Big Game Weekend — Was the Weekend Bigger than the Game?

Big Game Weekend is exactly how it sounds — everything is bigger and better, especially the parties. While Seattle went home with the W, so did Sports Illustrated’s marquee events. SI The Party Presented by DraftKings was the event of the weekend, taking over the Cow Palace that Saturday night for a sold-out celebration packed with music, surprises and A-list star power.

Co-headliner Ludacris turned back the clock 15 years when he launched into a remix of Justin Bieber’s 2010 smash “Baby,” reprising the guest verse that helped define the era. What no one expected? The Biebs himself stepping onstage for an impromptu reunion, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Fellow co-headliners The Chainsmokers delivered a high-octane set of their own—but even they didn’t anticipate sharing the spotlight with legendary NFL tight ends Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, and George Kittle, who jumped onstage to lead the sold-out crowd in a massive singalong to the duo’s remix of the Red-Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge.” And while the stage was packed with icons, it was Jon Hamm who quietly stole the show—enthusiastically jamming out in the front row and proving he might just be the party’s ultimate MVP.

In fact, we're willing to bet that you could not have found a more unexpected, eclectic, all-star cross-section of sports, entertainment, media and tech personalities anywhere else that weekend, and that includes Super Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. In addition to the above mentioned luminaries, guests at SI The Party spent the night dancing with Kevin Hart, Travis Scott, Russell and Ciara Wilson, Sofia Vergara, Drew Brees, MGK, Bill Burr, Livvy Dunne, Dwight Howard, 21 Savage, the Bella Twins, Quavo, Meek Mill, Alix Earle, Trevor Lawrence, Tyreek Hill, Lil Baby and dozens of other A-listers from every corner of pop culture. And where there are stars, can brands be far behind? Guests got to sample the best offerings and on-site activations from partners like Lexus, Anheuser-Busch, Velocity Black, Thomasville, Shaq-a-licious, Verizon, Celsius, Nine West, Reebok, Wonderful Pistachio, Pop Tarts, Belvedere, Waymo, Patron and Voss. We guarantee that for the thousands of guests, years from now, when they struggle to remember which teams faced off in the 60th Big Game, they'll remember the SI The Party event.

By the time Saturday night rolled around, Kelce and Kittle were riding a wave, having just turned out two nights earlier for SI and Tight End University's Tight Ends & Friends Presented by Cash App & VISA. The exclusive kickoff event held at SF's Public Works drew a select crowd from among sports and media, with a tilt toward the surprisingly tight-knit fraternity of tight ends. Hosted by George and Claire Kittle, the party was crazy with TEs, including Isaiah Likely, Colston Loveland, Jake Tonges and Juwan Johnson, as well as, of course, Mr. Kelce. Also on hand were hometown Niners head coach Mike Shanahan, NFL all-timers Reggie Bush and RG3, current stars Cam Jordan, Jared Goff and Deebo Samuel, WWE legend Charlotte Flair, funny guy on TV Adam DeVine, and content creators from Illona Maher to Katie Austin to Brianna LaPaglia. Loud Luxury and Frank Walker provided the beats; Smirnoff and Maestro Dobel’s poured the cocktails. Other brand partners included Zenni, Dockers, VOSS, Champion, Verizon, Kinder’s and CashApp who had their very own “swag locker” for tight ends and friends to enjoy.

At least a handful of the attendees wandered over from TPC Harding Park, where that afternoon SI brought the Sports Illustrated Invitational back to Big Game Weekend. Presented by IZOD and Rockport, the Invitational brought together SI's characteristic mix of sports, entertainment, and culture makers, pitting 36 teams of four across 18 holes for the coveted 2026 SI Invitational Cup. Set against the iconic city backdrop and surrounded by picturesque Lake Merced, a star-studded collection of celeb golfers including Commanders QB Sam Hartman, Giants running back Cam Skattebo, digital creator and BFF podcaster Josh Richards, Bachelor Matt James, and NBA royalty Shareef O’Neal. Produced by Authentic Live, this year’s SI Invitational brought together an equally powerful lineup of brand partners including presenting sponsors IZOD and Rockport, Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies, Maestro Dobel Tequila, Owens Mixers, Three Olives Vodka, Coppertone, BeeUp, Waterloo Sparkling Water, VOSS, Hyperice and ShipSticks.

In short, it was an absolutely bananas weekend for SI Events. If you haven't attended one yet, put it on your bucket list as they’ll be back next year during Big Game weekend!