Justin Timberlake kicks off the festivities with an exclusive album preview, as Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman takes in the Rolling Stone bash
Debbie Emery | February 4, 2018 @ 9:30 AM
Last Updated: February 8, 2018 @ 10:05 PM
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TheWrap’s Party Report will be updating throughout the weekend.
Hollywood stars and NFL icons unite this weekend at the countless parties and A-list events leading up to Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Even the temperatures dropping below freezing and snow lining the streets couldn’t slow down the Super Bowl party train, as thousands of fans and a horde of stars invaded Minneapolis.
Those brave enough to take on the “Bold North” as the city proudly dubs itself were not disappointed, especially when it meant a preview of Justin Timberlake’s new album, “Man of the Woods.”
The private, extremely VIP event was held at Prince’s Paisley Park estate, which features a museum dedicated to the late pop icon. Unfortunately, guests couldn’t Instagram snaps of their favorite Prince memorabilia, as all cellphones were checked at the door in case the album footage was leaked online.
The strict security was well worth it when JT himself came out on stage to introduce his latest work of musical art at the American Express x Justin Timberlake “Man of the Woods” Listening Experience.
Along with seeing the Super Bowl LII halftime performer in person, guests also got to enjoy a fully immersive listening experience that served as a complementary layer to the full-length LP. The full-sensory experience also included a curated vegan menu, vinyl making station, silk-screen t-shirt printing and even a make-your-own scent station.
The crowd itself was like a who’s who in sports, with Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett spotted chatting with NFL great Emmitt Smith and current TE Jason Witten; Kurt Warner was the life of the party, while Russell Wilson enjoyed a performer on par with his wife/date, Ciara. The Wrap got some fantasy football tips from ESPN’s Matthew Berry, and learned wrestling moves from WWE Superstar Mojo Rawley.
While he’s broken the hearts of Patriots fans in two Super Bowls, Eli Manning was making their dreams come true on Friday when one lucky couple won the opportunity to sleep inside U.S. Bank Stadium thanks to the Courtyard Super Bowl Sleepover competition. When asked if he’d ever slept in a stadium — accidentally or deliberately — the QB admitted he hadn’t, and he’d be pretty scared to do so! He did assure New Yorkers that he plans “to be playing for the Giants next season,” despite reaching coaching upheaval with the team.
Doug Benc/AP Images for Campbell’s
It was actually Eli’s big brother, Peyton Manning, who told die-hard Denver Broncos fan Courey Marshall that he was the lucky winner of a night in the field-level stadium suite and two Super Bowl tickets. Courey said he considered bringing his cat as his +1 but wisely opted for his wife instead. Those not lucky enough to win got to experience the Courtyard 4D VR Dome located inside Mall of America, letting you get a glimpse of what it’s like to be playing in the big game itself.
Friday afternoon, guests got an insight into Tom Brady’s life off the field with a special screening of the Facebook Watch docu-series, “Tom vs. Time.” Director Gotham Chopra and Facebook’s Global Director of Sports Partnerships Dan Reed spoke to an enthralled audience at The Cowles Center, with even injured Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman making a special appearance on the panel to talk about his QB and mentor. Or, as Edels likes to put it, his “big brother.”
Later that night, Tiki Barber and Drew Rosenhaus hosted the Thuzio | Rosenhaus Party at Exchange and Alibi Lounge downtown.
Countless clients and friends of the uber sports agent and former NFL star gathered to kick off the weekend and bid for autographed sports memorabilia. While Rob Gronkowski was resting up for game day, his entire family took over one table with WWE Superstar Mojo Rawley. Also spotted were De’Vondre Campbell, Tyreek Hill, Brandon McManus, Jonathan Ogden, Matt Stover, David Meltzer, John Brenkus and ESPN’s Matthew Berry.
One of the hottest parties on a cold Friday night was the Rolling Stone Live: Minneapolis (presented by Mercedes-Benz and TIDAL) as MIGOS, 21 Savage, T-pain and DJ Cassidy all took to the stage at the International Market Square.
The multi-level venue offered up countless “front row” viewing spots, which also meant that discreet celebrities could hide away from prying eyes. Baltimore Ravens veteran and ESPN analyst Ray Lewis caused a stir when he walked through the crowded dance floor, while Patriots wide receiver Edelman made the most of his night off by hanging out with Bostonian Olympian, Aly Raisman.
