Drake’s 40th: Hermès Bags as Party Favors, a $1 Million Game and a Birthday Scent

4 min read

Part of today’s What You Missed: Sunday, Oct 25.

The hook

Most 40th birthdays end with cake. Drake’s ended with reports of guests walking out with Chanel and Hermès bags, a game-show segment worth up to $1 million, and a fragrance launch timed to the day. Vogue, Yahoo and Complex all covered it, and fan channels on YouTube have been posting clips from it since Saturday. Here is what is confirmed, what is reported, and what it actually tells you about luxury right now.

What happened

• The party. Drake gathered more than 400 friends and family at Casa Cipriani in Lower Manhattan on Friday, Oct. 23. He turned 40 the next day. Vogue and Yahoo Entertainment both reported the guest count.
• The favors. Vogue, citing People, reported that guests were gifted Chanel and Hermès bags. Yahoo’s report says the handbags were among the giveaways.
• The game. Yahoo reported a game-show-style segment with cash prizes ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to $1 million. We have not seen anyone confirm who, if anyone, won the top prize.
• The watch. Vogue reported that Drake wore a one-of-one diamond Rolex Daytona engraved “Freeze the World.”
• The music. The Backstreet Boys performed a surprise set, and Drake joined them for “I Want It That Way,” a song he has said reminds him of his bar mitzvah.
• The toast. “Tonight is just about being alive, staying alive,” Drake told guests, according to Complex, as quoted by Yahoo and Vogue.
• The scent. Better World Fragrance House and Drake’s brand OVO launched the DoSayDo eau de parfum on Oct. 24 in OVO stores and online, after a 24-hour preview on Oct. 19. Hypebeast describes a 100 mL crimson glass globe bottle with top notes of passion fruit and a white wine spritz, and a base of cognac, white cedarwood and roasted tonka.

Status: The party, the performance and the fragrance launch are CONFIRMED by multiple outlets. The bag favors and the cash-prize game are REPORTED, based on sources cited by the press, and have not been detailed by Drake’s team.

Why people care, and what creators are saying

• It’s a pattern. Yahoo notes that guests at Drake’s 32nd birthday in 2018 reportedly received classic Chanel bags, and that he handed a fan a Hermès Birkin at a Miami concert in 2023. The bag favor is now part of his brand.
• The clips. YouTube channels posted party footage within hours, including ALL URBAN CENTRAL (“Drake Emotional After The Backstreet Boys Surprise Him For His 40th Birthday”) and 9MagTV, which filmed DJ Akademiks arriving in a custom OVO chain. The Backstreet Boys moment is the clip people keep sharing.
• The flex is the point. Giving away the bags most people wait years to buy is a louder status statement than wearing one. That is why the story spread further than the guest list.

What it means for you

• Don’t chase “Drake bags” on resale. Nobody has published which models were gifted. Listings that claim to be “from Drake’s party” can’t be verified, so treat them like any other resale bag: authenticate first.
• The scent is the piece you can actually buy. DoSayDo is sold through OVO stores and OVO’s site. Check the price and size on OVO’s own listing before you buy from a reseller.
• Steal the party format, not the budget. The idea that travels to an LA birthday is a signature favor that guests keep. Think a custom candle, a small-batch scent or a printed photo from the night, not a handbag.
• Halloween weekend tip: if you’re throwing a party, one memorable take-home beats a bigger bar tab. People post the favor, not the drinks.

Our take (opinion)

From first principles, a luxury favor works because it moves the story from the host to the guest. Four hundred people left with something to post, and every post said “Drake” without Drake posting anything. That is cheaper marketing than it looks.

The fragrance launch is the smarter long-term play. Bags get resold. A scent with his name on it gets reordered. If DoSayDo is still in stock at OVO a month from now, it was a souvenir. If it sells through, Drake has a beauty business, and the party was its launch event.

Sources

• Vogue, Anna Cafolla, Oct. 25, 2026: Drake celebrates his 40th birthday
• Yahoo Entertainment, Mija Markovic, Oct. 24, 2026: Drake’s 40th Birthday Had Chanel Bags, a Shot at $1 Million and a Surprise Backstreet Boys Performance
• Hypebeast, Joyce Li, Oct. 24, 2026: Better World Fragrance House and OVO “DoSayDo” Eau de Parfum
• Complex: Drake surprised by Backstreet Boys at 40th birthday bash
• YouTube: ALL URBAN CENTRAL, 9MagTV
• Back to today’s roundup: What You Missed: Sunday, Oct 25

Photos: Getty Images, via Vogue (featured); Better World Fragrance House, via Hypebeast. Headline screenshot of Vogue’s report, Oct. 25, 2026, linked above.

RelatedOctober’s Best New Watches, From a Hermès Everyday Piece to a One-of-One for Día de los Muertos

Tips: Were you there, or did you spot a party favor on resale? Send it: editor@nightlifereport.app.

nightlifereport.app | Tips: editor@nightlifereport.app | 1049 Havenhurst Dr, Unit 67, West Hollywood, CA 90046

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