Jay-Z is getting back into his Empire State of mind.
The rapper’s 40/40 Club, which closed last year, is popping up at a New York City festival this summer before it officially reopens in 2025. The swanky bar will be an exclusive lounge experience at Fanatics Fest NYC, taking place at the Javits Center from August 16 to 18. It’ll give VIPs the opportunity to immerse themselves in the iconic venue prior to its official relaunch next year.
The Fanatics Fest pop-up will bring the best of the club back to life for the weekend. The invite-only space will include framed jerseys from the 40/40 archive, massive chandeliers, stadium seating, food inspired by the original menu, premium drinks, and more. A collaboration with Fanatics Sportsbook, the 40/40 Club will be open to athletes, celebs, and VIP customers in attendance at the festival.
Jay-Z opened the original 40/40 Club back in 2003, alongside Juan Perez and Desiree Perez. Named after the small group of baseball players who have hit 40 home runs and stolen 40 bases in a single season, the club quickly became an N.Y.C. hot spot. Athletes, of course, hit up the nightclub, as did the who’s who of early-aughts New York. LeBron James celebrated his birthday there, for example, while J. Cole hosted a mixtape-release party.
After undergoing a $10 million renovation, the club reopened in 2012, and it stuck around for another decade before shuttering last year. Initially, the new location was scheduled to open in February, but the date has since been pushed back to 2025. Until then, the closest we might get is the Fanatics Fest pop-up.
The festival is the first-of-its-kind immersive sports gathering, where you can meet a slew of big-name athletes, find rare memorabilia, and participate in interactive experiences like running the NFL’s 40-yard dash or smashing baseballs like they do during the MLB’s Home Run Derby. And just as the 40/40 Club attracted the hottest athletes, Fanatics Fest is doing the same: Everyone from Tom Brady to Derek Jeter to Sabrina Ionescu will be in attendance later this summer.
While the 40/40 Club is accessible by invitation only, tickets to the festival are available starting at $50 for adults. For the full 40/40 Club experience, though, we still have to wait until next year to see how Jay-Z has reimagined his iconic nightclub.
