2 music icons to perform when X Games comes to Utah
Apr 30, 2025, 6:00 AM
Ska punk icons Sublime will perform at X Games Salt Lake City on June 28, event organizers announced on Tuesday. Electronic music artist Deadmau5 will also perform on the three-day event's opening night, June 27. (Josh Kim, Sublime)
(Josh Kim, Sublime)
SALT LAKE CITY — X Games will bring more than just some of the world’s top action sports athletes when it arrives in Utah this summer.
It’ll also bring a pair of top musical artists.
Electronic music producer and DJ Joel Zimmerman, who goes by the stage name Deadmau5, is slated to perform at the Utah State Fairpark on June 27, while ska punk legends Sublime will perform the following night as part of the games’ festivities, event organizers announced Tuesday. Tickets are now on sale, in addition to those already on sale for the June 27-29 event.
X Games equal “good energy and good times”
“We’re all about good energy and good times. X Games is the perfect place to celebrate that,” Sublime frontman Jakob Nowell said in a statement.
Deadmau5 last performed in Utah during another festival, headlining SLC Live Winter Edition at the Gateway. The artist also comes off a set at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which made plenty of headlines. Zimmerman apologized after his last performance was cut short because he had become too inebriated, Variety reported.
However, he’s also a veteran of the X Games scene, having performed in Aspen, the action sports giant’s annual winter sports event in Colorado. He said Tuesday that the atmosphere there was “unreal” and he’s hopeful of recreating that in Salt Lake City.
“Friday night’s going to be epic,” he said.
Sublime has made plenty of Utah stops since reforming with the singer Rome Ramirez in 2009, but the June 28 show will be the group’s first Utah performance featuring Nowell, the son of the late Sublime singer Bradley Nowell, whose death in 1996 led to the band’s long-time hiatus.
Concerts may require upgraded ticket
While general admission and “Club ’95” premium tickets, which went on sale earlier this month, cover entry to the games’ competitions, organizers said concerts require a ticket upgrade.
The three-day event will include some of the world’s top skateboard, BMX and Moto X athletes in an “invite-only” format. Jeremy Bloom, the organization’s CEO, said his goal was to “bring back a lot of the legends” as X Games celebrates its 30th year.
It’s expected to draw in about 100,000 attendees when it takes place in late June.
