Barack Obama's 60th birthday bash: 'He had a great time'

9 August 2021

Barack Obama had a “great time” at his 60th birthday party.

Barack Obama

The former US President and his wife Michelle welcomed 200 family members and close friends to their 29-acre Martha’s Vineyard estate on Saturday (07.08.21) to ring in the special occasion, and sources have said Barack “never stopped smiling” throughout the evening.

An insider told People magazine: “[Barack had] a great time. He never stopped smiling. Literally, every time I saw him, he had the biggest smile."

The source also claimed Barack “danced all night” alongside celebrity guests including Gayle King, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Steven Spielberg, Alicia Keys, John Legend, and Stephen Colbert.

Barack – who actually turned 60 on Wednesday (04.08.21) – dressed for summer in a light grey, floral button-down shirt with the sleeves cuffed, and completed the look with white pants and a festive, black beaded necklace.

His wife Michelle wore a resort-ready green halter neck dress, which she accessorised with gold jewellery.

Custom black masks were provided for guests, but many opted not to wear them, although they were required for those working the event.

The masks, cocktail napkins, and staff badges all featured a special 44x60 monogram.

Barack was forced to scale back his birthday plans due to the ongoing spread of COVID-19, and made sure the event met “all public health guidelines”.

The family's spokeswoman Hannah Hankins said earlier this week: "This outdoor event was planned months ago in accordance with all public health guidelines and with COVID safeguards in place.

"Due to the new spread of the Delta variant over the past week, the President and Mrs. Obama have decided to significantly scale back the event to include only family and close friends.

"He's appreciative of others sending their birthday wishes from afar and looks forward to seeing people soon."

Even before the event was cut back, Barack had not asked for any gifts, as he would prefer donations to the Obama Foundation's philanthropic projects.