It was one, two, three nights you’re out at the ole Innings Fest. Taking place at Tempe Beach Park in Tempe, AZ, from February 20-23, 2026, the grand slam line-up drew in people from all walks of life, offering a mix of performances across genres such as rock, alternative, punk, and folk. Known for mixing the love of baseball with musical performances, Innings offers something for baseball fans with a pitching lane, batting cage, and live performances from former MLB player Ryan Dempster and his podcast-style show, Off the Mound with Ryan Dempster.
Off The Mound provided a unique opportunity for people to get closer to some of the biggest names at the festival with live interviews with the front faces of OK Go, The Fray, Sublime, Public Enemy, and Eve 6, as well as MLB rockstars, such as Torii Hunter from the Minnesota Twins and Pete Crow-Armstrong from the Chicago Cubs. Fans sported t-shirts from their favorite bands playing at Innings and baseball jerseys from their favorite team, as the hype for spring training, also taking place in Phoenix that same weekend, was at an all-time high.
The large festival grounds felt small as you walked through them with like-minded people ready for a weekend of non-stop music between two stages. Innings brings in locals and travelers from afar, with many making it a tradition to attend the festival every year. This year was extra special as it was the first time it changed from a two-day festival to a three-day festival, bringing in more people, more bands, and more fun.
OK Go
Known not only for their music, but also for their creativity, making videos, a Grammy nomination for their album design, and their overall kind spirit, OK Go had festival goers eager to see the kind of show they would put on. All around, you could hear people talking about “the treadmill video,” referring to the music video for their song “Here It Goes Again,” where the band impressively dances on moving treadmills, and “the airplane video”, referring to the “Upside Down & Inside Out” music video where the band seems to defy gravity.
Playing on the Right Field stage during daytime hours, even without the unique visuals they are known for, the band put on a stellar performance. Taking breaks between songs to connect with the crowd, lead singer Damian Kulash would ask the crowd if they had any questions forthe band. Poking fun, we learned the correct answer to “what’s your favorite potato?” is a fried potato and not a potato salad. OK Go took the stage for an hour, but made time fly with their engaging presence and their casual, but cool demeanor.
Cage The Elephant
Cage the Elephant released the beast with their high-energy performance, a burst of electricity that had the crowd moving every part of their bodies to the beat. Despite the sun setting and temperatures cooling, lead singer Matt Schultz strutted the stage in his sunglasses, proving there truly is “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” with each headbang. Taunting the crowd a bit by saying the band was in the middle of recording a new record, Schultz hoped not to mess up the lyrics to the popular songs the fans have fallen in love with over the years. The vocals were effortless, even as the members flew around the stage, releasing contagious energy and an undeniable urge to completely let go in the music.
Closing out the set with two of their most popular songs, “Cigarette Daydreams” and “Come a Little Closer”, the sea of people under the lights stretched far beyond the main stage area, and no one was leaving early due to not wanting to miss a single second of the performance. The band left attendees wanting more and increased anticipation for the release of the next album.
Myles Smith
As the stage lights lit up the night sky, Myles Smith took the stage with a different tempo and sound than the previous bands that had played throughout Friday night. Coming all the way from Luton, England, Smith drew in a crowd that swarmed the Right Field stage, opening with his hit song, “Wait For You”. Smith’s set brought a sense of comfort and belonging as he made it a point to take a long pause from his singing to speak on loneliness, depression, and the people who help us get through it. Thanking his band for their backing during his times of hopelessness, he performed “River”, a song he wrote just for them. During his song “Little By Little”, Smith had everyone in the crowd who had ever felt lonely or depressed raise the flashlight on their phone. As the darkness gave way to light, he reminded the crowd to support one another and seek help. Closing out the set with his hit song, “Stargazing”, the crowd left the performance feeling a little warmth on a cool night.
Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons fans got the pleasure of celebrating with the band on Friday night, as it marked the day of release of their newest album, Prizefighter. On the occasion of their 6th album release, Mumford & Sons have proven that their music will be loved for generations to come. With smooth vocals from Marcus Mumford and chilling harmonies in every song, each song made you feel something a little deeper. Playing a mix of new songs, such as “Here” and “The Banjo Song,” and songs that skyrocketed them to the headlining stage, their performance was one that everyone should make a point to see. With joy beaming from every part of their bodies, the band did more than just play songs; they painted a picture of stories with their lyrics. Hearing “Little Lion Man” played live is almost magical as Mumford & Sons flawlessly moved around the stage, belting the words. While wishing the show would never end, the band closed out with “I Will Wait”. After the festival lineup was announced in September 2025, Mumford & Sons was well worth the five-month wait.
