Fiery Post Malone caps off Indianapolis March Madness Music Festival
Saturday's dicey weather delayed the proceedings for Zac Brown Band and company at the March Madness Music Festival , but the skies cleared just in time for Post Malone to bring it home on the event's final day.
Hip-hop-turned-country phenom Post Malone and country star Megan Moroney, with indie pop artist Dominc Fike, closed out the three-day slate of performances celebrating Indianapolis' Final Four hosting gig held at the packed American Legion Mall. They followed alt rock duo Twenty One Pilots and country rock group Zac Brown Band, who headlined Friday and Saturday of the festival respectively.
The full bill represents Indianapolis' first Final Four music offerings since 2015, when Rihanna punctuated a lineup that also included Imagine Dragons and returning Zac Brown Band.
Both Post Malone and Moroney gave Indy fans a preview for their respective headlining shows in town later this year ( Moroney at Gainbridge Fieldhouse May 30 , Post Malone with Jelly Roll at Lucas Oil Stadium June 12 ) for the estimated 22,000 fans downtown. Here are my takeaways from the grand finale of the Final Four's concert lineup:
Post Malone's fun, fiery set caps March Madness Music Festival
Longtime IndyStar readers might remember that one of my predecessors, Rory Appleton, rather famously maligned Post Malone's flat, confusing turn at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in 2022. I wrote almost the opposite when I caught Post at Ruoff Music Center the following summer: A show I found energetic, dynamic and well-paced . So which was the fluke?
After his American Legion outing, I'm inclined to say the former. A good-vibes-only dude with raspy, howling voice that adds a dramatic flair to popular radio hits, Post Malone proved why he's a solid showman and the right choice for the festival's closing slot. Pyrotechnics, a massive stage setup and a live band that punched up the arrangements certainly gave the production a boost, but Post Malone held up his end of the bargain, screaming and bouncing around and generally keeping the lawn engaged.
The NCAA tapped Post Malone to steer the festival into the harbor at an interesting point in his career. He's all but completely crossed over into country music with smashing success, but the bulk of his hits sprang from his hip-hop and rap origins. He split the difference in Indianapolis with a set that leap-frogged around his catalog, mixing familiar favorites like "Wow" and "Psycho" with newer tracks like "Losers" and the inescapable "I Had Some Help" with country superstar Morgan Wallen ( headlining Lucas Oil May 8 and 9 ).
Having festival veteran (Post Malone headlined Coachella last year) on hand proved essential for a show that saw several fans require some kind of assistance. Post stopped his set around seven times to direct security to fans in distress, but he got right back on track once he got the all-clear from the crowd. It takes a deft, experienced performer to watch for signals, address the issue and get back in the pocket before things go off the rails.
This is a family newspaper, so I can't repeat most of what Post Malone said to the crowd, but just know that most of his speeches involved him being grateful for more than a decade in the business, wanting to party and promising better days ahead for those in the audience who could use a pick-me-up. Closer "Congratulations" was an apt sendoff: Despite the starts and stops, Post Malone stuck the landing.
A moment for Megan Moroney at March Madness Music Festival
Until the festival unveiled Post Malone as its teased surprised artist a few weeks ago , surging country star Megan Moroney was billed as the Sunday headliner . After hearing her set, I wouldn't have been disappointed if that came to fruition.
Armed with a glittering pair of acoustic guitars and a songbook that ranges from upbeat anthems to down-tempo sentiments, Moroney rocked the park for an hour and 15 minutes. She's got a smooth, smoky voice that still sounds fantastic live, and she showed up in a glam pink bodice with silver fringe despite temperatures that left her fingers numb. She's one to watch, and if crowd response is anything to go by, sing-a-long hit "Tennessee Orange" is already an all-timer.
Maybe this is top-of-mind considering the great "Best of Both Worlds" cover she just put out, but Moroney has an elevated Hannah Montana thing going on. She sits in a similar country-pop space, and she has the sarcastic Southern charm and sparkly outfits to match. I don't think Hannah ever sang about finance bros, which Moroney said inspired her song "Traitor," but the two are spiritually similar in my mind (this is a massive compliment).
Why it matters: March Madness Music Fest punctuates Indy's Final Four hosting gig
Years from now, the prevailing headlines from this weekend will spotlight the Final Four matchups at Lucas Oil Stadium and whatever team walks away a winner. But the March Madness Music Festival — and the slate of fan events in general — is a victory for Indianapolis worth mentioning.
My colleague Gregg Doyel wrote that Indianapolis is "the best city to experience a major sporting event" in an April 1 column welcoming droves of college basketball fans to town. He credited downtown's walkability, synergy among all the organizations at work and signature Hoosier hospitality with priming Indy as the perfect Final Four landing site. The handful of folks I spoke to at the festival sporting UConn, Michigan, Arizona and Illinois gear agreed with him: This city knows how to host. It's accessible, it's friendly and it just featured a three-day lineup of some of the biggest acts in music.
Indianapolis' last turn as the Final Four host was the completely contained 2021 tournament , when Indiana venues hosted not just the last rounds but every single game. That iteration came with all of the basketball but none of the extras. Not everything Indy threw at the wall this time around stuck (re: EDM duo The Chainsmokers performing between Saturday's Final Four contests ) but the 2026 festivities at large — a hunk of mostly free fan events for locals and visitors to enjoy, capped off with a packed concert and fireworks — feel like reclamation.
Contact IndyStar Pop Culture Reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@indystar.com . Follow her on X @hmb_1013.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Post Malone and Megan Moroney shine at Final Four fest
