Major Events

Final Four 2024

April 5-8, 2024

Phoenix hosted the 2024 NCAA Men'sFinal Four, marking the second time the event has been held in Arizona! A week full of events shined a light on all the many capabilities of the City of Phoenix when it comes to hosting mega events. 

The Men's Final Four Fan Fest® was hosted at The Phoenix Convention Center in downtown Phoenix and the Men's Final Four Music Fest® ​was hosted at Margaret T. Hance Park. ​​​​Fans of all ages had the opportunity to engage with the multiple NCAA Men's Final Four® activations across the City allowing them to view exciting championship highlights and enjoy amazing activations offered by the NCAA Corporate Champions and Partners!

Here's a look at the impact of the 2024 NCAA Men's Final Four on Phoenix: 

• $429 million in economic impact
• $256.9 million in total contribution to Arizona's GDP
• 3,374 jobs created
• 114,984 out-of-state visitors
• 119,734 attendees to events in downtown Phoenix
  
• More than 130,000 people used Light Rail 
• Sky Harbor International Airport saw more than 365,000 passengers screened over the April 5-9 weekend, and screened nearly 175,000 bags
• 2,173 members of the media were in attendance for the festivities 
• ​Waste Diversion Rate: 94.2% , with over 51 tons diverted

Super Bowl LVII

February 12, 2023

Phoenix was the home of Super Bowl LVII in 2023, making it the fourth time the event has been held in Arizona. Sitting on the stage for the world to see, Arizona displayed multiple events throughout multiple cities, however Phoenix was sure to shine! With the big game being held in Glendale, Phoenix was proud to host the Super Bowl Experience presented by Lowe's at the PHX Convention Center, the Super Bowl Experience presented by Lowe's at Margaret T. Hance Park and for the first time in history the Super Bowl Watch Party presented by Verizon. Super Bowl LVII marked the most successful Super Bowl in history, with an economic impact of $1.3 billion. ​

The list continues of amazing satellite events held in Phoenix such as:

• NFL Honors​
• NFL Media Center 
• NFL Official Team Shop
• ​NFL Opening Night and Concerts

​Here's a look at the impact of Super Bowl LVII on Phoenix: 

• $1.3 billion in overall economic impact​
• $726 million in total contribution to Arizona GDP
• 10,459 jobs created
• 102,598 out-of-state visitors​
• $2.1 million donated to Arizona non-profits through Super Bowl Legacy Grant program
• 250,000 people used Light Rail during the weekends Phoenix had Super Bowl activations
• ​200,000 flights in and out on February 13, roughly 50,000 more than Sky Harbor International Airport saw the day after Super Bowl in 2015
• More than 6,000 media credentials were issued to local, national, and international members of the media who were on hand to cover the game, press conferences and related stories
• More than 350,000 people attended official Super Bowl events in downtown Phoenix 
• Waste ​​Diversion Rate: 92.61%

Lost Lake Festival

October 20-22, 2017

Lost Lake Festival was a three-day celebration of music, culinary, games, and art. The event was held at Steele Indian School Park. The festival featured more than 40 national and local musical acts on multiple stages. The festival highlighted the Valley’s vibrant food and drink scene with offerings from local restaurants. There were games, a marketplace, and the Lost Playground—a unique twist on games and sports.

• Approx. 45,000 attendees
• 1,393 rooms booked by Lost Lake staff, performers, workers, and vendors
• 800 million media impressions
• $42 average attendee spending on merchandise

NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four

March 31 and April 1-3, 2017

Phoenix successfully hosted this four-day celebration of student-athletes, basketball and the spirit of collegiate athletics. Satellite events included Final Four Fan Fest at the PHX Convention Center a 3-day March Madness Music Festival at Hance Park, and Final Four Dribble in the heart of downtown Phoenix. 

• Approx. 60,000 visitors, stayed more than four nights on average
• 2,200 credentialed media members, record for a Final Four
• 60 million social media impressions
• Approx. 400,000 people visited downtown, including 135,000 to March Madness Music Festival at Hance Park
• Phoenix Convention Center: 50,000 people attended FanFest
• Nearly 18,000 additional hotel rooms and more than $17 million in added hotel room revenue for the Phoenix region (Source: Visit Phoenix)
• 275,000 Light Rail riders for the week, second-highest weekly total after Super Bowl
• 67,000 departing passengers on departure Tuesday, second-highest after Super Bowl at Sky Harbor International Airport
• Waste Diversion Rate: 91%
• $300,000 in legacy grants – Harmon Park basketball court, Harmon Library FitPHX Active Workstation

College Football Playoff (CFP)

January 8-10, 2016

Thousands of people came to Phoenix for the College Football Playoff Championship game. Other Championship Campus satellite events included: Playoff Fan Central at PHX Convention Center and PlayOff PlayList Live, Extra Yard 5K, and the Taste of the Championship. 

• Approx. 65,000 visitors, stayed nearly four nights on average
• More than 600 credentialed media members
• Approx. 200,000 people visited downtown Championship Campus
• Phoenix Convention Center: approx. 45,000 people attended Playoff Fan Central and downtown music concert series
• More than 20,000 additional hotel rooms and nearly $9 million in added hotel room revenue for the Phoenix region (Source: Visit Phoenix)
• 127,000 Light Rail riders Saturday before the game; record Saturday ridership
• 58,000 departing passengers on departure Tuesday at Sky Harbor International Airport
  
• Waste Diversion Rate: 82%

Superbowl XLIX Football

January 30-31 & February 1, 2015

Phoenix was thrilled to be part of Arizona's third Super Bowl in 2015. This event brought worldwide exposure to the city. Besides the big game, satellite events included the NFL Experience at the PHX Convention Center, and Super Bowl Central that hosted concerts and activities downtown. 

• Approx. 122,000 visitors, stayed nearly four nights on average
• More than 5,000 credentialed media members
• More than 1 million people attended downtown Phoenix Super Bowl Central
• 177,000 people attended Super Bowl-related events, largest event ever at Phoenix Convention Center
• Nearly 66,000 additional hotel rooms and nearly $52 million in added hotel room revenue for the Phoenix region (Source: Visit Phoenix)
• 390,000 Light Rail riders for the week – highest ever
• 70,000 departing passengers on departure Monday – Sky Harbor record
• 73% waste diversion rate (downtown Super Bowl Central)
• City of Phoenix received $25,000 for FitPHX and Library reading programs​​