Fitz and The Tantrums Perform at THON 2026

Fitz and The Tantrums took the Bryce Jordan Center stage as the surprise national act for THON 2026 on Friday night in the early stages of the Penn State student-run 46-hour dance marathon benefiting pediatric cancer patients and their families.

Dancers on the floor rushed toward the stage as the indie pop and soul band opened with “OCD”. It cranked up the energy during the song’s final chorus, setting the tone for the rest of the upbeat performance.

After the band’s second song, lead singer Michael Fitzpatrick, hyped up the BJC crowd, asking, “Are y’all ready to dance for 48 hours or what?” Close enough, Fitz, close enough.

“Oh, Maria” served as the third song, where Fitzpatrick and co-vocalist Noelle Scaggs broke out into dance at the front of the stage, prompting a roar from the crowd.

Next up was “123456,” the lead single off the band’s fourth studio album, “All The Feels.” Each person in the BJC crowd received a light-up PNC Bank-branded wristband that filled the entire arena with flashing, rainbow colored lights.

During “Good Intentions,” Fitz And The Tantrums asked the crowd to sing along to the chorus with them, repeating “I ain’t out here stressing, ’cause I got good intentions.” A band member broke out into a saxophone solo, receiving a roar of applause.

The six-member band followed that up with another pair of danceable anthems, “Heaven” and “Moneygrabber”.

Fitzpatrick let his vocals ring out during “Sway,” as Scaggs turned up the crowd with a tambourine in hand.

Scaggs took a break to give a shout-out to all the kids fighting pediatric cancer and to commend their bravery. In support, she asked the audience to form a heart with their hands and put it to the sky.

Finally, the moment that everyone was waiting for came: “Out of My League.” The band’s most popular track has over one trillion streams on Spotify, and it was certainly no stranger to the BJC.

Of course, “Livin’ For The Weekend” resonated with THONers everywhere. The only song more fitting would be “Standin’ For The Weekend,” but I digress.

After plugging its newest album, “Man On The Moon,” Fitz and The Tantrums played “Fool” and the album’s self-titled track, which aligned with the official THON 2026 logo

Scaggs requested that the BJC turn on their phone flashlights as the band played “I Just Wanna Shine,” and the crowd certainly held its end of the bargain, creating a sea of lights.

Then came “Umbrella,” a drum-heavy rock-and-roll track, and another of its most popular songs, “The Walker.”

To slow the tempo, Fitz and The Tantrums performed their heartfelt “All The Feels,” which included a drum solo.

Fear not, the hype picked back up with “Let Yourself Free,” before the band ended with another certified banger in “HandClap,” which took the energy to another level, as the crowd shook the stands and brought their hands together over and over, per the song’s instructions, of course.

Fitzpatrick and Scaggs made a passionate “FTK! “cheer before exiting the stage, bringing the performance to a close.

Friday night performances by surprise national acts have become a regular occurrence at THON since Joe Jonas and his band DNCE wowed the BJC with an unannounced set in 2017.

THON, which is now in its 54th year and has raised more than $254 million for the Four Diamonds at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, continues until 4 p.m. Sunday.