Lord Huron
Another highly anticipated artist, Lord Huron, drew in the largest crowd at the Right Field stage on Saturday night. Ben Schneider took every opportunity to own the stage and give attendees a show well worth their money. Bringing on stage a phone booth that you probably have not even thought about its existence in many years, Schneider began his set with the phone during “Who Laughs Last” and went on to perform “Wait by the River,” singing the entire song into the telephone. The performance delivered a deliberately muffled sound to the music, and onlookers went crazy for it. Lord Huron’s entire performance had a passion that was only electrified by the crowd, which continued even as the music slowed during the hit song, “The Night We Met”. Many eyes closed in the crowd as the beginning notes to “The Night We Met” started, and people felt the beat deep in their souls. Despite its slower tempo, the crowd screamed the lyrics to the song they clearly felt connected to.
Twenty One Pilots
The anticipation for the Saturday night headliner grew as their performance time approached. As you looked around, people rushed to the stage to get the best spot, fans hyped up their friends who had waited so long to see the duo, and individuals of all ages showed up, proving that Twenty One Pilots has created music that reaches across generations. From the first note that rang through the speakers, it was clear this was going to be a special performance. Literally jumping out on stage in ski masks, Josh Dun and his partner-in-crime, Tyler Joseph opened up their set with “Overcompensate,” immediately moving into their next song, “The Contract”. Dun proved very quickly that he was not there just to stand and sing when he handed a board to the crowd and jumped onto it to perform. Looking unfazed as he put his safety in the hands of strangers, he continued his performance, eliciting a euphoric feeling. The song ended with Dun back on stage and the duo dramatically pulling off the ski masks, singing, “but now I plead, just take the deal; I promised you a contract”, seemingly creating a visual to the meaning of the song about a person feeling trapped in their own head.
Twenty One Pilots is no stranger to making hit music, performing songs that reached many through the radio, such as “Heathens”, “Stressed Out”, and “Jumpsuit”. Dun and Joseph left everything on the stage, leaving the fans with their music stuck in their heads as they exited the gates and flooded into the streets at the end of night two.
Bowling For Soup
Providing comedic relief between their songs, Bowling for Soup had the crowd laughing until their bellies hurt. People were loving their inappropriate jokes and jokes poking fun at themselves, calling themselves the greatest band of all time, congratulating themselves on singing two songs in a row, and posing for a “photo op” on each side of the stage. While they performed their hit songs, “Almost” and “Ohio,” the band made it very clear that their top song is one you would not have expected. As the crowd yelled out “1985” with confidence to answer what song is their biggest hit, Jaret Reddick, corrected them quickly as he proudly announced their most popular track is the Phineas and Ferb theme song – a hit cartoon that ran on Disney Channel for 9 years and is now again making its way back to television. A moment later, the guitar was strumming, and Reddick was singing, “there’s another hundred and four days of summer vacation…” and the millennials in the crowd went wild. Finally, they gave the fans what they were waiting for, closing out the set with “1985,” a 2004 song that still brings so much joy to people in 2026.
Sublime
Another band that has been around for decades, Sublime, had fans wondering what it will offer them since the passing of lead singer, Bradley Nowell, in 1996, The band being inactive since the singer’s passing, reunited with Nowell’s son, Jakob Nowell in 2023, bring live music from the band back to the stage for the first time in almost 30 years. While no one will ever compare to Bradley Nowell’s original vocals, Jakob proved he is more than worthy of stepping into his father’s position as lead vocalist. Bringing to life the band’s hit songs again, such as “Doin’ Time”, “What I’ve Got”, and “Santeria”, Sublime fans were drawn back to the 90s, where it truly felt like “living’s easy”. Sublime was a force to be reckoned with back in the 90s and is on a mission to prove they still are one of the best.
Blink-182
As the festival drew to a close and Blink-182 was the last band to take the main stage, a sense of nostalgia hung in the air as excitement grew for the performance. Innings Fest was the band’s first performance of the year, and to everyone’s surprise, also their last. Mark Hoppus gripped the mic as he told everyone the performance they were seeing was the only performance they would see this year. Blink-182 fans will now have to wait at least another year before seeing the band live again, with no indication of when they may actually be back on stage. Tom Delonge, vocalist and guitarist for the band, rejoined the group in 2022 after stepping away for 7 years. DeLonge’s rejoining of the group ignited enthusiasm in fans as Blink announced they would be going back on tour. With Blink-182 t-shirts flooding the festival grounds on Sunday, it was clear everyone was more than ready to hear the songs they grew up with from the band.
Running out on stage to their 2003 hit, “Feeling This”, Blink was ready to close out the festival with a bang. Headbangers everywhere started throwing their heads and punching up the rock n’ roll symbol with their hands into the sky. Their well-known songs, “I Miss You”, “What’s My Name Again”, and “All The Small Things” hit differently for those who grew up in the early 2000s looking up to the band. Blink-182 showed that over 25 years later, their music is still a staple on everyone’s playlist and will continue to be for another 25+ years, whether or not the band returns to live shows after the year is over.
As the Sunday scaries hit and the festival grounds closed for the last time for the weekend, festival goers made their way out, reliving an epic three days of live performances. Three nights of losing yourself in the music, celebrating your home baseball team, and creating memories with friends that will last long past the weekend, Innings Fest is a place for everyone. After another successful year and its first three-day run, the anticipation is high to see what Innings Fest brings to Tempe next year.
