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2026-27 · Preseason · Preseason
Kings 2026-27 theme nights: Opening Night shirts, Queen, SpongeBob and Hello Kitty giveaways
Sacramento opens at Golden 1 Center on Oct. 23 against Portland with a shirt and magnet for every fan, the first of more than a dozen theme nights and giveaways.
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SACRAMENTO — Oct. 15, 2026 — The Sacramento Kings open their home schedule at Golden 1 Center on Friday, Oct. 23, against the Portland Trail Blazers, and every fan who walks in gets something. The Kings will hand out an Opening Night shirt and a schedule magnet to everyone in attendance, with Red Panda, the unicycle performer known for flipping bowls onto her head, booked for halftime.
The party starts outside. The team’s Party on the Plaza opens at 4:30 p.m. Pacific with live music, the Kings’ entertainment teams and a professional basketball dribbler. Sutter Health is the presenting partner for the night.
The full 2026-27 theme-night calendar
Opening Night is the first of more than a dozen theme nights the Kings have put on their 2026-27 promotions calendar. Most come with a giveaway, and the size of the giveaway matters: several are limited to the first 7,000 or 10,000 fans through the doors, while Opening Night, Hello Kitty Night and Sixth Man Night cover everyone in the building.
| Date | Opponent | Theme | Giveaway or highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Oct. 23 | Trail Blazers | Opening Night | Opening Night shirt and schedule magnet for all fans; Party on the Plaza at 4:30 p.m.; Red Panda at halftime |
| Fri., Nov. 6 | Spurs | First Emirates NBA Cup game | Cup Group Play home opener |
| Wed., Nov. 18 | Suns | Native American Heritage Night | Woven Kings scarf, first 10,000 fans |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Celtics | Queen Night | Kings x Queen embroidered patch, first 7,000; Queen Nation at halftime and postgame |
| Sun., Dec. 13 | Pelicans | Peanuts Night | Kings and Peanuts hat, first 10,000; pregame screening with free popcorn |
| Sun., Dec. 27 | Jazz | SpongeBob Night | Kings x SpongeBob cooler bag, first 7,000 |
| Thu., Dec. 31 | Nets | Game Night | Kings domino set, first 10,000 |
| Sun., Jan. 10 | Hornets | Sesame Street Day | Elmo bobblehead in a Kings jersey for select fans; Elmo meet-and-greets |
| Thu., Feb. 4 | Timberwolves | Black History Month celebration | Themed in-game experience |
| Sat., Feb. 6 | Suns | Lunar New Year | Kings mahjong tiles, first 10,000 |
| Sat., March 6 | Clippers | Lowrider Night | Kings car kit with metal license plate frame and decals, first 10,000 |
| Sun., March 14 | Cavaliers | Slamson’s Birthday | Mascot birthday party |
| Sat., March 27 | Raptors | Hello Kitty Night | Kings x Hello Kitty blind-box keychain plush for all fans |
| Fri., April 9 | Mavericks | Sixth Man Night | Sixth Man shirt for all fans |
The Kings say two more celebrations are on the calendar without a date yet in their listing: a night honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. against the Los Angeles Clippers, which includes the presentation of the MLK Impact Reward powered by SMUD, and City Edition Night against the Los Angeles Lakers, the first time Sacramento wears its 2026-27 Nike City Edition uniform on the court.
The nights most likely to sell out
Limited giveaways tend to move tickets for weekend games first. Queen Night on Saturday, Nov. 21, pairs a Celtics visit with a collectible patch for only the first 7,000 fans, a smaller run than the 10,000 Peanuts hats or Lunar New Year mahjong sets. The SpongeBob cooler bag on Dec. 27 has the same 7,000 cap during the holiday break.
Hello Kitty Night is back on March 27, and every fan gets the blind-box keychain plush, so arriving early is less important than simply having a ticket. The Kings say more details on that night are still to come.
Cup night against the Spurs
The Nov. 6 game against San Antonio is Sacramento’s first Emirates NBA Cup Group Play game, played on the Kings’ Cup court. The Kings also visit Golden State on Nov. 25 in Group Play; that game and the Warriors’ shirt giveaway are covered in our Warriors Cup Games guide.
How to get in
Tickets are sold through the Kings and their official ticketing partner, and the league’s official directory, NBATickets.com, lists every game. Beyond single games, the Kings are selling 10-game plans built around the matchups fans want most, along with a Kings Family Pack and the Kings Pass. Giveaways are typically one per person while supplies last, so for a capped item, plan to be at the doors when they open.
For the rest of the league’s calendar, from the Cup knockout rounds to the Feb. 11 trade deadline, see our 2026-27 key dates guide.
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