The last time Phoenix hosted the NBA All-Star Game, in 2009, the arena on Jefferson Street was called US Airways Center. When NBA All Star 2027 tips off on Sunday, February 21, 2027, the same building will carry its newest name, Mortgage Matchup Center, and the weekend around it will collide with the opening day of Cactus League spring training and the busiest stretch of Phoenix’s tourist season. That combination makes it one of the hardest weekends of the year to book in the Valley, and the most rewarding one for basketball fans who plan early. This guide covers the schedule, the arena, tickets, getting there, where the crowds will be and what else is on, and it’ll be updated as the NBA announces more. For everything else on the Valley’s calendar, see our Phoenix events calendar.
Short answer: NBA All-Star 2027 runs February 19 to 21, 2027 in downtown Phoenix: NBA Rising Stars on Friday, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night (the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest and Slam Dunk) on Saturday, and the 76th All-Star Game on Sunday at Mortgage Matchup Center, the arena formerly called Footprint Center. Resale seats for Sunday’s game were listed from $1,168 in early October 2026, hotels will fill because spring training opens the same Friday, and the light rail is the easiest way to the arena.
Prices, hours and rules in this guide were last checked on October 1, 2026.
NBA All Star 2027 at a glance
| Date | Event | Where | Status (checked Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, February 19, 2027 | NBA Rising Stars, the showcase for first- and second-year players | Mortgage Matchup Center, downtown Phoenix | Confirmed by the NBA |
| Saturday, February 20, 2027 | State Farm All-Star Saturday Night: Kia Skills Challenge, STARRY 3-Point Contest, AT&T Slam Dunk | Venue not yet announced | Confirmed by the NBA |
| Sunday, February 21, 2027 | 76th NBA All-Star Game | Mortgage Matchup Center | Confirmed; tip-off time not yet set |
| All-Star weekend | NBA All-Star Practice, Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, fan festival, NBA Cares events | Venues around Phoenix, not yet announced | Named by the NBA |
| Friday, February 19, 2027 | Cactus League opening day, eight games | Spring training parks across the Valley | On the league schedule |
| February 8-14, 2027 | WM Phoenix Open, the week before | TPC Scottsdale | On the tour schedule |
What is the NBA All-Star 2027 schedule?
The NBA announced Phoenix as the host on March 7, 2024, and its official release sets out the shape of the weekend (checked October 2026). On Friday, February 19, NBA Rising Stars, the league’s annual showcase for top rookies and second-year players, plays at the Suns’ arena. On Saturday, February 20, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night brings the Kia Skills Challenge, the STARRY 3-Point Contest and the AT&T Slam Dunk. On Sunday, February 21, the 76th NBA All-Star Game is played at the arena, which has been called Mortgage Matchup Center since October 2, 2025.
Around those three nights, the NBA has named several more events “at venues throughout Phoenix”: NBA All-Star Practice presented by AT&T, the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and an NBA All-Star fan festival, plus NBA Cares community events with schools and nonprofits across the Valley. As of October 1, 2026, the league hadn’t announced the venues, dates within the weekend or ticket details for those fan events, or the tip-off time for Sunday’s game, which is set with the television schedule. Expect those announcements in the months before February; this guide will add them as they come.
The format of the game itself is the NBA’s call and has changed several times in recent seasons, so check the league’s announcements closer to the date rather than relying on last year’s rules. What doesn’t change is the rhythm of the weekend: Friday and Saturday nights are the warm-up, Sunday night is the main event, and the days fill with practices, fan events, parties and sponsor activations around downtown.
Where is the 2027 All-Star Game being played?
At Mortgage Matchup Center, home of the Phoenix Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, at 201 East Jefferson Street in downtown Phoenix. The arena took that name on October 2, 2025, under a 10-year naming deal, so if you’re searching for the Footprint Center All-Star game, you’ve found it: Footprint Center is the arena’s former name, and older articles, map apps and even some ticket listings still use it. Its earlier names include Talking Stick Resort Arena, and when Phoenix last hosted the All-Star Game in 2009 it was US Airways Center.
