Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Oprah Winfrey kicked off her The Life You Want Tour this weekend in Atlanta’s Philips Arena. The eight-city arena tour, which also makes stops in Washington D.C., Miami and Seattle, features Winfrey and a number of special guests for a “transformational” weekend.
The two-day love fest began on Friday afternoon with O-Town, a pop-up town square that featured music, activities, food, make-overs, cooking demonstrations, interior design seminars and much more. The hub of entertainment took place at Centennial Olympic Park, which is located in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Winfrey made a surprise visit and was greeted by hundreds of fans.
Friday night, the media mogul took center stage stage for an intimate evening of her personal story and insight. From her early days as TV reporter to her dream role in The Color Purple to the formative years of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Winfrey guided fans on a 2-hour journey of her ground-breaking 30-year career.
On Saturday, Winfrey led a day-long gathering with handpicked thought leaders and pop culture icons including Iyanla Vanzant, star of OWN’s hit series Iyanla Fix My Life; best-selling author of Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert; one of Time 100’s Most Influential people, Pastor Rob Bell and world-renowned author and pioneer in mind-body medicine Deepak Chopra.
The Have and the Have Nots stars Peter Parros, Angela Robinson, Crystal Fox and Eva Tamargo
Spotted over the two-day event were Winfrey’s BFF, Gayle King; hairdresser, Andre Walker; and cast members from OWN’s The Have and the Have Nots. There were also a number of Atlanta celebs in attendance including Shekinah Jo, Tameka Raymond, Monyetta Shaw, Karyn Greer, Toya Wright and Jasmine Guy.
Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend was produced by Harpo Studios, O, The Oprah Magazine, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and WME Live, and was presented by Toyota and Olay.
Check out more photos and a full tour schedule below:
Ladies enjoying the relaxation suite in O-Town
Participant getting pampered and a makeover in O-Town
Superstar Interior Designer Kathy Hobbs/The Have and the Have Nots star Aaron O’Connell
The Have and the Have Nots star Tyler Leply with fans after Friday night’s presentation
Oprah taking a selfie with a fan during Saturday’s presentation
TOUR STOPS:
Sept. 5-6 Atlanta, Georgia Philips Arena
Sept. 12-13 Auburn Hills, Michigan The Palace of Auburn Hills
Sept. 19-20 Washington D.C. Verizon Center
Sept. 26-27 Newark, New Jersey Prudential Center
Oct. 17-18 Houston, Texas Toyota Center
Oct. 24-25 Miami, Florida American Airlines Arena
Nov. 7-8 Seattle, Washington KeyArena at Seattle Center
Nov. 14-15 San Jose, California SAP Center at San Jose
Photo Credits: George Burns/Harpo Studios Inc. and RayCornelius.com
