The first All-Star Game was held as part of the 1933 World's Fair at Comiskey Park and was the brainchild of Arch Ward, then sports editor for the Chicago Tribune.^[1] Initially intended to be a one-time event, its great success resulted in making the game an annual event, with some years (1959–1962) having two All-Star Games.

The venue for each All-Star Game is chosen by an MLB selection committee. This choice may be made to commemorate a particular historical occasion, the opening of a new ballpark, or a significant milestone. The criteria for choosing the venue are subjective; for the most part, cities with new parks and cities who have not hosted the game in a long time – or ever – tend to be favored. The venues among the major league franchises: between 1964 and 2015, five teams hosted three times, 13 teams twice, ten teams once, and two teams not at all. The "home team" is the league in which the host franchise plays its games. Through the 2023 season, the American League has hosted 45 times, and the National League has hosted 48 times. Traditionally, the game alternates between the two leagues from year to year with ten exceptions:

• 1950–1951 (American League)
• 1952–1953 (National League)
• 1959 both games (National League)
• 1960 both games (American League)
• 1961 second game – 1962 first game (American League)
• 2006–2007 (National League)
• 2017–2018 (National League)
• 2021–2022 (National League)
• 2023–2024 (American League)
• 2025–2026 (National League)

This tradition was discontinued after the 2015 game.

As of 2023, one Major League Baseball franchise has never hosted an All-Star Game: the Tampa Bay Rays. The Miami Marlins hosted for the first time in 2017 following the 2012 opening of Marlins Park, although Miami was initially scheduled to host in 2000, MLB eventually moved the game to Atlanta. All-Star games have been played in D.C., hosted by both incarnations of the Washington Senators (now known as the Minnesota Twins and as the Texas Rangers), as well as by the Washington Nationals in 2018.

Of the remaining 27 franchises, the New York Mets had gone the longest period without hosting since their sole hosting duty in 1964, but this streak came to an end at 49 years in 2013. During that span, 18 of the remaining 25 teams have hosted an All-Star Game at least twice since 1964: Atlanta Braves (1972, 2000) Chicago White Sox (1983 and 2003), Cincinnati Reds (1970, 1988, and 2015), Cleveland Indians (1981, 1997, 2019), Detroit Tigers (1971 and 2005), Houston Astros (1968, 1986, and 2004), Kansas City Royals (1973 and 2012), Los Angeles Angels (1967, 1989, and 2010), Milwaukee Brewers (1975 and 2002), Minnesota Twins (1965, 1985, and 2014), New York Yankees (1977 and 2008), Philadelphia Phillies (1976 and 1996), Pittsburgh Pirates (1974, 1994, and 2006), San Diego Padres (1978, 1992, and 2016), San Francisco Giants (1984 and 2007), Seattle Mariners (1979 and 2001), St. Louis Cardinals (1966 and 2009), and Washington Senators/Texas Rangers (1969 and 1995). The Oakland Athletics are now the team with the longest active hosting drought; they have not hosted since 1987.

New stadiums that have not hosted the All-Star Game in cities that have hosted it previously are: Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the new Yankee Stadium in New York City, Truist Park in Atlanta, and Globe Life Field in Arlington. Truist Park was to host the 2021 game, but lost it in response to the passage of the Georgia Election Integrity Act of 2021.^[2]

Future All-Star Games will be played at Globe Life Field in 2024,^[3] Truist Park in 2025,^[4] and Citizens Bank Park in 2026, with Philadelphia selected well in advance as a part of the United States Semiquincentennial celebration.^[5]

Following the game at the first Yankee Stadium in 2008 in its final season, the Bronx's old stadium joined Cleveland's old Cleveland Stadium (also known as Municipal Stadium prior to its own demolition) as the only venues that have hosted four Major League Baseball All-Star games. New York City has hosted it more than any other city, having done so nine times in five different stadiums; as of 2023, Tampa Bay remains the only major league metropolitan area since the first All-Star Game in 1933 to never have hosted.

The 2021 game was originally scheduled to be held at Truist Park in Atlanta, but it was moved in protest of a controversial voting bill by the Georgia State Legislature, which policy changes resulted in Georgia's highest voter turnout in history and placed Georgia as the highest voter turnout in the Southeast during the next election.^[7]