Phoenix’s All-Star history runs through three buildings and four decades. The city hosted in 1975, at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on the State Fairgrounds, then in 1995 and 2009 at the downtown arena, which opened in 1992. NBA All-Star 2027 is the city’s fourth. Downtown has changed a great deal since 2009: there’s a light rail line on Jefferson and Washington streets, Roosevelt Row’s restaurants and bars a few minutes north, and far more hotel rooms within walking distance.
Know the arena’s entry rules before you go. Mortgage Matchup Center uses Evolv express entry lanes for guests without bags or with clutches smaller than 4 by 6 inches, so leave anything bigger at the hotel, and its more than 700 on-site parking spaces are priced by event and can be bought ahead online (checked October 2026). Expect All-Star security to be tighter than for a regular Suns game, and arrive early.
Phoenix’s All-Star history
NBA All-Star 2027 is Phoenix’s fourth, and each of the first three reflects a different era of the city. In 1975, the game was played at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on the State Fairgrounds, then the Suns’ home, and Walt Frazier was named MVP. In 1995, three years after the downtown arena opened as America West Arena, Mitch Richmond took the MVP award in the building’s first All-Star Game. In 2009, at what was then US Airways Center, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal shared the MVP, with O’Neal playing for the hometown Suns alongside Amar’e Stoudemire.
The 2027 edition comes to a very different downtown. In 2009 the light rail had only just opened, and the blocks north of the arena held far more surface parking lots and vacant land. Today Roosevelt Row’s restaurants and bars, a cluster of new hotels and apartment towers, and Arizona State University’s downtown campus fill that space, which means more to do between events and more places to stay within walking distance of the arena.
How are the All-Stars chosen, and when will you know who’s playing?
The players are picked in stages, which is why ticket prices move through January. In the system the NBA has used in recent seasons, the starters are chosen by a weighted vote of fans, current players and a media panel, and the reserves are chosen by the league’s head coaches, with the commissioner naming replacements for injured players. Fan voting usually runs from late December into January, the starters are announced in late January, and the reserves follow about a week later. Rising Stars rosters and the Saturday contest fields are announced in the weeks before the event.
If you’re buying tickets for a particular player, waiting until the rosters are set removes the guesswork, but it also means competing with everyone else who waited. A sensible compromise is to book your hotel and flights early with flexible terms, set a price you’re willing to pay for the game, and watch the market as the selections come out.
What time does the 2027 All-Star Game start?
The NBA hadn’t announced it as of October 1, 2026; tip-off times are set with the league’s television partners. Recent All-Star Games have started in prime time on the East Coast, and in February Phoenix is two hours behind Eastern time, because Arizona doesn’t observe daylight saving time and stays on Mountain Standard Time all year. That usually means an early-evening start in Phoenix, which leaves time for dinner before the game or a late meal after, but confirm the time when it’s announced and plan your transport around it.
How do you get tickets to NBA All-Star 2027?
All-Star tickets are among the hardest to get in American sports, because the arena is relatively small and a large share of seats goes to the league, teams, sponsors and partners. In practice, visitors have three routes. The NBA sells official hospitality packages through NBA Experiences that bundle tickets to All-Star Saturday Night and Sunday’s game with hotel and event access. Some seats reach the public through the league’s official ticketing channels, often in limited releases announced closer to the date. And the resale market lists seats from months out: in early October 2026, one major resale marketplace listed Sunday’s game from $1,168 per seat (checked October 2026).
Resale prices are dynamic, and several things move them. Demand climbs when the starters and reserves are announced in late January and early February, especially if Suns players are selected. Prices for Rising Stars and Saturday Night are separate from Sunday’s game and sell on their own markets. And because the weekend sits on top of spring training’s opening day, out-of-town demand is unusually strong. If you’re buying resale, use a marketplace with a buyer guarantee, compare the all-in price including fees, check the section and row against the arena’s seating chart, and be wary of anyone selling outside a platform.
