Sports Illustrated’s Beyond the Pitch Wraps Five-City World Cup Event Series

Sports Illustrated

Timed to the 2026 World Cup, Sports Illustrated's Beyond the Pitch brought together sports, music, entertainment and fan experiences across five North American host cities, celebrating key moments throughout the tournament with headline performances, celebrity appearances and brand activations.

Los Angeles marked the launch of Beyond the Pitch, as Sports Illustrated transformed the iconic Hollywood Palladium into one of the city's premier World Cup Week celebrations. Hip-hop icon Nelly headlined the evening, joined by EDM duo TWINSICK, while athletes, entertainers and creators including Ryan Garcia, Kristin Juszczyk, Angel McCoughtry, Yung Gravy, Ari Kytsya, Michael Blackson, Harry Jowsey, Andreina Santos, Joey Zauzig and more gathered to kick off the tournament. Throughout the venue, partners Lenovo, Verizon, Champion, GMC, Aéropostale, FUNKO and BOSS delivered interactive fan experiences and premium hospitality.

The series continued to Dallas, where Beyond the Pitch took over SILO during the World Cup group stage. Headlined by Grammy-nominated producer Gordo, the event brought together soccer fans, local tastemakers and visiting supporters for an evening that reflected the energy surrounding one of the tournament's busiest host cities. Guests experienced activations from GMC, Verizon, Modelo and NÜTRL, creating an atmosphere that extended the excitement of matchday well into the night.

Next, Beyond the Pitch arrived in Miami, where The Chainsmokers headlined an evening at DAER Nightclub. With fans from around the world converging on South Florida for World Cup action, the event became one of the week's marquee nightlife destinations, blending live music, hospitality and international soccer culture. Lenovo, Verizon and Nautica activated throughout the venue with immersive fan experiences.

The tour then headed north to Toronto, where Kaytranada headlined a celebration timed to the tournament's Round of 32. In partnership with Heineken, Beyond the Pitch continued its run of bringing together music, sport and culture as one of the World Cup's Canadian host cities welcomed fans from across the globe.

The five-city series concluded in New York City on the eve of the World Cup final, transforming Cipriani Wall Street into one of the weekend's most sought-after events. Performances by 50 Cent and Diplo capped an evening attended by athletes, entertainers and cultural figures including Paul Pierce, Rob Gronkowski, Jutta Leerdam, Jordan Chiles, Camille Kostek, Meredith Marks, Cooper DeJean, Roger Clemens, Jake Paul and Josh Hart, among many others. Premium hospitality and brand experiences were featured throughout the evening. Marriott Bonvoy and BetMGM invited guests to create custom soccer jerseys, while Funko, Bio-Oil, Casamigos, JSX, Lavazza, NÜTRL, Verizon, BOSS, Reebok and Velocity Black delivered interactive activations, curated lounges and elevated hospitality that rounded out the final stop of the series.

Beyond the Pitch served as Sports Illustrated's largest live event series to date, bringing together fans and cultural leaders across five cities during one of the world's biggest sporting events. Until the next World Cup …