iHeartMedia’s Z100 brought holiday cheer to Midtown Manhattan Dec. 13 with their All Access Lounge celebration at Hammerstein Ballroom.
Thousands of fans wearing holiday sweaters, reindeer headbands, and Santa Claus outfits lined the streets outside of the Hammerstein Ballroom on 34th Street and 8th Avenue since the early hours for Z100’s official Jingle Ball music festival pre-celebration. Since 1994, Z100 has reined in the winter season with its annual Jingle Ball music festival. Now a full-scale US tour in December, the Jingle Ball tour donates $1.00 from each ticket sold to a non-profit organization.
This year, Z100 chose the Ryan Seacrest Foundation for its dedication to youth through entertainment and education initiatives. Additionally, in the spirit of giving back, the renowned radio show holds the All Access Lounge, a free public event giving away concert tickets, artist meet and greets, spectacular performances, and various giveaways.
For Z100 host Josh Martinez, the All Access Lounge is about bringing joy to listeners. Martinez, who shared that he came from humble beginnings, knows the significance of providing free events to the public.
“A free event like this is super dope and, hopefully, a lot of people will leave here happy that they got Jingle Ball tickets and to be a part of the biggest holiday concert of the year,” Martinez told amNewYork Metro. “It is the biggest free concert of the holiday season and the last shot to get into the biggest holiday concert at Madison Square Garden. I’m talking about Z100’s sold-out Jingle Ball. You can literally get tickets an hour or two before doors open at the All Access Lounge.”
The Hammerstein Ballroom transformed into a winter wonderland filled with giveaway booths from Ulta Beauty, Boost Mobile, PetMeds, Covergirl, Lincoln Tech, and other vendors. As attendees entered into competitions and vied for Jingle Ball tickets, artists Miles Smith, McKenna Grace, Dasha, Alex Warren, Mark Ambor, Isabel LaRosa, Mckenna Grace, Wonho and Pow dominated the stage from noon until 5 p.m.
All-star global boy group POW performed for the first time in New York City, and fans lauded their musical talent. Members Jungbin, Yorch, Hyunbin, Dongyeon, and Hong danced and sang their hearts out to their reimagined version of Avril Lavigne’s hit song “Girlfriend” with their fresh take entitled “Boyfriend,” and other hits.
For POW, visiting New York City and performing on the Z100 All Access Lounge Stage was a dream come true.
“We are so honored to be a part of [All Access Lounge] because it is a huge event and [just an] honor,” Dongyeon told amNewYork Metro.
“Jingle Ball is a very big festival, and we are so excited to be a part of it,” Yorch added.
K-Pop soloist Wonho made multiple stops during Z100’s Jingle Ball tour this month and shared that it was an exciting experience. Between his holiday shows, he also held fan meetings where he sang and danced for his supporters (affectionally known as WENEE).
“I’m feeling really excited and Jingle Ball has been so fun. I’m sad it’s almost over and we only have Miami left. I’ve come back after a long “vacation” [referring to his military service period as a break] away from my fans, WENEE. Although I wanted to take a bit more time to prepare and show a new side of myself, my desire to see my fans as soon as possible was stronger, so I prepared diligently. I had the chance to meet fans directly through my fan party in Seoul, and I’ve really been enjoying all these shows in the US,” Wonho told amNewYork Metro.
Holding a cardboard cutout of Josh Martinez, 16-year-old Shahab Aldeeb and his friend Taylinn Perez jumped enthusiastically to the music. This garnered the attention of Z100 hosts, who awarded them free meet-and-greet tickets to see K-Pop artist Wonho.
“This is what it means to be a part of these free events,” Aldeeb said, pointing to the crowd screaming inside the concert hall. “[It’s about] the community, the love, the music, everything that everybody comes together for and just be a part of. I love it.”
“It is amazing to be a part of this community,” Perez added.
The evening ended with several lucky fans earning free tickets to see Jingle Ball that very night in Madison Square Garden, featuring performances by Katy Perry, Twenty One Pilots, Tate McRae, Meghan Trainor, The Kid Laroi, NCT Dream, Shaboozey, and others.