Don’t overlook the cheaper ways into the weekend. Rising Stars on Friday is usually the easiest of the three arena nights to get into, and the NBA’s fan festival, practice and celebrity game are aimed at fans without game tickets; their 2027 prices and venues are still to be announced. A Suns home game earlier in the season, or the Phoenix Mercury in summer, gives you the arena atmosphere for a fraction of the cost.
How can you enjoy All-Star weekend without game tickets?
Most visitors in town that weekend won’t have a seat for Sunday’s game, and they still have plenty to do. The NBA’s fan festival, practice and celebrity game are built for fans without game tickets, and Rising Stars on Friday is usually the easiest arena night to get into; watch for the league’s announcements on venues and prices. The weekend’s atmosphere spills across downtown, with sponsor events, pop-ups and parties, many of them open to the public.
For the game itself, a downtown bar with a big crowd is the next best thing to being inside. Visit Phoenix’s nightlife listings for Roosevelt Row and downtown include The Churchill, Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co., Angels Trumpet Ale House, Huss Brewing and Tom’s Watch Bar, and CityScape, a couple of blocks from the arena, has Chico Malo and Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails (checked October 2026). For live music after the game, Crescent Ballroom on Roosevelt Row books local and national acts most nights. Expect every bar within walking distance of the arena to be packed on Saturday and Sunday nights, so arrive early or reserve a table where you can, and remember that Arizona bars stop serving at 2 a.m.
For dinner before an event, downtown’s restaurants within a few minutes of the arena include the original Pizzeria Bianco at The Square PHX, a 2026 Michelin Bib Gourmand, and the Roosevelt Row restaurants just north of downtown. Book well ahead for Friday through Sunday, because All-Star crowds and spring training visitors will fill every reservation book in the area.
Where should you stay for All-Star weekend?
As close to downtown Phoenix or the light rail as you can afford, and booked as soon as your plans are firm. Downtown is where the arena, many of the events and the parties will be, and the convention hotels there are the largest in the city, led by the 1,003-room Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, with the Hyatt Regency across from the convention center and the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown near the arena. Staying downtown means you can walk to the game and back without worrying about traffic, parking or the last train.
If downtown is full or too expensive, look along the light rail. Tempe, around Mill Avenue and ASU, is on the A Line, with its own restaurants and bars, and Midtown hotels along Central Avenue sit on the B Line. Old Town Scottsdale, 21 minutes from downtown by car off-peak, has no rail connection, so you’ll rely on rideshare or Waymo, and prices climb after the game. Hotels near Sky Harbor are 13 to 15 minutes from downtown and close to the 44th Street light rail station via the free Sky Train.
Book refundable rates if you’re waiting on tickets, and budget for taxes: a Phoenix hotel stay carries 13.07% in total, so three nights at $300 adds $117.63 in tax (checked October 2026). February is already Phoenix’s peak season, and with the WM Phoenix Open the week before and spring training starting that Friday, the Valley’s hotels will be as full as at any time of year.
How should you fly in for All-Star weekend?
Phoenix Sky Harbor is the obvious choice: it’s 13 to 15 minutes from downtown by car off-peak, and the free PHX Sky Train links Terminals 3 and 4 to the 44th Street light rail station, so you can ride straight to the arena district (checked October 2026). If you’d otherwise leave a car at the airport, note that Sky Harbor’s terminal garages charge up to $33 a day and its economy garages $19, so the train usually beats parking for a weekend trip. Book early, because February flights to Phoenix are busy even without an All-Star Game, and this weekend combines basketball, spring training’s opening day and peak winter travel.
