All right, Hawks Fans—Put your hands together for game day. With a huge fan base and of the nicest arenas in the world, the Atlanta Hawks have a more than a few things going for them. From the halftime performances by local artists to their involvement outside of playing the game, this basketball team is staying "True to Atlanta."
Atlanta native and rapper Jeezy performed during the Atlanta Hawks halftime show at State Farm Arena. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ATLANTA HAWKS
You’re in the stadium, a roaring crowd engulfing you while the Atlanta Hawks (@atlhawks) hype video plays on the massive video board’s LED screens in the center of it all. You feel the heat of the fire from the pyrotechnics on the basketball hoops as the players are announced one by one. Sound familiar? Of course it does, because no one does game day quite like the Atlanta Hawks. From hosting local performers like Jeezy, Goodie Mob and T.I. to putting on a game-day experience unlike any other, it’s safe to say this isn’t State Farm Arena’s first rodeo.
The Hawks pride themselves on their mantra, “True to Atlanta,” a saying that is all too true and evident in their support of artists in the area as they are welcomed to come perform during halftime on game days. Atlanta Hawks’ chief marketing officer, Melissa Proctor, found her way to Atlanta after graduating from college. “Atlanta is the creative cultural capital of the nation—especially from the film, music and entertainment industry standpoint,” Proctor says. “For us, at the Atlanta Hawks, to represent this city and be ‘True to Atlanta,’ the creative community is a big part of that.” As an organization, the Atlanta Hawks have always supported both established and rising artists in many different ways, including having Lil Nas X and Omeretta the Great, as well as rising artists such as Domani and Baby, perform at games; 2 Chainz coming on as a part owner of their College Park Skyhawks team; and Latto and Metro Boomin on “Talon Takeovers” with their NBA 2K team.
CeeLo Green’s Goodie Mob performed during the Atlanta Hawks halftime show at State Farm Arena PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ATLANTA HAWKS
As one of the top arenas in the world, State Farm Arena strives to bring different genres of music and entertainment to Atlanta. “In addition to performances, we are always looking for unique ways to partner with artists. Whether through our Hawks schedule releases, our social content, innovative merchandise collaborations or voice-over work in our creative campaigns, partnering with rising artists in the city is a really important part of our brand,” she says. These performances not only please a crowd, but elevate the overall fan experience as well. “We know that it really is impactful for our fans to get a glimpse of their favorite artists while also coming to the game and having a great night out,” shares Proctor. “These performances keep the energy up in the arena, in preparation for the team getting back on the court.”
T.I. and son Domani with Atlanta Hawks mascot Harry the Hawk pre-performance. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ATLANTA HAWKS
Stellar performances and a one-of-a-kind game-day experience aren’t the only things at play in the arena. In April 2022, Green Business Certification Inc., the world’s leading sustainability and health certification and credentialing body, announced that State Farm Arena earned TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Platinum certification. With this achievement, State Farm Arena became the world’s first and only sports and live entertainment venue to receive TRUE certification. Since May 2021, the venue has consistently diverted a minimum of 90% of all waste from landfills. So, we don’t know about you, but we’ve been convinced—see you on game day.
Photography by: Atlanta Hawks