However, the real celebrities of the night were super cars Mercedes-Benz 2019 G 550, Mercedes-AMG GT R and Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster (below), which all provided elegant Instagram fodder for selfie-snapping guests.
A few miles away, the 15th Annual “Leather & Laces” extravaganza hosted by Donnie Wahlberg and Jenny McCarthy (donning a new blue hairstyle) was kicking off. Flo Rida amped up the energy with a riotous set that sparked a dance party on stage between the Gronkowski brothers, Mojo Rawley and countless partygoers.
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Beautiful Cirque du Soleil-style dancers swung from the ceilings, as the crowd feasted on Wahlburgers (what else?!?) and Flo knocked back champagne straight from the bottle.
JLo + ARod+ Russel Wheels Up
Saturday in Minneapolis belonged to Jennifer Lopez! First off, the “Jenny From the Block” singer attended the Wheels Up Super Saturday Tailgate to support boyfriend Alex Rodriguez, who showcased a number of companies he invests in there, including Ice Shaker and Tru Fusion.
The power couple met a slew of other stars including Russell Wilson, Keegan Michael Key, Guy Fieri, and Julian Edelman. Private jet company Wheels Up no doubt did big business with VIPs flying into Minneapolis, and hundreds of their members attended the daytime bash at new event space Quincy Hall. While guests chowed down on hearty chili and football-shaped pretzels, ESPN’s biggest donut-eater Mike Golic got to hang out with celebrity chef Guy Fieri.
Fellow former “Mike and Mike” host Mike Greenberg also made an appearance, as O.A.R did a surprise musical performance on stage. Check out the video below to see what really went on!
Come Saturday night, it was J-Lo who was on the stage at the DirecTV NOW Super Saturday Night presented by AT&T at the Armory. Not only were guests treated to a full Lopez concert with a special appearance by DJ Khaled, but they also got to venture into a virtual trip through a Puerto Rican rainforest in honor of AT&T making a $1 donation to the hurricane recovery effort (of up to $200,000) for every posting of the hashtag of #JLONOW.
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While J-Lo performed hits including “Waiting for Tonight,” “On The Floor” and “I’m Real” while doing multiple costume changes — such as wearing a Number 13 jersey to represent A-Rod’s Yankees career — VIP rooms were packed with A-list stars. One suite was home to both Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Dak Prescott and Tim Tebow, while others hosted Vanessa Hudgens, Miles Teller, Mira Sorvino and Jamie Foxx. Oh, and Alex Rodriguez, of course.
Also on Saturday, the Maxim Party brought glamour to downtown Minneapolis courtesy of super-club E11EVEN MIAMI. The star-fueled annual bash always pulls out all the stops as Post Malone, Marshmello and Cardi B entertained celebs such as Odell Beckham Jr. and Migos. Produced by Karma International — the team behind Maxim’s annual Halloween extravaganzas — the Super Bowl party was sponsored by Captain Morgan, Bud Light, Belaire Champagne, Phantom, blu and Altec Lansing.
While most people in town only had eyes on the game by Sunday, StubHub was still in the mood to party at their Field House pre-game tailgate at Target Field hosted by Maria Menounos. Even Jimmy Fallon popped in to shoot a segment for the “Tonight Show” — diplomatically wearing a purple Minnesota jersey — as he entertained fans picking up their StubHub tickets.
As for Menounos, the diehard Patriots fan wasn’t hiding her allegiances as she led a rendition of Queen’s “We Are the Champions.” Sadly, by the end of the day, the Patriots were no longer the champions — and that honor now goes to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Super Bowl LII: Justin Timberlake, Julian Edelman, Jamie Foxx Party in Snowy Minneapolis (Photos)
What a way to start the week! Issa Rae, Justin Timberlake, Ciara and Russell Wilson hung out at Prince's Paisley Park for the "American Express + Justin Timberlake Partner for Intimate Album Listening Experience," as JT let 500 of his closest friends get a preview of his new music before he plays the Super Bowl LII halftime show.
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A blue-hued Jenny McCarthy hung out with SiriusXM radio host Gary Dell'Abate and hubby Donnie Wahlberg, who will no doubt be cheering for the Patriots on Sunday.
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Olympian and Bostonian Aly Raisman hung out with another beloved sports figure in New England, Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman. Sadly an ACL surgery sidelined Edelman for the season, but at least he could attend the Rolling Stone Live: Minneapolis presented by Mercedes-Benz and TIDAL instead of being on lockdown with the rest of the team.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers legend Jerome Bettis and current Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen spoke on a panel with ESPN's Mike Greenberg and Sam Ponder, taking guests "Inside the Game: Insider Hall of Fame.” The lunch sponsored by American Airlines and Casper also featured lots of lobster, so everyone was happy!
