NEW YORK, NY (January 10, 2017)—Time Inc.’s (NYSE: TIME) Sports Illustrated will celebrate the launch of its 2017 swimsuit issue with a two-day music, food and culture festival—“VIBES” by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit—to be held in Houston on February 17–18. The first-of-its-kind event will feature live performances by GRAMMY™ Award-winning artists Diplo and Miguel; a food festival curated by Houston’s James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd and special appearances by the models of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Class of 2017.

Taking over Post HTX in downtown Houston, “VIBES” will kick off on Friday with an open to the public meet and greet, giving fans a chance to come meet the models and experience the world of SI Swim. The ticketed portion of the event will commence that evening with a food festival featuring favorites from well-known national and regional chefs: Chris Shepherd, Underbelly; Hugh Acheson, Five & Ten, The National, Empire State South and The Florence; Graham Elliot, Graham Elliot Bistro; Terrence Gallivan and Seth Siegel Gardner, The Pass & Provisions; and Tyson Cole, Uchi and UchiKo. Day one will culminate with a VIP performance by R&B sensation Miguel. The festival lineup continues Saturday with local Houston musicians, followed by headliner Diplo.

Olympic Gold Medalists Simone Biles and Aly Raisman make their SI Swimsuit debut in the 2017 issue. Biles, who lives and trains in the Houston area, and Raisman, were photographed by James Macari against the backdrop of the VIBES festival, with shoots taking place around Houston at the World Champions Center, the North Houston Skate Park and the Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden. Get a sneak peak of their exclusive SI Swimsuit shoot here: http://on.si.com/2jzCFr1

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring the SI Swimsuit experience to America’s fourth-largest city less than two weeks after the Super Bowl, the biggest event in sports, takes place in Houston,” said MJ Day, SI Swimsuit editor. “This year’s ‘VIBES’ event will be an all-new and expanded experience, offering fans a cultural festival that spotlights not only the amazing stars of the iconic Swimsuit issue, but the best in food, music and more.”

“Houston is thrilled to be the home of the 2017 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit launch and music, food and culture festival,” said Mike Waterman, president of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. “As the culinary and cultural capital of the South, we think this event is a perfect opportunity to work with an iconic brand like Sports Illustrated to showcase Houston to the world.”

Tickets for “VIBES” by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit will be available for purchase today at SI.com/SwimsuitVibes

TICKET PRICES

VIP All Access (Friday & Saturday): $250

VIP Friday: $150

VIP Saturday: $150

General Admission Saturday: $35

“VIBES” by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit caps off launch week of the 2017 edition. Earlier in the week, SI Swimsuit will reveal this year’s highly anticipated special content, including the 2017 cast of models, cover star, issue debut, a live-streamed red-carpet launch party in New York and more.

The inaugural “VIBES” festival is the latest live event offering from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. In the past two years, SI Swimsuit has held launch week fan festivals in New York City, Miami and Nashville, attracting more than 100,000 fans. In 2016, Sports Illustrated also hosted the inaugural “Summer of Swim” festival and concert at on the iconic Coney Island Boardwalk.

Official presenting partners of the 2017 “VIBES” by SI Swimsuit festival include Lexus, DirecTV™ Now and Edge.

For the latest news and announcements, follow SI Swimsuit on social and check back regularly for event updates at SI.com/SwimsuitVibes.

Details and talent appearances are subject to change

ABOUT SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit franchise (www.SI.com/Swimsuit) reaches more than 70 million US adults annually and more men 18 to 34 than the Super Bowl. The iconic franchise spans 20 product extensions, along with a vibrant experiential marketing business. Since debuting in 1964, Swimsuit has become a pop-culture phenomenon and a revered launching pad for successful careers in TV, fashion, business and film, including those of Elle Macpherson, Kathy Ireland, Cheryl Tiegs, Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Kate Upton, Chrissy Teigen and Ashley Graham. The fashion industry describes SI Swimsuit as the “Oscars of Swimwear,” as an appearance in the issue is a crowning achievement for swimsuit and accessory manufacturers.

Website: www.SwimDaily.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SISwimsuit

Twitter: twitter.com/SI_Swimsuit

Instagram: www.instagram.com/si_swimsuit

Snapchat: 'siswim'

App: iOS | Android

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/SIswimsuit

Official Hashtag: #SISwim

ABOUT TIME INC.

Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is a leading content company that engages over 150 million consumers every month through our portfolio of premium brands across platforms. By combining our distinctive content with our proprietary data and people-based targeting, we offer highly differentiated end-to-end solutions to marketers across the multimedia landscape. Our influential brands include People, Time, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Real Simple and Southern Living, as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the United Kingdom. Time Inc. has been extending the power of our brands through various acquisitions and investments, including Viant, an advertising technology firm with a specialized people-based marketing platform; The Foundry, Time Inc.’s creative lab and content studio; and the People Entertainment Weekly Network (PEN). The company is also home to celebrated events, such as the Time 100, Fortune Most Powerful Women, People’s Sexiest Man Alive, Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year, the Essence Festival and the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.

ABOUT THE GREATER HOUSTON CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau (GHCVB), also known as Visit Houston, is the primary sales and marketing arm of the city of Houston and Harris County. The mission of the GHCVB is to improve the economy of Greater Houston by attracting conventions, tourists and film projects to the area through sales and marketing efforts.

ABOUT POST HTX

The ex-Barbara Jordan Post Office, a historic landmark for the City of Houston, has now been transformed into a temporary site to host events in Downtown Houston. Renamed Post HTX, the event center controls over 16 acres of land and over 500,000 square feet of indoor space. Located on the corner of Buffalo Bayou, I-10, and I-45, the site is at the front door of Downtown Houston and controls visibility from the two largest highways in the City. The downtown post office was acquired by Lovett Commercial in 2015 and is currently in the planning stages of a mixed-use metropolitan lifestyle center with retail, residential, entertainment and office.