After months of build-up and hype, Flavor Flav hosted the four-day “SHE Weekend” in Las Vegas from Thursday, July 16th through Sunday, July 19th to honor US women’s Olympians and Paralympians.
The festivities kicked off on Thursday, July 16th with the Athlete Welcome Celebration at Park MGM and a parade down Las Vegas Boulevard. (The parade also featured several local girls’ youth sports teams.) Once the parade had arrived at the Toshiba Plaza on the Strip, Flavor Flav and Clark County commissioner Tick Segerblom handed out keys to medalists from the 2026 Winter Olympics. Following the ceremony, Segerblom then declared it “Flavor Flav Day” in Clark County.
Added Segerblom, “Flavor saw what was happening, stepped up to the plate, threw this event, and look what you created.”
Also part of the opening, fans in attendance were treated to a free concert headlined by Public Enemy. The concert, which took place right outside the T-Mobile Arena, also featured performances from Sheila E., Blu de Tiger, and Grace Bowers. The show also featured a charity component, where a winning bidder was not only able to meet Flavor Flav and Chuck D, but introduce the group on stage. Proceeds benefited the Inspiring Children Foundation.
Speaking to media before Thursday’s ceremonies (via ESPN), Flavor Flav said, “I’m getting a little sentimental right now because I’m happy, and if I do cry some tears, this is tears of joy. Nothing has happened like this ever.” Flavor Flav added, “Politically speaking, Donald Trump, my girls are going to get a way… better celebration than what you gave the guys. My girls are going to be eating shrimp, lobster, steak, we’re going to be eating fish. We’re going to be eating everything, not McDonald’s.”
And it’s clear the athletes felt the significance of this event. Figure skater and 2026 Olympic Games gold medalist Amber Glenn told ESPN, “I think celebrating women in sports is something we really need to bring into the limelight. And I’m so glad that Flavor Flav was able to make this event happen… We’ve never had an event like this to celebrate women in sports.”
In addition to Glenn, other attendees included figure skater/American sweetheart Alysa Liu, cross-country skier Jessica Diggins, and alpine skier Breezy Johnson, among dozens of other Team USA members.
Over the rest of the weekend, the athletes were gifted free tickets to shows from Backstreet Boys and Ed Sheeran. Performing their “Into the Millennium” residency at the Sphere (get tickets here), Backstreet Boys held a meet-and-greet ahead of their show on Friday, July 17th. During that evening’s concert, the group also offered up a special shout-out to both Flavor Flav and the Olympian athletes.
The attendees also met with Sheeran ahead of his Allegiant Stadium headlining show on the following night. Attending a stop on his “LOOP Tour” (get tickets here), they enjoyed a view from the box seats, with rugby player Ilona Maher showing particular enthusiasm by playing air fiddle.
Other programming included an intimate celebration dinner at the MGM Resort, two days of various panels and group events, and a keynote speech from Chantell Preston, owner of the League One Volleyball team the San Francisco Signal. The weekend then wrapped up on Sunday, July 19th with a giant party at Vegas’ Tailgate Beach Club, which has been described as “the Strip’s first sports pool club.”
Before expanding into a multi-day event, Flavor Flav had initially offered to host a celebration for the US women’s hockey team. The gesture was a direct response to disparaging remarks made by Donald Trump during a leaked call to the US men’s hockey team.
“I must tell you, we’re gonna have to bring the women’s team — you do know that,” Trump begrudgingly said, adding that he believed he would “probably would be impeached” if he didn’t invite the women.
