While Joe Weider created an American bodybuilding institution with the advent of the Mr. Olympia in 1965, the pop-culture phenomenon has continued to grow under the leadership of current owner Jake Wood, who helps connect the Olympia event with larger-than-life athletes, passionate partner brands and a growing number of international fitness fanatics.
The Olympia event has always prided itself on being inclusive, focusing only on flexibility while ignoring restrictions such as borders and politics. From the New Yorker, Larry Scott first won the Mr. Olympia during the inaugural exhibition in 1965, seven other countries have produced holders of the title of Mr. Olympia, including the Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger and famous champions from Cuba to Iran.
Olympia Weekend has evolved alongside technology
But in those early days of the Olympia, with no television coverage to reach the masses, competition attendees consisted primarily of the bodybuilders, their coaches and families, and those fans who were local to the event. Then, when the show finally hit domestic television screens, foreign bodybuilding fans still had to find creative ways to see those stars they only read about in glossy magazines like Muscles & Fitnessthey compete. While the 80s saw Olympia events in countries such as Germany, England and Australia, the competition was based in the United States from the 90s onwards, meaning fans had to figure out how to watch the best physiques in the business for the Mr Olympia title.
“The DVDs were such a great thing,” explains Robert Scafidi, a 41-year-old bodybuilding enthusiast from Melbourne, Australia, who is now a regular Olympia vacationer and follows the event in every select U.S. host city. “People used to trade DVDs at your local gym,” he recalls. “Before YouTube and Instagram, DVDs were what people exchanged and you couldn’t get enough of it.”
Back in the 90s, with a growing fan base, Olympia organizers wanted to connect bodybuilding stars with their supporters, and soon followed humble meet-and-greet-style events in ballrooms near the competition’s main stage. Fast forward to 2025, and these engagement events have exploded into exhibitions, to the point where thousands of fans from around the world gather for the annual Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend. Indeed, the Olympia is no longer just about crowning a new bodybuilding champion. The big weekend is an unmissable opportunity for fans, aspiring bodybuilding stars, today’s influencers and big brands to come together in the name of fitness.
Bodybuilding enthusiast and competitor Louis Howell, 23, from Northamptonshire, England, made his first pilgrimage to Olympia in 2024 for the 60th edition and it was a very special experience for him because England’s Samson Dauda won the title in the same year. Howell had such a great trip to ‘O’ that he returned in 2025, this time with his friend and fellow bodybuilder. 28-year-old Brandon Fairbrother from Lincolnshire, England. And so, this year, the two friends managed to make an unforgettable vacation from the event held once again in Las Vegas. The DVDs may have been released, but now it’s social media that provides the driving force for future fans.
“In lockdown, I actually saw Chris Bumstead come on TikTok and I said, ‘This is what I want to do with my life,'” says Louis Howell, who has become a disciplined athlete in his own right. “And from there on out, that’s all I’ve ever done and that’s all I’m going to do.”
While bodybuilding is often seen as a shallow business, the truth is much, much deeper. “Health-wise, mentally, it’s been fantastic,” says Brandon Fairbrother. “Bodybuilding has saved me from following a course.” The positive journey Fairbrother talks about, choosing to live his best life and avoiding negative lifestyle habits through his love of fitness, is a story you’ll hear countless times during every Olympia weekend, regardless of the host’s location.
The Olympia Expo is great for fans and a goldmine for partner brands
With the Olympia show becoming a mecca for muscle builders and fitness enthusiasts visiting from every corner of the globe, the savviest brands have been quick to capitalize on the attractive demographic flocking to buy entry tickets. In 2025, Gymshark, a British company that started small selling fitness clothing, but now has a global presence and is on track for an annual turnover of $1 billion became an official sponsor of the Olympia and this year gave fans the chance to interact with stars such as the aforementioned six-time Classic Physique champion Chris Bumstead and social media star turned IFBB pro Sam Sulek. Other exhibitors at the 2025 show included Linear Bar, a protein that contains zero sucralose and includes all organic ingredients. Then there’s Red Bull and the UFC Gym, where the crew put their guests through their paces with fun fitness challenges. like how long can you curl a set of 35kg dumbbells without reaching failure? These brands, and hundreds of others, reached over 60,000 people from more than 70 prefectures at Olympia expobut they didn’t just sell an impersonal product, they helped bring the fitness community together.
Olympia Weekend has become an unrivaled holiday destination
Blessing Awodibu is a two-time Arnold Classic winner who lives in Ireland and was born in Nigeria. To his fans, he’s known as “The Boogie Man,” but he’s really a gentle giant who loves to interact with culture. “There are absolutely thousands of people here,” he tells M&F during an appearance at the Las Vegas Convention Center representing MuscleTech. “That’s why I love fitness, man. That’s why I love bodybuilding. You get a lot of support from the internet, social media, Instagram, YouTube, (but) it’s really cool to meet these guys, shake hands, talk, connect with them. So, it’s special. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
The challenge to make Olympia better with each passing year lies in its mantle, Jake Wood, a competitive bodybuilder himself, intends to maintain the lasting legacy of Joe Weider while taking Olympia to new heights. To that end, in 2025, Wood gave the go-ahead for a record prize pool for contestants totaling $2 million. This year’s Mr Olympia, Derek Lunsford, won a whopping $600,000 for his performance on stage at the Resorts World Theatre. But despite the sheer size of the athletes, fitness culture can often seem like a small world at times, and that’s another appealing prospect for fans who want to meet their heroes.
“Oksana Grishina, who is a multiple Fitness Olympia champion, was just sitting next to me and recognized me from shows in Australia and also from here,” says our Australian fan, Robert Scafidi. “It’s a community and camaraderie between like-minded individuals,” he explains. Of course, this is a sentiment strongly shared by British lads too. “It’s probably the best vacation we’ve ever had,” says Brandon Fairbrother. “Ah, it certainly won’t be my last Olympia,” agrees Louis Howell.
For more information on Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend, visit
