Super Bowl king Travis Kelce wants you to fight for your right to party at his new music festival called Kelly Jam.
The NFL star announced Tuesday that the festival will take place on April 28 at Kansas City’s Azura Amphitheater during the NFL draw, as thousands of football fans visit the city for the big sporting event. Artists include Machine Gun Kelly, Rick Ross, Loud Luxury and Tech N9ne.
“We’re going to host the biggest music festival Kansas City has ever seen,” the 33-year-old said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“I talk a lot about fighting for your right to party. I’ve been saying that for a while. I think it’s the perfect time,” continues Kelce, who references the Beastie Boys classic “Fight for Your Right” during team celebrations. “I wanted to be able to give Kansas City something because of how much they support us, and also just give it a blast for the 2022 season.”
Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl in February by beating the Philadelphia Eagles. The tight end won his first Super Bowl in 2020 when the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers.
Fans can register online at KelceJam.com for presale tickets, which start at $49.99 and go on sale Friday. In addition to music, the inaugural event includes Kansas City restaurants such as Joe’s BBQ and Q39, as well as custom cocktails and interactive brand activations. To produce the festival, Kelce teamed up with Medium Rare, the company behind major pre-Super Bowl events such as Shaq’s Fun House with Shaquille O’Neal, Gronk Beach with Rob Gronkowski, Sports Illustrated The Party and Guy’s Flavortown Tailgate with Guy Fieri.
Kelce says music is one of his greatest loves and listening to his favorite artists helps him prepare for on-field competitions.
“A lot of the music I listen to consistently is probably just music from my childhood. Music that got me going as a kid,” he says. “Outkast has a song called ‘SpottieOttieDopaliscious’ that my high school marching band used to play, so that song is special to me. It reminds me of when I was a high school student and this was all just a big dream. There are certain numbers that I have [listened to] that I like to hold on to all my life, and they just mean a little bit more to me.
He’s also a big fan of live music, which is one of the reasons he put together Kelce Jam. His first concert? Guitar Killer John Mayer.
“It was incredible, man,” Kelce recalls. “What that man can do, in terms of voice and guitar man, it blew my mind, man. Absolutely blew me away.
Kelce admits he’s not musically inclined – “I didn’t get that gift, no, but I’m a good listener and I feel good” – but he’s got the acting bug, especially after his successful hosting period on Saturday Night Live last month.
“It’s such a cool experience to be part of,” he says. “Everyone involved was just so amazing, so down to earth and really made that week something I will remember for the rest of my life. I loved doing it. I would do it again if I ever get the chance.”
Since then, Hollywood has been calling.
“Oh yeah, sure,” he says of people reaching for different opportunities. “I haven’t agreed to anything or jumped on anything yet, but I think I’d love to get into the scripted world of comedy. It probably won’t go too far beyond that, but you never know. We’ll see where this life takes me, man.”