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in the southeast Valley is the alternative, mostly served by low-cost flights, but it’s 46 minutes from downtown Phoenix by car off-peak and has no rail link, so it only makes sense if the fare saving is large or you’re staying in the East Valley. If you’re arriving on Friday for Rising Stars, leave plenty of time, since the Valley’s freeways will carry spring training traffic that afternoon too.
How do you get to Mortgage Matchup Center?
Take the light rail if you can. Downtown stops on Washington and Jefferson streets sit a short walk from the arena, the A Line connects to Sky Harbor through the free PHX Sky Train at the 44th Street station, and a ride costs $2, with tap-to-pay fares capped at $4 a day (checked October 2026). Valley Metro lists Saturday trains every 15 minutes until 7 p.m. and every 20 minutes after, and Sunday trains every 20 minutes all day, so leave yourself a cushion before tip-off.
Getting home is the harder part. The last full light rail trips start between about 10:50 p.m. and 12:10 a.m., and a late-running game or an after-party can leave you past the last train, according to Valley Metro’s hours of service. Plan a rideshare or a Waymo, which covers downtown Phoenix, Scottsdale and parts of Tempe, Mesa and Chandler; you can no longer book a Waymo through Uber in Phoenix, so use the Waymo app, and expect surge pricing as the arena empties. Walking a few blocks before you request a ride helps. If you drive, buy event parking ahead and leave extra time; downtown traffic on All-Star weekend will be heavy.
What else is happening in Phoenix that weekend?
More than any other weekend of the year. The 2027 Cactus League opens on Friday, February 19, with eight games across the Valley, so the city fills with baseball fans at the same time as basketball fans; the Cactus League lists 15 teams at 10 ballparks through March 23 (checked October 2026). If you can catch an afternoon spring training game before Friday’s Rising Stars, it makes for a rare double-header. The week before, the WM Phoenix Open runs February 8 to 14 at TPC Scottsdale, and the Arizona Renaissance Festival is open on weekends in Gold Canyon from February 6.
The weather is a selling point. February’s normal high at Sky Harbor is 70.8°F and the normal low 49.0°F, with sunset around 6:12 p.m. in mid-month, so the days are made for hiking, golf and patios, and the evenings call for a jacket on the walk to the arena; our guide to Phoenix’s seasons, month by month explains why February is peak season. For the rest of the year’s sports, our guide to the Valley’s pro and college teams covers the Suns, Mercury, Diamondbacks and Cardinals.
Can you make a week of it?
Yes, and February is the best month to try. The weeks around All-Star 2027 hold some of the Valley’s biggest events, so a basketball trip can easily become a week of sport, culture and desert sunshine (checked October 2026).
| Dates | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Weekends from February 6, plus February 15 | Arizona Renaissance Festival | Gold Canyon, East Valley |
| February 6-7 | World Championship Hoop Dance Contest | Heard Museum, Midtown Phoenix |
| February 8-14 | WM Phoenix Open | TPC Scottsdale |
| February 19-21 | NBA All-Star 2027 | Mortgage Matchup Center, downtown Phoenix |
| February 19-March 23 | Cactus League spring training | 10 ballparks across the Valley |
| February 26-28 | Innings Festival, music and baseball | Tempe Beach Park |
A week that starts with the Heard Museum’s World Championship Hoop Dance Contest on February 6 and 7, takes in a round of the WM Phoenix Open midweek, and finishes with All-Star weekend and a spring training game would be hard to beat anywhere in the country. Between events, February is ideal for hiking: Camelback, Piestewa Peak and South Mountain are all at their best, though Camelback’s Echo Canyon lot is typically full all day on weekends, so go at dawn. Taliesin West, open daily from November through April, and the Desert Botanical Garden round out a week.
A basketball weekend in Phoenix: a sample plan
Friday: fly in early, check in downtown, and if you can get a ticket, catch an afternoon Cactus League opener at one of the East Valley parks, about 15 to 25 minutes from downtown. Head back for NBA Rising Stars in the evening, then dinner on Roosevelt Row.
