Chanel and Hermès Bags for Guests, a Backstreet Boys Performance and a Chance to Win $1 Million: Drake Celebrates His 40th Birthday in Style

Drake turned his 40th birthday into a lavish celebration featuring more than 400 guests, a performance by the Backstreet Boys, designer handbags as gifts and a competition offering prizes of up to $1 million. But the biggest surprise of the evening was the birthday boy himself taking the stage alongside the legendary boy band.

The party took place on October 23 at New York’s Casa Cipriani, on the eve of the rapper’s official birthday. According to TMZ and People, Drake invited more than 400 friends and loved ones, while guests were treated to gifts worthy of a major social event: Chanel and Hermès bags, as well as cash prizes. During a special game show, participants had the chance to win amounts ranging from $10,000 to $1 million. It has not yet been reported whether anyone walked away with the grand prize.

One of the evening’s highlights was a surprise performance by the Backstreet Boys. The group performed their iconic hit I Want It That Way, with Drake joining them onstage and singing along. It was not the rapper’s first time performing with the boy band. In 2022, he had already joined them for the same song during their concert in Toronto.

Judging by his speech to the guests, Drake wanted the evening to be less about his career and status and more about the people around him.

“Tonight is not about a tour, not about an album release, not about videos we’ve made, not about perfume or Nike sneakers. Tonight is simply about being alive, continuing to live,” the rapper said, thanking his friends and loved ones for making time to come together.

The guests were not the only ones surrounded by luxury. According to Vogue, Drake arrived at the party wearing a black tuxedo with a glittering jacket and a diamond-encrusted letter D pendant. The publication also reported that his diamond-set Rolex Cosmograph Daytona watch is worth millions of dollars.

The 40th birthday celebrations extended beyond a single evening. Before the New York party, the rapper met up with friends in his hometown of Toronto, including at an event at the CN Tower. The festivities continued the following day, when Drake reportedly performed alongside Bow Wow and Jamaican artist Popcaan, according to Complex.

The milestone birthday also coincided with a major achievement in his music career. According to Billboard, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) awarded his recordings 30 additional certifications, bringing Drake’s total number of certified units in the United States to more than 350 million.