St. Louis CITY SC has unveiled a gold jersey honoring Tina Turner, paired with concerts, a pop‑up shop and new youth music programs — a move that ties the club’s identity to the city’s musical history while supporting local arts. The kit, produced with adidas and Turner’s music partners, also represents the sportswear brand’s first collaboration with a female music artist for a team jersey.
Tina Turner, born Anna Mae Bullock, spent her late teens in St. Louis, attending Sumner High and cutting her teeth in the city’s R&B clubs. It was in that local scene where she first took a microphone during an intermission and set a path toward the global stardom that followed. Though her life later took her far beyond the Midwest, Turner’s early artistic identity remained rooted in St. Louis.
The club says the new strip channels Turner’s stage presence: the kit’s metallic gold echoes the sparkle of her performance costumes, her silhouette appears on the garment tag in a reflective finish, and her autograph is printed in the team’s signature red as a nod to her iconic lipstick. Created in partnership with Turner’s estate, BMG and Warner Music Group, the jersey will serve as CITY’s secondary kit for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Chamberlain Harris, 26-year-old Trump aide, appointed to arts commission with no experience
Jackson White calls Tell Me Lies ending ‘hilarious’ as season 3 finale wraps series
Why it matters now: the release links a global brand and a major-league soccer club to local culture, fundraising and education at a moment when teams increasingly use creative collaborations to deepen community ties and broaden their audience.
Tributes, concerts and community programming
The club’s launch extends beyond apparel. A one-night concert, Eternal: A Tribute to Tina Turner, will take place Feb. 15 at the recently renovated Powell Hall, where Grammy winner Brittany Howard will perform alongside the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Local talent, including St. Louis native and The Voice finalist Kennedy Holmes, will join established vocalists on arrangements led by conductor Stéphane Denève with guest conductor Anthony Parnther.
St. Louis CITY SC’s leadership framed the initiative as both a homecoming and a celebration of artistic influence. Erwin Bach, Turner’s husband, described the project as recognition of where Turner first felt the “thrill” of performing. The club’s CEO noted the franchise’s intent to honor the city’s longstanding contribution to American music.
A pop‑up shop at City Foundry (Feb. 11–20) gives fans a chance to buy the new jersey and see items from Turner’s personal archive, including wardrobe pieces and awards. Proceeds from kit sales will partly fund a new music education program developed with the arts organization COCA, bringing Turner’s songs and choreography to young people through instruction and performance opportunities.
The season’s celebrations will culminate in an official Tina Turner Night at CITY SC’s home match on Aug. 22, a date the club is promoting as the capstone of the yearlong tribute.
Music has been central to CITY’s identity since its 2023 debut: the club has previously partnered with local rapper Smino on artist-mentoring programs, hosted headline acts at community events, released collaborative streetwear tied to relief efforts, and integrated orchestral performances into match day experiences.
- Kit name: Tina Turner Kit (gold, metallic accents)
- Manufacturer: adidas — noted as the brand’s first team kit collaboration with a female music artist
- Seasons: Secondary jersey for 2026–2027
- Pop‑up shop: City Foundry, Feb. 11–20 — merchandise and items from Turner’s collection
- Tribute concert: Eternal: A Tribute to Tina Turner, Feb. 15 at Powell Hall (Brittany Howard with St. Louis Symphony)
- Youth program: New Tina Turner–focused music education initiative with COCA, partially funded by kit sales
- Culmination: Tina Turner Night at CITY SC home match, Aug. 22
Local players and performers have already taken part in promotional moments: photos released by the club show homegrown midfielder Mykhi Joyner modeling the new jersey, and participating artists have described the project as personally meaningful. Club and estate representatives emphasized the initiative’s dual aims of honoring Turner’s legacy and creating concrete opportunities for young musicians in St. Louis.
Beyond the immediate events, the collaboration reflects a broader trend: sports teams leveraging cultural partnerships to deepen local engagement while reaching national and global audiences. For fans and residents, the initiative offers both a commemorative object — the jersey — and a programmatic legacy in the form of arts education that could outlast the kit itself.
If you plan to attend or follow the program: tickets for the Powell Hall tribute are limited, the pop‑up will run for ten days at City Foundry, and the club will announce additional community events tied to the kit rollout in the coming weeks.
