Baltimore Orioles to give away Tupac Shakur bobblehead

The team has increased the initial order to 20,000 bobbleheads due to high fan demand.

Feb. 21, 2026 at 2:07pm

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The Baltimore Orioles will be giving away a Tupac Shakur bobblehead to the first 20,000 fans who attend their May 8th game against the Athletics. The bobblehead features Shakur wearing an Orioles jersey and holding a baseball bat, inspired by the four years he spent living in Baltimore as a youth in the mid-1980s. The team has collaborated with Shakur's estate and the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation on the promotion, which will also include special in-game moments and an appearance by Shakur's sister to throw out the first pitch.

Why it matters

Tupac Shakur is a legendary hip-hop artist with deep ties to Baltimore, having attended the Baltimore School for the Arts during his formative years. The Orioles' Tupac bobblehead promotion taps into the enduring popularity and cultural significance of the late rapper, while also highlighting Baltimore's rich musical history and the city's connection to Shakur.

The details

The Orioles initially announced 15,000 Tupac bobbleheads would be available, but increased the order to 20,000 due to overwhelming fan demand. The team will work closely with Shakur's estate and family to incorporate special in-game elements, including music and an appearance by Shakur's sister Sekyiwa 'Set' Shakur to throw out the first pitch.

  • The Tupac Shakur bobblehead giveaway will take place on May 8, 2026 at Oriole Park.
  • The gates will open 90 minutes prior to the 7:05 pm game start time.

The players

Tupac Shakur

A legendary rapper and actor who spent four years of his youth living in Baltimore and attending the Baltimore School for the Arts.

Sekyiwa "Set" Shakur

Tupac Shakur's sister and the president of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation.

Baltimore Orioles

The Major League Baseball team hosting the Tupac Shakur bobblehead giveaway.

Craig Albernaz

The new manager of the Baltimore Orioles.

Sara Biancosino

The director of promotions and audience development for the Baltimore Orioles.

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What they’re saying

“Each year, year over year, we work internally and externally with partners, with our fans, even just staff in general and try to tap into cultural things that are going on (with) pop culture, celebrities or promotional merchandise. So with (Shakur's) history to the Baltimore School of the Arts and just that rich hip hop culture, we were trying to tap into that audience.”

— Sara Biancosino, Director of Promotions and Audience Development, Baltimore Orioles

“As we were getting texts from people all over the place in all different areas of the country and the world saying, 'I need one of those,' we made the quick decision to order 5,000 more while we could because they take a while to produce. So it's unlikely we will be producing any more because we were kind of at our limit in terms of deadlines to be able to produce (Shakur) bobbleheads in a certain amount of time.”

— Mark Fine, Chief Marketing Officer, Baltimore Orioles

“It speaks to the impact that Tupac has had in pop culture and in society just as a world-renowned artist and musician and his connection to Baltimore. You'll see that from a marketing standpoint we're going to really tell that story through our social channels both on MASN and through our social media channels just to connect him to his time here in Baltimore because it's pretty special that he had spent time here in Baltimore during his formative years right before he became very famous.”

— Greg Felt, Baltimore Orioles Executive

What’s next

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The takeaway

The Orioles' Tupac Shakur bobblehead promotion is a unique and exciting way for the team to celebrate the enduring legacy of the legendary rapper, while also highlighting Baltimore's rich musical history and the city's connection to one of hip-hop's most iconic figures.