holiday was Memorial Day.
However, the team will still host games on some baseball-centric holidays. The Cleveland Guardians will visit on Jackie Robinson Day, the Texas Rangers on Lou Gehrig Day, and the San Francisco Giants on Roberto Clemente Day.
The drastic drop in attendance, which has hit its lowest point in 30 years, explains why MLB hasn’t deemed it worthwhile to schedule major holiday games in St. Louis. On August 25, Busch Stadium recorded its smallest attendance in 20 years, with just 17,675 fans in the stands, sparking criticism of what was once called the best fan base in baseball.
The 2026 season will begin with an interleague matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays at home for the third consecutive year. It will be interesting to see whether Opening Day, traditionally a guaranteed sellout, experiences a more subdued turnout than in past seasons.
The lack of holiday games in St. Louis is both disappointing and a reminder of the steep decline of a franchise that once commanded respect. If Chaim Bloom, the incoming president of baseball operations, can’t turn things around quickly, Busch Stadium may remain empty on some of the most important days in the years to come.
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