How Malia Obama Spent Sundance: A Neon Party, Nightclubbing and Too Short Show at Tao Park City

Malia Obama stepped onto a red carpet last week for the first time with good reason. The former first daughter hit Park City for the Sundance Film Festival premiere of her short film The Heart, an 18-minute directorial debut that snagged a spot in the U.S. short fiction films program of the 2024 edition. The premiere screening happened on the fest’s opening day, Jan. 18, and screened two more times over the weekend.

It wasn’t all work and no play for the 25-year-old daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama. The Hollywood Reporter learned that after her big premiere, Malia swung by the Neon party at Sommsation Wine Lounge at local wine bar Old Town Cellars on Main Street. With secret service in tow, Malia chatted with The White Lotus stars Fred Hechinger and Will Sharpe. Other stars at the event —  which featured Sommsation’s luxury wine-tasting experience with pours from Terratorium, Halter Ranch and cocktails by Hendrick’s Gin — included Billy Magnussen and John Early with his crew from the festival entry Stress Positions.

Then over the weekend, Malia hit up Tao Park City presented by Poppi. Arriving on Saturday after 1 a.m. and declining red carpet pics, she and an entourage that included reps and close friends posted up at a VIP table next to the stage. Sipping on Casamigos tequila cocktails, Malia “seemed to be in great spirits,” said a source, as she danced a little while watching a performance by Too Short. The rapper, in town for the premiere of his movie Freaky Tales, surprised the crowd with a full set that included a performance of his hit “Blow the Whistle.”

It was a late night (or early morning) for Malia, as is often the case for TAO revelers, as sources confirmed that she stayed at the pop-up club for approximately two hours with music by DJ Mel DeBarge. Other VIPs making the rounds that night included Kieran Culkin, Aubrey Plaza, Steven Yeun and Lil Jon who celebrated his birthday with cake and bottle service. Though no official imagery surfaced from her social rounds around Park City, Malia can be seen in this Casamigos sizzle reel posted to the brand’s Instagram account from inside Tao Park City presented by Poppi.

Tao, a Park City hotspot during this year’s festival, featured specialty Poppi cocktails, a Hendrick’s Gin whimsical winter chalet, an après ski Campari bar serving up aperol spritz and Negroni sbagliatos, Casamigos as the exclusive tequila partner, champagne pours at the Moët & Chandon bar and Whispering Angel rosé.

The list of other boldfaced names who popped by included Bijou Phillips, Chris Colfer, Danny Ramirez, Dylan Mulvaney, James Morosini, Jeremy O. Harris, influencer Josh Richards, Kathryn Newton, Kenya Barris, Leslie Grace, Real Housewives stars Lisa Barlow and Meredith Marks, Talia Ryder, Will Forte, Will Sharpe and Blue Beetle star Xolo Maridueña.