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This summer’s WNBA All-Star Weekend will include a concert billed as “Fever Fest” at Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park.
The show featuring live music and comedy is planned as a three-hour afternoon event on July 19, leading up to that night’s All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“Fever Fest” will be produced in conjunction with Hartbeat, a company founded by comedian, actor and entrepreneur Kevin Hart. Hartbeat was named in February as official “cultural curator” for Pacers Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers and the WNBA’s Indiana Fever.
Pacers Sports & Entertainment CEO Mel Raines shared preliminary details about Fever Fest on Wednesday as part of a media preview for All-Star events, scheduled July 17-19, as well as Indiana Black Expo’s Summer Celebration, scheduled July 10-20.
The entertainment-focused weekend of Summer Celebration’s 11-day schedule coincides with WNBA All-Star events.
Raines said she contacted Indiana Black Expo CEO Alice Watson last summer after the WNBA pinpointed the third weekend of July for this year’s All-Star plans.
“The first call I made was to Alice,” Raines said. “We wanted to be sure that was something that Alice and the organization thought would be complementary to what they were doing and that we could coexist downtown together. She quickly got back to me and said, ‘I think this is a great opportunity.’ We’ve been off to the races since then.”
Multiple Summer Celebration concerts have been staged at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, and Indiana Black Expo’s corporate luncheon is sponsored by Pacers Sports & Entertainment.
“For many years, we’ve hosted parts of [Summer Celebration] at the fieldhouse,” Raines said. “We always hold that weekend. Naturally, as partners for more than 30 years, I immediately saw opportunities for us to collaborate for that weekend.”
Raines said Fever Fest is expected to continue as an annual event. In the context of WNBA All-Star festivities, the concert will give fans an entertainment option beyond a three-day fan festival at the Indiana Convention Center, the skills challenge and 3-point contest set for July 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the game on July 19.
“There’s limited ticketed opportunities for WNBA All-Star Weekend compared to NBA All-Star [which Indianapolis hosted in 2024],” Raines said. “We wanted to put some more things on the calendar.”
All tickets for the game and the skills challenge/3-point contest are sold. For the game, Ticketmaster lists resale prices ranging from $200 to $5,300.
Fever Fest will be a ticketed event at Everwise Amphitheater, a 6,000-capacity outdoor venue.
The concert’s artist lineup has yet to be announced. Hart, known for film roles in “Ride Along” and “Central Intelligence,” is not scheduled to appear onstage during WNBA All-Star Weekend.
The music lineup for Indiana Black Expo’s Summer Celebration includes the previously announced Music Heritage Festival scheduled July 18 at the IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium. On Wednesday, Indiana Black Expo CEO Alice Watson previewed two music events planned at the convention center: the All White Affair, scheduled July 19, and Gospel Explosion, scheduled July 20.
Keith Sweat, SWV, Cameo, Deniece Willams and Christopher Williams will perform as part of the Music Heritage Festival. Watson announced Anthony Brown & Group Therapy as Gospel Explosion’s headliner. She said artists will be unveiled for the All White Affair in early June.
Watson said WNBA All-Star Weekend is boosting Summer Celebration’s efforts to attract celebrity guests.
“It’s interesting,” Watson said. “When we reach out to some of our celebrity artists, we say, ‘Oh, it’s the same weekend as WNBA All-Star.’ They say, ‘OK, let me check my schedule.’ I think it’s helping us a little bit, absolutely.”
Watson said she views the overlap of the women’s basketball showcase and Summer Celebration, an event designed to highlight Black culture and fund IBE’s year-round initiatives, as a plus.
“We want to showcase Indiana Black Expo and what we do in Indianapolis,” Watson said. “I saw a lot of synergies. Of course, there was some angst among some folks in the community. But I think it’s an opportunity for us to show the world that a nonprofit organization and a giant organization can do collaborative work.”
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