Maggie Rogers attended multiple international sports events during the 2026 summer, from the Winter Olympics in Milan to Knicks games and the championship parade in New York, Wimbledon tennis, and World Cup soccer. She described the year's global conditions as particularly bleak—marked by international conflicts, economic strain, and technological concerns—and credited sports with providing a shared language that connects people meaningfully during anxious times.

Rogers, who studied the spirituality of public gatherings at Harvard Divinity School, identified parallels between the collective euphoria of sports fandom and the communal experience of live music. She emphasised that crowds gathering to cheer for athletic achievement offers a spiritual dimension and connects individuals to something beyond themselves, which she sees as increasingly valuable given her commitment to creating music with genuine urgency and significance.