On February 7, two N.F.L. teams will duke it out for the title of Super Bowl 50 champion at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. As always, there will be a slew of big events surrounding the big game; this year, they'll take place in a few cities. From late January through game day, event hosts will stage functions in Santa Clara (about 44 miles south of San Francisco), San Jose (roughly four miles southeast of Santa Clara), and San Francisco. As such, Super Bowl 50 is being billed as a "mass transit event," similar to the 2014 Super Bowl, which was played across the river from New York in New Jersey.
In San Francisco, Super Bowl City presented by Verizon will be open January 30 to February 7. Centered at Justin Herman Plaza, the free open-to-the-public village is designed to showcase highlights and history of the Bay Area. CBS Television Network will set up its broadcasting home in the village, and there will also be a Fan Energy Zone presented by SAP. The "zone" will offer interactive games, data visualizations, and social media activities. At the City Stage presented by Levi's and also held at Super Bowl City, concerts will feature artists such as Alicia Keys, OneRepublic, and the Band Perry. The N.F.L. Experience driven by Hyundai, billed as "pro football's interactive theme park experience," will be held at the Moscone Center from January 30 to February 7.
Visa's San Francisco headquarters are at One Market Square, in the center of Super Bowl City, so the brand is preparing for an activation on the seventh-floor terrace of its building. Called the Everywhere Lounge, the activation is billed as a "building on top of a building" constructed by EventStar. The temporary structure was built to withstand hurricane winds; it will have floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Bay Bridge, hardwood floors, and an area of trampoline flooring where guests can jump and pose for photos. There will also be a pop-up Under Armour shop on site, as well as a Giving Wall. The 30-foot structure will showcase three area nonprofits: Friends of the Urban Forest, Girls & Boys Clubs of San Francisco, and San Francisco Marin Food Bank. Guest will hit a "Tap to Give" button to donate funds to the charities, and Visa will match donations.
The nearby Ferry Building will host Animal Planet's Puppy Bowl Cafe, which will host live replicas of the annual Puppy Bowl, which features adoptable animals playing a "scrimmage" on a mock football field. A Puppy Bowl Virtual Reality component will allow fans to visually transport themselves to a football game among the fuzzy animals; the café will also serve food and beverages daily from February 4 to 7.
Other charitable efforts tied to the big game include N.F.L.'s Party With a Purpose, which will take place at Cow Hollow on February 6 and support hunger relief in the United States. Hosted by chef and TV personality Andrew Zimmerman, the event will feature a performance from Third Eye Blind, a large silent auction, and tastings from chefs who represent 32 N.F.L. cities. H. Group and Vault Experiences will host a new charitable event, Suits and Sneakers, at Pier 27 on February 3. Benefiting Merging Vets & Players, the event will feature a fashion show produced by Phoenix Fashion Week; entertainment will include DJ sets from the likes of Tommy Lee. On February 4, chefs Michael Mina and Charlie Palmer will host the second annual Culinary Kickoff at Michael Mina Restaurant. The evening will host 80 guests and offer a four-course meal prepared by big-name chefs including Todd English. It will benefit the Culinary Institute of America's Culinary Kickoff Youth Scholarship Fund.
San Francisco will see additional splashy functions for a slew of corporations, including media brands. ESPN will host ESPN the Party at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture on February 5. Lauren Robinson, associate director of sports management and sponsorship activation at ESPN, will head planning efforts; Tony Schubert of Event Eleven will lead production and design. According to Schubert, decor will have a nautical theme inspired by the history of Fort Mason. To set the tone, Event Eleven will bring in elements such as dock pylons, fishing cages with pulleys, nautical ropes, and custom chandeliers made from Edison bulbs.
The 2016 Maxim Super Bowl party, presented in conjunction with Bootsy Bellows, will take place on February 6 at Treasure Island. Produced by Karma International, the event will feature performances from A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne, and other acts; sponsor Dodge will host a "Thrill Ride" experience. Rolling Stone is another returning event host; its bash will take place on February 6 at the San Francisco Design Center. Toast will handle production, talent, and celebrity wrangling. On February 5, the Playboy Party will take place in a tented lot at AT&T Park. With sponsors such as Dodge and Effen, the event will feature a DJ set from Alesso and 24 Playmates in bunny costumes; some 2,000 guests are expected to attend.
Playboy's Super Bowl event marks a significant moment for the brand. "The first non-nude issue of Playboy will make its debut at this party, and guests will be some of the first consumers to see it," said the brand's VP of events and promotions, Amanda Civitello. "Copies of the [March 2016] magazine are going to be distributed via an Instagram-activated vending machine, and guests will be encouraged to post for a peek of the new Playboy magazine." Civitello added that this year's Super Bowl party is larger in size than past events. "Party guests will also notice a big change in the production value," she said. "In most recent years, we executed this event in existing venues or within pop-up event spaces led by other brands. This year, we are literally building our venue from the ground up with a structure tent within Lot A at AT&T Park. This allows us the freedom to design the event from scratch to ensure party guests have an amazing experience, as well as integrate our advertisers organically into the overall look and feel." Civitello is working with the Visionary Group on the event’s production and design.
For the first time this year, DirecTV has partnered with Pepsi on Super Bowl events. Dubbed DirecTV and Pepsi Super Thursday Night, the February 4 event feature a Dave Matthews Band concert at Pier 70. On February 5, Pepsi Friday Night Live will feature Pharrell Williams in concert. DirecTV will also host its traditional DirecTV Super Saturday Night Co-Hosted by Mark Cuban's AXS TV event on February 6; more details on the bash will be released soon.
There will be plenty of action around Levi's Stadium. Since some 5,000 members of the media are expected to descend on Santa Clara for the game, a media center will take over a youth soccer field adjacent to the field. Pop-up tents will surround the stadium and will host corporate tailgate parties. There will also be several community-friendly celebrations in town.
At the Triton Museum of Art (about six miles from the stadium) some galleries will showcase memorabilia from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Santa Clara's Mission College will host its Super Community Concert and Fireworks event on January 31. The free ticketed event will feature performances from bands such as Heart; there will also be a "food alley" and an area for wine and beer.
On February 6, Caravents will produce the City of Santa Clara's Super Community Celebration. With partners such as Santa Clara University, Celebrity Sweat, Silicon Valley BBQ, and Stella Artois, the event will feature a celebrity flag football game, a pep rally, interactive games for kids, live radio broadcasts, gourmet food trucks, and performances from local bands. There will also be an evening concert featuring Huey Lewis and the News, as well as a fireworks show. "The focus of these events is [for the Super Bowl host city] to offer a great day of activities to visitors and community members alike, [and] to celebrate the big game," said Caravents founder and C.E.O. Cara Kleinhaut.
Major events will also take place in San Jose, where the San Jose Marriott hotel will host the N.F.C. champion. On February 1, Super Bowl Opening Night Fueled by Gatorade will take place at San Jose's SAP Center. The nationally broadcast event will feature interviews with players and coaches. The event marks a change in the traditional Media Day, which is usually held on the Tuesday morning of Super Bowl week. By hosting the event at prime time, reps for the N.F.L are hoping to engage more national viewers.
There will also be community celebrations in San Jose. The town's San Pedro Street will become "Super San Pedro," for example. The area will be covered in Astrotuf and will have games, chalk art, and a street fair. Guests will be able to participate in an activation being dubbed the "World's Longest Screen Print Pull." Other attractions will include a pop-up beer garden, an ice rink, an art walk, and a pop-up store with N.F.L. merchandise.
