Oprah Hits Houston

Oprah Winfrey brings her celebrity caravan to Houston: And the mania's going to take over an entire stadium

If you're a fan of free cars, favorite things and overzealous celebrities jumping on sofas, listen up: Oprah Winfrey, one of the most influential and wealthiest women in the world, is coming to Houston this Friday and Saturday. She will fill the Toyota Center with 18,000 devotees.

The media mogul’s visit is a part of her nationwide, eight-city speaking tour, Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend, which showcases a panel of talented speakers, including Elizabeth Gilbert, best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love; Iyanla Vanzant, renowned spiritual life coach and host of OWN’s Iyanla: Fix My Life; Pastor Rob Bell, an innovative pastor and author; Dr. Deepak Chopra, an acclaimed alternative medicine advocate and, of course, Oprah herself. Amy Purdy, paralympian and Dancing With The Stars contestant, will join Winfrey in presenting the Standing O-Vation, an honor that recognizes innovators in our communities.

“All of my life I have wanted to lead people to an empathy space. To a gratitude space. I want us all to fulfill our greatest potential."

Ticketholders will gather Friday night at the Toyota Center as Winfrey takes the stage from 7 to 9 p.m., engaging in an intimate discussion about her extraordinary journey, savvy wisdoms and what the weekend holds for attendees. On Saturday, guests will convene all day from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. as the aforementioned panel takes to the stage individually, preaching on a range of very Oprah-esque topics.

“All of my life I have wanted to lead people to an empathy space. To a gratitude space,” Winfrey says in a statement. “I want us all to fulfill our greatest potential. To find our calling and summon the courage to live it.”

Additionally, a pop-up town square will be immediately positioned outside the arena, featuring a selection of food, products, musical entertainment and activities from the tour’s sponsors, including Olay, Toyota, IKEA, CoverGirl, Tide, Pantene and more.

Those Houstonians are dying to see Winfrey should not fret. Tickets, starting at $199, are still available for the event. Visit the Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend website for info, a weekend schedule and all the other pertinent details.

Even the panelists are caught up in the Oprah fever.

"I’m really excited to be in Houston!" Purdy says. "I’m joining Oprah on stage to give an award on behalf of Toyota. It’s called the Standing O-Vation award, and it goes towards a Houston woman who is making a difference — someone who is making bold choices in their life to encourage change. I always say, ‘Inspiration is contagious,’ so I’m really happy to pay it forward.

“The whole weekend is exciting! It truly is inspiring. Oprah brought together some of the best thinkers and speakers in the world to sit under one stadium. The energy will be incredible."

Oprah Winfrey is coming to Houston Oct. 17 – 18 as part of her nationwide, eight-city speaking tour, Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend.

Photo by George Burns Harpo Productions Inc.

Oprah Winfrey is coming to Houston Oct. 17 – 18 as part of her nationwide, eight-city speaking tour, Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend.

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In the spotlight

Houston reels in new rank among 10 best cities for filmmakers in 2026

Photo by Kyle Loftus on Unsplash

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Houston has just snapped up new recognition as the No. 10 best place to live and work as a filmmaker in North America, according to MovieMaker Magazine's annual report, "The Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2026."

The Bayou City has made improvements after ranking 12th in the magazine's 2025 list.

The annual list ranks the best cities in the U.S. and Canada for individuals to live while working in the film industry, based on production spending, tax incentives, cost of living, the prevalence of "local film scenes," and additional factors. The list is divided into two categories: 25 big cities and 10 smaller cities or towns.

The spotlighted cities are the places where the publication believes filmmakers "have the best chance of both succeeding in the famously difficult entertainment industry, and making [their] own art."

For up-and-coming filmmakers that want to live in Texas, MovieMaker says doing it in Houston is "more sustainable than ever" thanks to incentives like the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, which increased its production grant rebate from 22.5 percent to up to 31 percent for qualified in-state spending. The report also said Houston has an "arms-wide-open" approach for filmmakers.

"As the biggest city in Texas, and fourth biggest city in America, Houston has nearly every type of location, from cityscapes to piney woods to rolling hills to nearby farmland," the report said. "It’s close to Galveston Island and the Gulf of Mexico, and car commercials love the absence of billboard advertising."

MovieMaker also highlighted Houston's diversity, its low cost of living compared to the national average, and its local festivals like the Houston Cinema Arts Festival and Houston Latino Film Festival.

"The city has enough film crew for two to three sizable features, and recent shoots have included the thrillers Eleven Days, with Taylor Kitsch, and A Love, from director Courtney Glaude, Tyler Perry Studios’ executive creator of Scripted and Unscripted," the report said. "Houston is also notable for a strong contingent of films with budgets under $1 million."

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin ranked as the No. 5 best place to live and work as a filmmaker in North America. Dallas ranked seventh, while neighboring Fort Worth ranked 12th. San Antonio appeared as No. 14, and El Paso landed 25th on the list.

filmmaking moviemaker magazine rankings city life entertainment houston