The first-ever Fever Fest kicks off during the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend.
Fever Fest, an inaugural entertainment event packed full of comedy and music, takes the stage of the Everwise Amphitheatre in White River Park on July 19. Presented by Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) in partnership with Hartbeat, Fever Fest is the first in an annual series of cultural events coming to Indianapolis — promising Hoosiers an impressive lineup of award-winning musical artists and comedians — including the Indiana Fever’s own Sydney Colson, said Joseph Graziano, executive vice president of strategy and new business ventures for PS&E.
“Fever Fest is the kind of bold, high-energy event that reflects exactly what Hartbeat and PS&E set out to build together,” Jeff Clanagan, president and chief distribution officer for Hartbeat, said in a statement. “This is just the beginning. Through our collaboration, Hartbeat will bring cultural activations to Indianapolis year-round, cementing the city and region as a destination for unforgettable experiences at the intersection of sports, entertainment and culture.”
READ MORE: Sydney Colson to debut stand-up comedy at Fever Festival
Hartbeat, Kevin Hart’s global entertainment company, intersecting comedy and culture, was announced as PS&E’s official “cultural curator” earlier this year. PS&E aims to be “holistic entertainment providers” and meet their fans through all the ways they want to be entertained, which goes beyond just Pacers and Fever Games or hosting concerts at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Graziano said.
Although it’s kicking off during the WNBA All-Star Weekend, Fever Fest is the first of many soon-to-be cultural activities presented in their multi-year partnership.
“This leads us an opportunity to be able to bring new fans into our brand, to be able to entertain fans in different ways than you would traditionally do,” Graziano said. “We know these kind of high heat festivals that only happen during limited times of year are really important for fans, because it’s another place to make memories.”
Fever Fest, which is a three-hour comedy and music festival followed by the 2025 WNBA All-Star game watch party, presents Hoosiers with an opportunity to experience headlining artist and Grammy Award-nominated performer The Kid LAROI alongside Cedric the Entertainer, Leslie Jones and Aida Rodriguez, G-Eazy and BIA.
Tickets for the festival start at $53, but the first 250 tickets were released to fans for only $25 because PS&E wanted to make sure fans had other fun and more accessible ways to participate in “the energy and excitement, the global platform that is WNBA All-Star,” Graziano said.
Having Fever point guard Sydney Colson perform a set during Fever Fest only adds to the excitement and opportunity to showcase the “true holistic nature of our players,” as she will be the first current player in NBA and WNBA history to perform a live comedy set, Graziano said.
“We believe (Fever Fest) going to become a staple music and comedy festival of our city,” Graziano said. “To be able to do it during WNBA All-Star … is really exciting as the first foray to this property, which is the combination of comedy and music, because we know that our fans, they’re interested in what our players are interested in, and these are two of the key interests of our players.”
Fever Fest kicks off at 5 p.m. with a performance by 803Fresh followed by the main show at the Everwise Amphitheater. Fans are invited to stay after the show for a WNBA All-Star watch party at 8:30 p.m. featuring Gainbridge chef food trucks, beverages and concessions.
The full lineup of “premium entertainment and fan-first experiences at upcoming cultural events” from the PS&E and Hartbeat partnership will roll out after Fever Fest.
Tickets for Fever Fest start at $53 and are available at ticketmaster.com. For more information or to sign up for ticketing updates, visit feverfestival.com.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe has a bachelor's in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and has previously worked for Indy Maven, The Lantern, and CityScene Media Group. In her free time, Chloe enjoys live theatre, reading, baking and keeping her plants alive.