Saturday: start with a sunrise climb of Piestewa Peak, around 7 a.m., then spend the late morning at the Heard Museum, which opens at 10 a.m. and is a short light rail ride up Central Avenue. Leave the afternoon for the fan festival or the practice once their venues are announced, and go to All-Star Saturday Night if you have tickets, or watch from a downtown bar if you don’t.
Sunday: walk the Desert Botanical Garden at opening, have a long lunch, rest, and take the light rail to the game. Book your ride home before you go in. If you’re also weighing a holiday trip, our guide to Christmas in Phoenix covers the Valley’s other busy season.
All-Star weekend with kids
Families can make a great weekend of it even without Sunday tickets. Rising Stars and the fan festival are the most family-friendly parts of the NBA’s program, and downtown’s Arizona Science Center and Children’s Museum of Phoenix are a few minutes’ walk from the arena for the hours in between. The Phoenix Zoo, 20 minutes away in Papago Park, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from mid-January through April (checked October 2026), and its desert trails make a good morning before an evening event. Keep in mind that All-Star crowds are dense and late nights are the norm, so plan a downtown hotel that’s easy to retreat to.
What should you wear to All-Star weekend in Phoenix?
Layers. February days in Phoenix are usually in the low 70s and sunny, but evenings cool quickly once the sun sets around 6 p.m., and you’ll be walking to and from the arena or waiting for a train in the dark. A light jacket over game-day gear is about right. Wear comfortable shoes for the walking that every big event involves, bring sunglasses and sunscreen for the daytime events, and check the arena’s bag policy before you pack a backpack.
What does an All-Star weekend in Phoenix cost?
The game ticket dominates, and it’s impossible to fix in advance. Around it, here’s what you can plan with (checked October 2026). The hotel tax adds 13.07% in Phoenix. Light rail costs at most $4 a day each with tap-to-pay, and the Sky Train is free. Event parking at the arena is priced per event. Phoenix sales tax on restaurant and bar bills is 9.1%. A downtown hotel, game tickets and a few meals out for two people will cost several times a regular Suns weekend, so set a budget for the ticket first and fit the rest around it.
| Item | Cost (checked Oct 2026) |
|---|---|
| Sunday game, resale | Listed from $1,168 a seat in early October 2026; changes daily |
| Hotel tax, Phoenix | 13.07%; $117.63 on three nights at $300 |
| Light rail | $2 a ride; $4 a day cap with tap-to-pay |
| PHX Sky Train | Free |
| Arena parking | Priced by event; buy ahead online |
| Restaurant and bar sales tax, Phoenix | 9.1% |
What to skip
- Waiting until February to book a hotel. All-Star weekend lands on spring training’s opening day and in peak season. Book a refundable room now.
- Buying tickets outside a platform with a buyer guarantee. All-Star weekend draws counterfeit sellers. Use an official channel or a reputable resale marketplace.
- Old articles that send you to “Footprint Center.” It’s the same building, now Mortgage Matchup Center. Use the current name for directions and rideshare pickups.
- Driving downtown at the last minute. Traffic and parking will be the worst of the year. Take the light rail in.
- Counting on the last train after the game. Arrange a ride home in advance.
- A big bag. The arena’s express entry lanes are for guests without bags or with clutches smaller than 4 by 6 inches.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the 2027 NBA All-Star Game?
The 76th NBA All-Star Game is on Sunday, February 21, 2027, at Mortgage Matchup Center, the Phoenix Suns’ arena at 201 East Jefferson Street in downtown Phoenix. NBA Rising Stars is on Friday, February 19, and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, with the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest and Slam Dunk, is on Saturday, February 20. The tip-off time will be set with the TV schedule.
Is the 2027 All-Star Game at Footprint Center, now Mortgage Matchup Center?