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Tiki Barber and Drew Rosenhaus greeted guests with warm hugs for the Thuzio | Rosenhaus Party at Exchange and Alibi Lounge. Clients and friends of the sports agent gathered to kick off the weekend and bid on autographed sports memorabilia. While Rob Gronkowski was resting up for game day, his entire family took over one table. Also spotted were De’Vondre Campbell, Tyreek Hill, Brandon McManus, Jonathan Ogden, Matt Stover, David Meltzer, John Brenkus and ESPN's Matthew Berry.
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2 Live Crew's Luke "Luther" Campbell and Rick Ross hosted the first of a packed weekend of TAO events for Pop Up Thursday.
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Fans braved the cold to watch Rae Sremmurd perform at the Verizon Up Stage at Super Bowl Live on Thursday, as the mercury dropped well below zero and attendees learned the real meaning of "wind chill."
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Cardi B played multiple parties over the weekend, but on Thursday, she played the role of guest with Justine Skye at the Rolling Stone Live: Minneapolis presented by Mercedes-Benz and TIDAL.
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Jamie Foxx put the Foxx in the “Foxx & Friends Dinner" Friday evening -- with Shaquille O'Neal spinning tunes instead of dunking balls -- before hitting up the Bootsy Bellows party.
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JB Smooth bumped into TV physician Dr. Oz, proving that you never know who you'll see at Super Bowl weekend.
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Hannibal Navies, Kimberly Starks, Duane Starks, Bradie James, guest and Clifton Crosby lounged at the Thuzio & Rosenhaus Party at Exchange & Alibi Lounge on Friday night.
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New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was forced to sit out most of the 2017 season with a fractured ankle, but was healthy enough to show up to the Rolling Stone party.
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Mercedes' "Last Fan Standing" game gave contestants the chance to win a new Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe, which is better than a Super Bowl ticket for some people!
One of the many celebrities at the Rolling Stone party was the Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster, which an endless stream of party-goers wanted to pose for photos with.
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Heisman Trophy winner-turned minor league baseball player Tim Tebow was among the current and former athletes at the Rolling Stone party courtesy of Mercedes.
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Flo Rida turned the 15th Annual “Leather & Laces” party into a dance frenzy on Friday night, as he plowed through the crowd drinking champagne straight from the bottle.
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Jenny McCarthy went blue for Super Bowl weekend as she co-hosted the "Leather & Laces" party. Thankfully she opted against Philadelphia Eagles green, which may have sparked the ire of her Patriots-loving husband, Donnie Wahlberg.
Tiffany Rose/Getty Images for Leather and Laces
The only person more hyped than Flo Rida at the “Leather & Laces” party was the Hype Man himself, WWE Superstar Mojo Rawley, who jumped up on stage to dance with Flo in a custom-made pink Zubaz suit. As you do ...
Debbie Emery
Alex Rodriguez, Jennifer Lopez and Russell Wilson have a World Series ring, multiple Grammy nominations and a Super Bowl ring between them. That was typical of the caliber of guests at the Wheels Up Super Saturday Tailgate as A-Rod showcased some of his new business projects including Chris Gronkowski's Ice Shaker.
Wheels Up
The Patriots own two customized Boeing 767, but players like Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski still love traveling in style on Wheels Up, so it was no surprise that Edelman made an appearance at the Super Saturday Tailgate. He and the other guests got kitted out in Wheels Up swag, ate warming chili and hearty football-shaped pretzels while listening to O.A.R.
Wheels Up
Nobody likes food more than ESPN's Mike Golic, so no wonder the "Golic and Wingo" host looked happy when he met celebrity chef Guy Fieri at the Wheels Up Super Saturday Tailgate at Quincy Hall. Do you think he persuaded the restaurateur to name a sandwich after him.
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Shaq was definitely the warmest man of the weekend as he showed off a full-length fur coat at the Fanatics party on Saturday. We don't know if it was real of fake but we can't imagine how many little animals it would take to make that much fur ...
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The Chainsmokers duo Alex Pall and Andrew Taggart melted away any cold feelings as they performed a rendition of “All-Star” by Smash Mouth and “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” by the Backstreet Boys at the Fanatics party on Saturday.
