The 15th Battle 4 Atlantis comes to the Imperial Arena over Thanksgiving week, from November 24 to November 27. Twelve college programs and their traveling fans will fill the resort next door to Ocean Club Estates. Most of what Atlantis has published about the week is aimed at people flying in, with rooms and tickets sold together. Owners at One Ocean have a simpler way in, and it runs through a restaurant reservation, not the arena box office.
Three dates explain why. The Bahamian-resident day pass ends November 15. The basketball starts nine days later. And the resort's resident valet offer, which comes with dinner at its signature restaurants, runs until December 30. Plan around those dates and the week fits easily into your routine.
The Calendar, Read From Paradise Island
- Sunday, November 15. Last day of the Back-to-School Resident Day Pass.
- Friday, November 20. Murua & Fillaboa wine dinner at Amber, 7 to 10 p.m.
- Tuesday, November 24. The Women's Battle 4 Atlantis opens at the Imperial Arena.
- Wednesday, November 25. The men's tournament opens.
- Thursday, November 26. Thanksgiving. Women's games in the arena, and a three-course dinner at Amber.
- Sunday, November 29. Two days after the men's final day, Pomp, Snow & CIRQUEumstance opens at the Atlantis Theater.
The order matters. The cheapest resident access to the resort's pools and beaches ends before the crowds arrive, and the dinner offer outlasts the whole season.
The Arena Is Sold to Travelers First
Atlantis's tournament page lists the men's field as Marquette, Memphis, Mississippi State, Penn State, Texas A&M, Virginia, Wake Forest and Xavier. The women's showcase brings Davidson, Florida, Notre Dame and West Virginia. The main call to action on that page is "Book Rooms + Tickets," with 20% off the best available rate for stays of two nights or more.
The schools sell the same way. In its August 31 announcement, Marquette Athletics offered hotel-and-game packages. It said only a very limited number of ticket-only packages could be requested, ranked by the school's priority points, with requests closing September 15. That gives you a sense of where the seats are going.
Atlantis also has a men's single-ticket page, but it doesn't yet show 2026 session dates or a ticket-only price. If you want a seat in the Imperial Arena, the resort's phone line, 1-800-285-2684, is the most direct way to ask.
These are the game times published by Florida Athletics for the women's showcase and Wake Forest Athletics for the men's opening day:
Date | Matchup | Tip-off |
|---|---|---|
Tue, Nov 24 | Notre Dame vs. Davidson | 1 p.m. ET |
Tue, Nov 24 | Florida vs. West Virginia | 3:30 p.m. ET |
Wed, Nov 25 | Virginia vs. Marquette | Noon ET |
Wed, Nov 25 | Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State | 7:30 p.m. ET |
Thu, Nov 26 | Notre Dame vs. West Virginia | 11:30 a.m. ET |
Thu, Nov 26 | Florida vs. Davidson | 2 p.m. ET |
The busiest times on the property follow this table. Wednesday has two men's sessions, one at midday and one in the evening. On Thanksgiving, both women's games finish by mid-afternoon, before dinner service starts.
The Resident Rate Ends Before the Fans Arrive
Anyone not staying at Atlantis needs a Day Pass, bought in advance, to use Aquaventure and the restricted outdoor areas. Day-pass prices change by date and season, and the number sold is limited.
For Bahamian residents, the Back-to-School Resident Day Pass costs $75 per adult 13 and older and $45 per child aged 4 to 12, and children 3 and under go free. It covers the water park, The Dig, the open-air marine habitat, and the resort's beaches and pools. You must buy in advance, bring Bahamian ID, and blackout dates may apply. The offer runs only through November 15.
This post goes live on November 5, so ten days are left on that rate. If you have family coming for Thanksgiving and want to give them a day at Aquaventure, the resident price is available only before the tournament, and only in the quieter stretch of November.
Dinner Is the Front Door
The Resident Complimentary Valet Promotion is on the same page as the day pass and runs much longer. Book a table at a participating restaurant and tell the valet attendant about the promotion when you arrive. Have your valet ticket and dining receipt validated during dinner, then show both at pickup. The offer is valid from August 15 through December 30, 2026. The resort's FAQ lists valet at $21 a day, so the saving is real on a busy night.
The participating restaurants, as listed by Atlantis, with their status on the resort's own pages:
- Amber. Hosting the November 20 wine dinner, the November 26 Thanksgiving menu, and festive à la carte dining from Tuesday, December 1.
- FISH by José Andrés
- Nobu
- Paranza
- Seafire Steakhouse
- Poseidon's Table. Closed from September 21 to October 20 and listed again after that.
- Café Martinique. On the valet list, but the dining directory currently shows "Seasonal Closure."
- Carmine's. Also on the valet list, also shown as "Seasonal Closure" in the directory.
Check those last two before you plan a Thanksgiving-week evening around them.
Timing works in your favor here. Atlantis takes restaurant reservations up to 90 days ahead, subject to availability, and asks for a valid credit card to hold the table. Its reservation page doesn't say you need a room. Every night from now through New Year's Eve is already inside that window. Fans flying in for the tournament may only start thinking about dinner once their packages are confirmed. You can book tonight.
Thanksgiving Day at Atlantis
Put all of this together and Thursday, November 26, is a manageable day. Notre Dame and West Virginia tip off at 11:30 a.m. and Florida and Davidson at 2 p.m. Amber's three-course Thanksgiving dinner follows that evening. For an owner hosting family at One Ocean, an afternoon at home and a booked table at Amber, with validated valet, puts you on the property after the women's games have finished and before Friday's final men's sessions.
On Wake Forest's own schedule, its Friday game is against Memphis or Penn State, at either 1:30 or 7:30 p.m. ET depending on Wednesday's results. Friday's schedule won't be set until the first round is over. Wednesday and Thursday are the days you can plan around now.
When the Bracket Clears, the Theater Takes Over
Two days after the men's tournament ends, the resort's holiday entertainment begins. Pomp, Snow & CIRQUEumstance runs at the Atlantis Theater from November 29, 2026, through January 8, 2027. It's a cirque holiday show from Broadway director Neil Goldberg, with trapeze, roller skating, ground juggling and German wheel acts, and it runs about 60 minutes with no intermission. On the Leap Events listing for the Saturday, December 5 show at 8 p.m., General tickets cost $70 and Premium $100, each with a $3.75 service fee, and 10% VAT is added at checkout. Child tickets for ages 4 to 11 go up to $65. At an hour long, the show fits before an early dinner booking, so one validated valet ticket covers both.
Other dates are already on the resort calendar:
- Junkanoo Fest at Marina Village, Tuesdays and Fridays at 9 p.m., per the Nassau Paradise Island events calendar. Atlantis's Junkanoo page says vendors and artisans come on select Fridays only.
- The weekly slot tournament at Bar Sol, Tuesdays and Fridays through December 30.
- Andrea Bocelli on the Royal Deck, December 31. Doors open at 9:30 p.m., the performance starts at 11 p.m., and fireworks follow at midnight.
The resident valet offer ends December 30, the night before the Bocelli concert, so plan New Year's Eve transport separately.
For more on the area around One Ocean, see our guides to Ocean Club and Paradise Island.
Thanksgiving week is when Paradise Island fills with visitors, and it's also when timing matters most for owners and their guests. If you're hosting family at One Ocean this season, or thinking about how your residence sits within Paradise Island's busiest stretch, The Agency Bahamas knows this side of the bridge well. Contact the team now!
