Sports Illustrated is throwing open the doors of its VIP event series to the general public this summer, staging a four-city party programme that will run alongside the World Cup in the United States.
Event locations and dates
The series, branded SI Beyond the Pitch, will land in Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and New York on dates that correspond with major matches in the tournament. The first event takes place at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on June 12, the day the United States men’s national team face Paraguay in the same city. Dallas follows on June 20 at a venue called SILO Dallas. On June 26 the party moves to the DAER nightclub inside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The series concludes on July 18 at the historic Cipriani Wall Street in New York. Each evening is built around a notable World Cup fixture.
Performers and brand activations
The headline acts cover a broad spectrum of music. Nelly will perform in Los Angeles; the electronic duo The Chainsmokers are booked for Miami; Dallas gets Gordo; and the New York finale will feature 50 Cent and Diplo. Additional talent is expected to be announced for the events in Los Angeles and Dallas.
Beyond the music, the organisers have lined up interactive brand experiences from a roster of global partners. Verizon, the official telecommunication services sponsor of the 2026 World Cup, will showcase connectivity solutions that include private 5G networks for referee bodycams – technology that uses artificial intelligence to process footage in real time. Lenovo, the tournament’s official technology partner and the presenting partner for the Los Angeles and Miami events, will bring AI-driven innovations, devices and data-centre infrastructure designed to enhance fan experiences and global broadcasts. Marriott Bonvoy, BetMGM, Velocity Black and Champion round out the brand line-up, each offering their own activation zones. The event series, according to Sports Illustrated, is intended to be an immersive fusion of live entertainment and brand interaction.
Joe Silberzweig, founder and chief executive of Medium Rare, the company behind the series, described the World Cup’s arrival in the US as “the most significant sporting event of a generation to hit American soil” and said SI Beyond the Pitch aims to deliver “the most high-octane nightlife experiences the global soccer community has ever seen”. Matt Goldstein, executive vice-president of Authentic Live, added: “SI has firmly established itself as the place to be on sports’ biggest weekends. Whether it’s Travis Kelce and Justin Bieber or the next generation of athletes and icons, the guest list reads like a who’s who of sports and culture. That’s what we build toward every time.” The previous instalment of the franchise, SI The Party at Big Game Weekend 2026, drew celebrities including Justin and Hailey Bieber, Travis Scott, Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Jon Hamm, Ciara and Russell Wilson.
Verizon’s involvement goes beyond the party floor: the company is providing connectivity in and around all 16 World Cup stadiums and has partnered with David Beckham for a World Cup campaign. Lenovo, meanwhile, has appointed Beckham as a global brand ambassador focused on AI in sport.
Ticket sales
Tickets and VIP tables for all four events go on sale this Friday, May 15, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. The World Cup – the first to feature 48 teams and co-hosted by 16 cities across the United States, Mexico and Canada – runs from June 11 to July 19, with the final scheduled for MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The opening match on June 11 sees Mexico take on South Africa in Mexico City.