Yes, the same arena, but it has a new name. Footprint Center was renamed Mortgage Matchup Center on October 2, 2025, under a 10-year naming deal. The NBA’s original 2024 announcement used the old name, so older articles and some listings still do. Use Mortgage Matchup Center for directions, tickets and rideshare pickups.
How much are NBA All-Star 2027 tickets?
Prices are dynamic. In early October 2026, one major resale marketplace listed seats for Sunday’s game from $1,168 each (checked October 2026), and prices typically move as the players are announced. The NBA also sells official NBA Experiences packages that bundle tickets with hospitality, and Rising Stars and Saturday Night tickets are sold separately from the game.
What else is happening in Phoenix during All-Star weekend?
Cactus League spring training opens on Friday, February 19, 2027, with eight games, the WM Phoenix Open finishes the week before (February 8 to 14), and the Arizona Renaissance Festival runs on weekends from February 6. The NBA’s own fan festival, practice and celebrity game will also take place around Phoenix, with venues to be announced.
What’s the best way to get to the All-Star Game in Phoenix?
The light rail. Downtown stations are a short walk from Mortgage Matchup Center, rides cost $2 with a $4 daily cap on tap-to-pay, and the A Line links to Sky Harbor through the free Sky Train (checked October 2026). Arrange a rideshare or Waymo for the trip home, because the last full trains start between about 10:50 p.m. and midnight.
Where should you stay for NBA All-Star 2027?
As close to downtown Phoenix or the light rail as you can. Downtown hotels, including the 1,003-room Sheraton, are within walking distance of the arena, and Tempe and Midtown hotels sit on the light rail. Old Town Scottsdale is 21 minutes away by car with no rail link. Book refundable rooms early, because spring training opens the same weekend.
Is All-Star weekend a good time to visit Phoenix?
For sports fans, it’s the best weekend of the year, with the All-Star Game, spring training’s opening day and February weather in the low 70s. For anyone else, it’s the most crowded and expensive time to be downtown, so if you don’t need to be there for the basketball, pick a quieter February weekend or come in March after the rush.
How are NBA All-Star players chosen?
Under the system used in recent seasons, the starters are chosen by a weighted vote of fans, current players and a panel of media members, and the reserves are selected by the league’s head coaches. Fan voting usually runs from late December into January, the starters are named in late January and the reserves about a week later, so the 2027 rosters should be set by early February.
Related Phoenix Guides
- Phoenix Events and Festivals: the full year of big events, from spring training to the holidays.
- The Phoenix area’s sports teams: the Suns, Mercury, Diamondbacks, Cardinals and ASU, with venues and tickets.
- Christmas and Holiday Events in Phoenix: Luminarias, ZooLights and the holiday season before All-Star weekend.
- Phoenix weather and seasons by month: why February is peak season.
Sources and verification
This guide is built from research, not hosted visits, and it isn’t affiliated with the NBA. Dates, venues, prices and rules were checked on October 1, 2026 (some on September 23-24) against the sources listed below, and it will be updated as the NBA announces more of the weekend.
- NBA: NBA All-Star 2027 official release, NBA Experiences packages
- Arena: Mortgage Matchup Center
- City of Phoenix: tax rate chart; Visit Phoenix: downtown hotels
- Transit: Valley Metro hours of service, PHX Sky Train, Waymo Phoenix
- Same-weekend events: Cactus League, WM Phoenix Open, Arizona Renaissance Festival
- Weather: NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sky Harbor
Photo Credits
- Arena plaza, Jefferson Street: photo by Visitor7, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Suns fans, 2010 playoffs: photo by Kevin Dooley, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
- Phoenix Convention Center: photo by Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
- Light rail on Jefferson Street: photo by Visitor7, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Chase Field and downtown Phoenix from the air: photo by Dicklyon, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Downtown Phoenix arena at night (featured image): photo by Alan Stark from Goodyear, AZ, United States, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)