The biggest weekend in Australian basketball history just got even bigger.
Announced today, electropop star Hayden James will play at the RAC Arena at HoopsFest this September.
Performing from a multi-levelled courtside ‘Boombox’, James will light up the NBL Championship Series rematch between Melbourne United and Tasmania JackJumpers on Thursday, September 19th, to kick off the inaugural HoopsFest, before doing it all again to finish the Perth festival with a bang during the final on-court matchup on Sunday, September 22nd.
Take a look at below to get an idea of what the ‘Boombox’ will look like – DJ staging coming to basketball in a big way.
James is excited about taking part in HoopsFest.
“Every time I play in Perth there’s always great energy! I’m looking forward to being a part of the first ever HoopsFest and showcasing some of my new music from my upcoming album We Could Be Love from the Boombox,” he shares.
James announced his latest album last month, with the record set to drop on Friday, September 13th.
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The Sydney-born, LA-based electronic music producer collaborates with a host of talented artists on We Could Be Love, including Karen Harding, Izzy Bizu, Ross Quinn, Tudor, and Kormak.
James’ third album features the single “Deep Diving”, a collaboration with UK artist SHELLS.
“I’ve always wanted to work with SHELLS, and coincidentally, the reference for this track was ‘Just a Lover’, which turned eight, two days before this release. ‘Deep Diving’ sounds like a Hayden record and I think works really well off the back of ‘Make It’. It was hard for us to pick which direction we were going to go with.. so we leaned into the DNA of Hayden,” James said about the track.
SHELLS added: “‘Deep Diving’ is about surrendering to a feeling without resistance, it’s about acceptance and healing. I love working with Hayden, we’ve wanted to release music together for years. I’m really excited to have this song together!”
The ‘Boombox’ will also be in place for Friday night’s WNBL/NBL double header, with more details to be announced soon.
“It’s an awesome design. It’s going to be a cool experience watching from the lower bowl or upper deck during the game and then after we’re going to put on an awesome show for the fans,” James adds.
“I’m a hoops fan and it’s been crazy to see the talent come in and out of the league over the past few years and I’m looking forward to the 24/25 season.”
NBL Chief Fans, Club and Strategy Officer, Anthony Everard, shares: “The additions of the RAC Arena Boombox and Hayden James will help elevate the HoopsFest experience to another level.
“HoopsFest will unite all elements of basketball, with entertainment and music being crucial to that. We want to ensure fans attending HoopsFest have an experience like no other and one that is different to their regular NBL game day.
“The Boombox will be a once in a lifetime experience and allow fans to indulge in one of the most unique ways to enjoy an NBL game. Award-winning artist and DJ Hayden James will bring a great vibe and energy to the stadium, and fans are encouraged to buy their ticket to the Boombox early to avoid disappointment and experience everything HoopsFest has to offer.”
The biggest weekend in Australian basketball history, as it’s being dubbed, features all NBL and WNBL teams together in the same place at the same time for Round One of the Hungry Jack’s NBL Season, a Cygnett WNBL Tournament, the Foot Locker U18 Australian Club Championships, Sneakerland, an interactive fan zone, and other music, food and entertainment.
Tickets to James’ HoopsFest set are available from 1pm AEST today, July 31st. Find ticket information here.
James is set to be very busy on the touring front in the coming months. He heads to Ibiza and Barcelona for a string of European summer appearances in August, followed by an extensive run across North America to close out the year. You can find James’ tour information here.
Hayden James’ We Could Be Love is out Friday, September 13th via Future Classic (pre-save/pre-order here).
