Michael Rubin really couldn’t help himself.
The Fanatics founder is bringing Fanatics Fest, an immersive sports festival, to New York City’s Javits Center from Aug. 16-18.
While his Fourth of July white party in the Hamptons nearly broke the internet, Rubin was focused on his next big event in tandem with Fanatics Events CEO Lance Fensterman.
“Let’s keep it real, you gotta leverage the relationships out of it,” he said. “There’s not another company that could pull this off because they don’t have the relationships with athletes in different businesses and leagues.”
Rubin is known for his close relationships with NFL stars and athletes alike, such as Tom Brady, Derek Jeter and Patriots owner Robert Kraft – all of whom attended his July 4th bash in at his three-story mansion in the Hamptons.
Brady and Jeter are set to attend Fanatics Fest NYC, where sports, culture and collecting collide across multiple sports leagues — including the NBA, WNBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS, UFC and WWE.
The three-day festival will feature appearances from dozens of pro athletes and celebrities, some of whom will participate in panels, conversations, activations and more.
JAY-Z’s iconic The 40/40 Club will be reimagined for an exclusive lounge experience in partnership with Fanatics Sportsbook — which will be open to an invite-only list of athletes, celebrities, and Fanatics Sportsbook VIP customers attending Fanatics Fest NYC.
ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith will sit down with Brady for a no holds barred conversation — and David Ortiz and Derek Jeter will take the stage for a one-on-one discussion.
New York stars including Eli Manning Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, Henrik Lundqvist, Sabrina Ionescu, Carmelo Anthony, Pete Alonso, Hideki Matsui and Andy Pettitte are all confirmed to attend.
Just 14 months ago, Rubin had a vision to develop the most unique fan experience and called Fensterman, who leads Fanatics Events division, to help make Fanatics Fest come to life.
“And then we launched an event with the WWE, our first ‘WWE world,’ which was a five-day fan festival surrounding WrestleMania in Philadelphia earlier this year [April],” Fensterman told The Post, explaining that it was sort of a blueprint for executing Fanatics Fest.
“Fifty-thousand people came out for WWE,” Rubin said in a joint interview. “We pulled that off in about six weeks planning, which we normally would need six months. That was April.
“We then turned our focus to building out Fanatics Fest in NYC, and normally this is about a year-long process. But we were going to do it in about five months because we’re just super charged.”
“WWE World” became the highest-grossing and most-attended fan event in WWE history.
WWE superstars and legends will be at Fanatics Fest — including Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Hulk Hogan, Paul Heyman, Jey Uso, Charlotte Flair and Rey Mysterio Jr. — taking photos and signing autographs.
Fensterman, who joined Fanatics Events at its inception in July 2023, brings nearly two decades of experience building the world’s premier live and digital pop culture events, including New York Comic Con, Complex Con and Star Wars Celebration.
New York was the obvious choice for the first-ever Fanatics Fest, Rubin said, adding that more special guests and announcements are coming.
Mike Tyson will make an appearance at the event ahead of his fight with Jake Paul, which was rescheduled for Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
“I’d say right now we probably announced 70 percent of what’s happening, but the other 30 percent is probably some of the sexiest 30 percent,” said Rubin, who will lead a conversation with rapper Travis Scott.
“We have seven different top music artists. We’re bringing the music. Don’t be surprised if you see them doing the skills challenges and some pretty crazy s–t happening during the weekend.
“… But getting big names like Ben Stiller and Spike Lee, some of this stuff comes from people just being so excited about this. We’re still getting phone calls every day [from stars] saying, ‘Hey can I do this? How can I be a part of it?’”
Beyond the New York-centric athletes, the event will host many of the biggest names in sports and culture, including Brady; two-time NBA Champion Kevin Durant, alongside his sports, media and entertainment brand, Boardroom; Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning; and more.
Others set to attend include Auston Matthews, Anthony Edwards, Reggie Jackson, Allen Iverson, Lawrence Taylor, Michael Vick, Jerry Rice, Paul Pierce, Jack Hughes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Quavo and Gary Vaynerchuk.
“I think 70 percent of the people that came to the white party will come through [Fanatics Fest]. That’s what we’re expecting,” Rubin said.
Fans attending Fanatics Fest NYC will have the chance to meet their sports heroes live, hunt for rare cards and memorabilia (with 300-plus hobby shops), score exclusive drops, shop for limited edition merchandise and participate in interactive experiences — such as running the 40-yard dash, a UFC Striking Challenge, MLB Home Run Derby, NHL Slapshot Competition and Penalty Kick Challenge.
It will feature brands including Topps, Mitchell & Ness, Lids, PWCC and Fanatics Sportsbook and Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) — and more are set to be added.
Fans can also expect major announcements, live podcasts and more to celebrate and elevate modern sports fandom in all its forms.
Tickets are now on sale at http://www.fanaticsfest.com with prices ranging between $20-$400. General Admission Adult tickets will be $50 for each day.