February 5, 2015
The NBA’s best players won’t be the only ones performing around New York City during All-Star weekend. Alongside the slew of events taking place at Madison Square Garden and Brooklyn’s Barclays Center between February 13 and 15, Puff Daddy, Snoop Dogg, Meek Mill and Shaquille O’Neal will all take the stage across some of Manhattan’s most notorious venues.
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The weekend will kick off with a joint concert from Puff Daddy and Snoop Dogg at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, February 12. Presented by New York’s Hot 97 FM, “The Tip-Off” concert will be hosted by the radio station’s cast, including Ebro, Laura Stylez, Rosenberg and DJ Funk Flex. With hip-hop royalty in the building, the average price for The Tip-Off tickets on TicketIQ is currently $135.74 and the get-in price starts at $60.
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Also performing in Manhattan on Thursday is Meek Mill, who takes over the Best Buy Theatre in Times Square. Power 105 has stated that Mill will perform alongside “friends” in the heart of Times Square, though no additional artists have been announced yet. The average price for Meek Mill tickets at the Best Buy Theatre is $126.60 and get-in price starts at $118.
Mill will also take over Webster Hall on Sunday, February 15 with a show in the Grand Ballroom. Being called “The Biggest Event Ever”, the show will also feature performances from Jeezy, Troy Ave, Yo Gotti and Fabolous. Tickets average $145.33 on the secondary market and the show’s cheapest ticket starts at $131.
A free concert featuring Rihanna will be held at the Flatiron Public Plaza, adjacent from Madison Square Park on Thursday. The concert is only schedule to last 45 minutes, but upwards of 10,000 people are expected to attend.
In what has become an annual event, former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal brings his All-Star Comedy Jam to New York City’s Beacon Theatre for two shows on Friday, February 13.
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Featuring comedic performances from DeRay Davis, Bill Bellamy, Michael Blackson and Robert Powell, this year’s Comedy Jam will serve as the most expensive All-Star weekend event on the secondary market outside of All-Star Saturday Night in Brooklyn and the All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden.
All-Star Comedy Jam tickets for the 7:30pm show have a secondary market average of $262.28 and have a $129 get-in price. The 10:30pm show currently has an average price of $312.10 and its cheapest seat is listed at $147 on the secondary market. Both shows will be hosted by longtime Comedy Jam participant Earthquake.
Friday’s Comedy Jam will precede All-Star Saturday Night at the Barclays Center, which will feature the Skills Competition, 3-Point Shootout and Slam Dunk Contest. All-Star Saturday night tickets own an average price of $1,710.09 and get-in price is $443. Splash Brothers Steph Curry and Klay Thompson highlight the 3-Point Contest while hometown hero and Nets big man Mason Plumlee looks to keep the Slam Dunk title in Brooklyn.
Perhaps the most anticipated event is the All-Star game itself on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. The game has seen a noticeable drop in average ticket price on the secondary market since Monday, falling nearly 50% from $3,273.78 to its current price of $1,640.53. Fans won’t get in cheap despite the price decline, however, as the game’s cheapest seat is now listed at $644.
There will be plenty of options around the Big Apple when the All-Star Game festivities begin next weekend. From hip-hop shows to comedy specials, the wandering fan can attend some of the biggest events New York City will host this year, all within a short commute of one another.
