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An aerial dance group that will perform on the side of Salesforce Tower and local band Huckleberry Funk are the latest additions to the entertainment lineup planned for Monument Circle this weekend, where a concert stage took shape Monday, a week before the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Leading up to the Jan. 10 game featuring the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia at Lucas Oil Stadium, free concerts starring rapper Doja Cat, rock duo Twenty One Pilots and country-pop singer Sam Hunt will be presented on the north side of the Circle.
Newly added to the Jan. 8-9 shows is aerial dance group Bandaloop. Six dancers from the California-based Bandaloop troupe will perform on the side of Salesforce Tower before each night’s headlining musicians.
Members of the crowd will look toward the city’s tallest building to view aerial choreography as dancers descend from the 49th floor to the 23rd floor.
The performances by Doja Cat, Twenty One Pilots and Sam Hunt are planned as rain-or-shine events. Bandaloop’s performances are subject to weather conditions, but producer Thomas Cavanagh said the dancers have experience in cold and warm climates.
“We have performed all over the world from the Arctic to the equator, on skyscrapers, iconic bridges, and cliff formations,” Cavanagh said in a statement. “We are looking forward to this special performance in Indianapolis to celebrate some of the most talented college athletes in the country.”
The championship football game will be played inside. The latest forecast for Jan. 8-10 calls for temperatures ranging from 16 to 42 degrees and scattered rain, according to The Weather Channel.
Ryan Allen Hill, director of public events for the College Football Playoff, said organizers plan to “lean in” to whatever weather accompanies the open-air concerts.
“It’s not a problem,” he said. “We know fans will show up, no matter what.”
Hill met with reporters Monday afternoon on the Circle, where a crew of 100 worked to build the stage.
If concert attendees are feeling adventurous, a “Flywire” zipline will be set up for rides on the west side of the Circle. The east side of the Circle will be home to the “Touchdown Bag Jump,” where adults will climb 25 feet to jump down to a large airbag (minors will climb 15 feet before jumping). The Flywire and Touchdown Bag Jump are free attractions.
Indianapolis band Huckleberry Funk and Philadelphia singer Pink Sweats are new additions to the concert lineups. On Jan. 8, Doja Cat, AJR and Pink Sweats will perform on a bill that’s scheduled from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. On Jan. 9, Twenty One Pilots, Ava Max and Huckleberry Funk will perform on a similar schedule. Sam Hunt and Breland will perform Jan. 10 as part of a daytime show scheduled noon to 5 p.m.
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Indy tends to set the standard on planning for large scale events.Nobody thought Indy could get a Super bowl, let alone pull it off and get recognized as one of the best Super Bowls every.Now other cities are imitating everything Indy does at our events.Indy was the first to have a Zipline downtown for the Super Bowl,now other cities are adding this to their events.INDY always does an excellent job of performing above expectations, no matter the weather or any other factor.