Fanatics Fest, a three-day festival aimed at collectors across sports and culture, will be held this August in New York, Fanatics Events announced Thursday.
The event will feature appearances from athletes, including Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Kevin Durant and Sabrina Ionescu, as well as top leagues, teams and brands. It will be held Aug. 16-18 at the Javits Center and marks the first flagship event for the company.
The 400,000-square foot showroom will house a 2,500-seat stage, a museum displaying rare memorabilia and collectibles, as well as interactive "Collecting 101" content for novices, among a range of other events.
“Unlike any other events in the world of sports fandom, Fanatics Fest NYC will reside at the intersection of sports, culture, entertainment and collecting, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome fans into part of what will become a yearlong calendar of premium live experiences,” said Lance Fensterman, the CEO of Fanatics Events.
The festival, Fanatics Events’ second large-scale initiative after its WWE World at WrestleMania — which ranked as the highest-grossing and most-attended fan event in WWE history — is scheduled for less than a month after this year’s National Sports Card Convention.
Fanatics Events told cllct the event is “meant to be additive” to the yearly slate of regional and national collector shows, rather than pose a competitive threat.
“This is a new way for collectors to interact with the hobby, alongside all other verticals of their fandom,” a company spokesperson told cllct.
Tickets to the event are on sale now, with prices ranging from $20-$400.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct. You can follow him on X at @Will__Stern.