February marks another start of Spring Training for baseball and music at Tempe Beach Park in Arizona. Innings Fest is the only festival that mixes heavy hitters in music with sports players and activities alike. This was the first year that the festival has expanded to 3 days — and the organizers were sure to pack it in every day with bands like Twenty One Pilots to Sublime to Mumford and Sons — all the way to Public Enemy.
With baseball-inspired installments woven throughout the grounds, diverse food vendors, and an eager crowd, Innings ends up marking itself more as a full experience than just another music festival. Fans could easily bounce between stages and sports happenings, soaking up that beautiful Arizona weather. Ultimately, this festival continues to reign as it truly is a family friendly weekend, suitable for all ages (earplugs, of course!)
Day one was a home run with a soulful Tyler Ballgame and 90’s legend Marcy Playground. Chicago based OK GO pulled a huge crowd ready to dance to their quirky alt-rock hits. The highest energy MVP for day one goes to Grouplove — while performing an obvious crowd favorite, “Tongue Tied,” the married singers Hannah Hooper and Christian Zucconi oozed a chemistry that was undeniable. Additionally, they debuted a new single called “Shusha” that had us all wrapped up in our feels.
Back at the Home Plate stage, The Goo Goo Dolls delivered a polished 90-minute set that reminded everyone of their school dances and burned mix CDs. During “Iris,” which once again had the entire venue singing along, Johnny Rzeznik stepped into the crowd and announced:
“The fact that all of us are smashed together, we have more in common than you think… thank you so much for being part of our life.”
Another artist that caught our attention was Myles Smith — who brought down the house with his British charm and TikTok smash “Stargazing.” He also played “Nice to Meet You” and his own rendition of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.”
Headlining the night was English folk-rock band Mumford & Sons, who were performing the same day they released their latest album, Prizefighter — in which they included the title track in their setlist. Also playing older songs like “Little Lion Man” and “Lover Of The Light,” these guys had everyone in the palm of their hand. They closed with their hit “I Will Wait” as the crowd all sang in unison while fireworks exploded from the stage as a perfect send-off for the next day.
Day two was a double mixed with nostalgia and anticipation for the night’s headliners, Twenty One Pilots. Fans were running to the stage as the gates opened in hopes to get that prime barricade spot. Bands like Vertical Horizon, Silversun Pickups, and The Fray brought jam-packed performances through dynamic subgenres of alt rock, 90s and indie rock that sent us all down memory lane.
Fans frantically ran between stages to see Dashboard Confessional and scream sing “Hands Down,” then jetted back to the Home Plate Stage to see Cage the Elephant. The second day’s highest energy MVP goes to Cage the Elephant on behalf of their insane pyrotechnics in junction with lead singer Matt Schultz’s inclusive stage presence, his energetic being covering every inch of the stage at all times. They pleased the crowd with heavy-hitting singles like “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked,” “Come A Little Closer,” “Cigarette Daydreams” and many more.
Twenty One Pilots wrapped up the night and surely did not disappoint. Singer Tyler Joseph wasted no time standing in the crowd during their second song, “The Contract,” while drummer Josh Dun took a moment to climb the rafters during “Rawfear” to play drums high above the crowd. The duo played more popular songs like “Ride,” “Stressed Out,” and “Heathens” that had the crowd losing their minds. At one point, they paused the show to check on a section of the crowd ensuring their fans were safe before resuming. This was the first time they played “Center Mass,” “One Way,” and the recently released “Drag Path” live at a show, which made this festival show super special. Fans were also treated to a cover of “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes.
Day three was a grand slam for bands like Eve 6 and Bowling For Soup, who both brought the silly, joyful vibe. Bowling For Soup covered Fountains of Wayne’s hit, “Stacy’s Mom” — since everyone seems to think that is Bowling For Soup’s song, despite not. Everyone had a good laugh and an enthusiastic sing along.
Brothers Jon and Tim Foreman of Switchfoot celebrated Tim’s birthday during their immersive performance, which included an in-crowd appearance to get up close and personal with some of their biggest fans. Tracks like “Dare You To Move” and “Meant To Live” from their album The Beautiful Letdown had us gushing with memories and emotion.
Big Boi kept the crowd hyped with songs like “So Fresh, So Clean” and “Miss Jackson” — known from his prolific Y2K-era hip hop duo, Outkast. Sublime’s Jakob Nowell, the son of late founding singer Bradley Nowell, paid tribute to his father in an emotional moment as it was his birthday.
Day 3’s highest energy MVP belongs to the one and only, Flavor Flav of Public Enemy. They had dancers donned in camo, while Flavor Flav wore a bejeweled white jacket and his signature clock necklace. Flavor Flav closed with “Fight the Power” — which had everyone on their feet.
Headlining was pop punk legends, Blink 182 for their only show of the year. Between the back and forth jokes about each other’s moms, they played hits like “The Rock Show,” “I Miss You,” and “What’s My Age Again.” They closed out the night with a crowd sing along of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in honor of Innings Fest, before sliding into their oldie-but-goodie, “Dammit.”
The mix of baseball and iconic music performances always makes this a must-hit festival. It’s clear the city takes great pride in creating a safe environment for everyone as they continue to grow. Each year, the artist lineup gets bigger and bigger… I wonder who we will we see in 2027!
GALLERY: Innings Festival at Tempe Beach Park in Tempe, Arizona (February 20-22, 2026)
DAY ONE
DAY TWO
DAY THREE
