Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Announces Aly Raisman & Simone Biles Debut, Festival Coming To Houston

Sports Illustrated will celebrate the launch of its 2017 swimsuit issue with a two-day music, food and culture festival, “Vibes” by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, to be held in Houston, Feb. 17–18.

The first-of-its-kind event will feature live performances by Grammy Award-winning artists Diplo and Miguel, a food festival curated by Houston’s James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd and special appearances by the models of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Class of 2017.

Taking over Post HTX in downtown Houston, “Vibes” will kick off on Friday with an open-to-the-public meet-and-greet, giving fans a chance to meet the models and experience the world of SI Swimsuit. The ticketed portion of the event will begin that evening with a food festival featuring favorites from well-known national and regional chefs Chris Shepherd, Underbelly; Hugh Acheson, Five & Ten, The National, Empire State South and The Florence; Graham Elliot, Graham Elliot Bistro; Terrence Gallivan and Seth Siegel Gardner, The Pass & Provisions, and Tyson Cole, Uchi and UchiKo. Day one will culminate with a VIP performance by R&B sensation Miguel. The festival lineup continues Saturday with local Houston musicians, followed by headliner Diplo.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring the SI Swimsuit experience to America’s fourth-largest city less than two weeks after the Super Bowl, the biggest event in sports, takes place in Houston,” said MJ Day, SI Swim editor. “This year’s ‘Vibes’ event will be an all-new and expanded experience, offering fans a cultural festival that spotlights not only the amazing stars of the iconic swimsuit issue, but the best in food, music and more.”

Making this issue extra special, Olympic Gold Medalists Simone Biles and Aly Raisman make their SI Swimsuit debut in the 2017 issue. Biles, who lives and trains in the Houston area, and Raisman, were photographed by James Macari at the World Champions Center, the North Houston Skate Park and the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden.

“Houston is thrilled to be the home of the 2017 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit launch and music, food and culture festival,” said Mike Waterman, president of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. “As the culinary and cultural capital of the South, we think this event is a perfect opportunity to work with an iconic brand like Sports Illustrated to showcase Houston to the world.”

“Vibes” by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit caps off launch week of the 2017 edition. Earlier in the week, SI Swimsuit will reveal this year’s highly anticipated special content, including the 2017 cast of models, cover star, issue debut, a live-stream red-carpet launch party in New York and more.

The inaugural “Vibes” festival is the latest live event offering from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. In the past two years, SI Swimsuit has held launch week fan festivals in New York City, Miami and Nashville, attracting more than 100,000 fans. In 2016, Sports Illustrated also hosted the inaugural “Summer of Swim” festival and concert at on the iconic Coney Island Boardwalk.

Official presenting partners of the 2017 “Vibes” by SI Swimsuit festival include Lexus, DirecTV Now and Edge. Tickets for “Vibes” by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit are available for purchase at SI.com/SwimsuitVibes.

TICKET PRICES

VIP All Access (Friday & Saturday): $250

VIP Friday: $150

VIP Saturday: $150

General Admission Saturday: $35