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Pepsi has long been the official soda of Super Bowl, so it's only fitting that the brand would take over downtown Minneapolis. Cindy Crawford took her son Presley Gerber to the Generations Campaign and hosted a live interactive pop-up experience at Nicollet Island Pavilion to relive her own iconic 1992 Pepsi ad.
Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Pepsi
Self-described as the "granddaddy of Super Bowl parties,” Leigh Steinberg’s annual invitation-only on Saturday afternoon welcomed everyone from Hall of Famers to Hollywood stars. This year's party also featured the Steinberg DeNicola Humanitarian Awards, and former troubled quarterback Ryan Leaf was among the guests.
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While they didn't quite make it to the Super Bowl, L.A. Rams legend Eric Dickerson must still have been impressed with his former team's performance in the 2017 season. The iconic running back got to celebrate with another sporting legend, Leigh Steinberg.
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Tom Brady was the star of the show Sunday, but Super Saturday belonged to Jennifer Lopez as she dazzled the Armory at the AT&T presents DirecTV NOW Super Saturday Night.
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While he'd rather be playing in the Super Bowl, Drew Brees was having a good time with Keegan-Michael Key at the DirecTV and AT&T Jennifer Lopez show.
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J-Lo repped her boyfriend Alex Rodriguez's former team by wearing a bedazzled Yankees hat and his replica jersey on stage.
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for DirecTV
It was a tale of two quarterbacks when Dak Prescott met Eli Manning while watching J-Lo at the AT&T presents DirecTV NOW Super Saturday Night. The Cowboys and Giants QBs may be NFC East rivals on-field, but appear to be pals off of it.
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Post Malone was joined by DJ Marshmello and rapper Cardi B at the Maxim Party powered by super-club E11EVEN MIAMI on Saturday night. The h.wood group bash, which was packed with beautiful people and influencers as always, was produced by Karma International.
An Olympian, a Heisman Trophy winner and a billionaire NBA owner walk into a bar... which is even cooler when the trio is Aly Raisman, Tim Tebow and Mark Cuban and that bar is a VIP suite at J-Lo's DirecTV NOW Super Saturday party.
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J-Lo brought out her friends on Saturday night, including fellow "World of Dance" judge Ne-Yo, as the "Jenny From the Block" singer made her third wardrobe change of the night.
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Hollywood hot spot Bootsy Bellows braved the Bold North to host the “Bootsy Bellows Big Game Pop Up” presented by American Airlines + Casper, where 21 Savage entertained the likes of Jamie Foxx, Shaquille O’Neal aka DJ Diesel, Olivia Culpo, Jesse Metcalfe & Cara Santana and Baker Mayfield.
Floyd Mayweather and his Money Team made their presence known all over Minneapolis Super Bowl weekend, and no more so than at the Maxim party Saturday night. Security was tight around the boxing champ when he entered the party, which was produced by Karma International sponsored by Captain Morgan and Bud Light.
EDM DJ Marshmello was one of the performers taking over a 51,000-sq. ft. event complex near U.S. Bank Stadium at the Maxim party, where he played his collaboration hits by Jack Ü, Zedd and Selena Gomez for the likes of Odell Beckham Jr. and Floyd Mayweather.
Shaquille O'Neal acted like a fan boy when he met Patriots owner Robert Kraft at the Fanatics party on Saturday afternoon. It's not usual that a team owner is the biggest draw of a party, but the Patriots are no normal team. Kraft and Shaq were among the many A-listers enjoying The Chainsmokers' medley of their hits “Closer” and “Don’t Let Me Down.”
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Massachusetts native Maria Menounos rallied her fellow Patriots fans at StubHub's Field House pre-game tailgate on Sunday at Target Field. The entertainment TV host sparked a "flash mob karaoke" at the event, before "sweetly harassing Eagles fans , eating amazing food, and gathering Pats fans to prepare to be loud and proud!" according to her Instagram.
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DirecTV, Maxim, Playboy, Bootsy Bellows, Rolling Stone and Wheels Up are just a few of the A-list hosts dominating the party scene in Minneapolis
What a way to start the week! Issa Rae, Justin Timberlake, Ciara and Russell Wilson hung out at Prince's Paisley Park for the "American Express + Justin Timberlake Partner for Intimate Album Listening Experience," as JT let 500 of his closest friends get a preview of his new music before he plays the Super Bowl LII halftime show.