KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals opened the season against the Texas Rangers on Thursday.
The Royals also welcomed fans back into Kauffman Stadium for the first time since 2019.
Fans were eager to enjoy the Opening Day atmosphere, arriving to The K as early as 10 a.m.
"It’s been a year, so we finally get to do something somewhat normal and we feel really grateful for that," Royals fan, Kathryn Long, said.
41 Action News spoke with fans about watching games in-person after a year of cheering on the Boys in Blue from home.
“Watching it on TV is no comparison to being in person, just being able to like hear the ball hit the bat is great," Royals fan, Shelby Diehl, said.
COVID-19 safety protocols are in place at Kauffman Stadium. Fans will sit in pod style seating, wear face coverings while they are not actively eating or drinking and social distancing is required.
“I’m personally not too worried about it because we’ll be spaced out once we get inside and we’re outside, so that helps," Long said.
Outside The K, protocols are also in place.
Fans tailgating must use the space around their cars and are required to social distance from other groups.
Masks are recommended while fans tailgate, but are not required. Guests are allowed to tailgate only with those in the same ticket group.
The Royals Opening Day game was sold out, a spokesperson for the club confirmed.
Tickets were sold to 9,099 fans, while the remainder of tickets went to friends and family of the team.
