By Richard Pagliaro Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Photo credit: Mattel
serena williams Already a tennis Grand Slam champion.
Next month, the 23-time Grand Slam champion will become a major toy icon.
Former world no.1 serena williams will be given the first Barbie Dream Festival Icon Award The inaugural Barbie Dream Festival will be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from March 27-29, 2026.
Barbie Dream Festival Icon Award Honoring leaders, creators and change-makers who embody the spirit of possibility.
Inspired by the Barbie brand’s legacy of empowering girls with limitless potential, Mattel announced: “This prestigious award honors individuals who break barriers, redefine expectations and inspire others to dream limitless. Icon Award recipients represent the core of DreamFest: empowerment, authenticity and the fearless courage to lead the way.”
“Barbie has always represented unlimited dreams,” said Serena Williams. “She showed girls they could be athletes, leaders, creators — anything they imagined.
“I’m excited to be the first ever barbie dream festivalall about celebrating Barbie’s legacy and inspiring the next generation to believe they can be anything they want. ”
As this year’s honoree, Serena Williams will appear in exclusive live conversations with conference guests and participate in limited photo opportunities for select pass holders.
In addition to Serena Williams, the brand also announced that “The Barbie Dream Festival will welcome an extraordinary line-up of inspirational role models spanning sports, science, fashion and storytelling, who will appear in panel discussions and interactive programming, as well as autographs, photos and opportunities to meet fans:”
- Angel Reese – WNBA star, NCAA champion, popular host unapologetic angel Podcasts and cultural icons define a new era of athletic excellence and confidence.
- Dr Swati Mohan – Aerospace engineer and NASA mission operations leader lands the Perseverance rover on Mars.
- Ibtihaji Muhammad – Olympic medalist, entrepreneur and barrier-breaking fencer who inspired the first Hijab Barbie.
- Madison Marilla – Digital creators, autism advocates, Love on the Spectrum cast members and the voices of a new generation celebrating self-expression, creativity and confidence.
- Emily Calandrelli – Emmy Award-nominated science communicator, New York Times best-selling author, and host Explore outer space and Emily’s Miracle Laboratoryinspiring children around the world to embrace STEM.
- Robin Gerber – Best-selling author, historian, and expert on women’s leadership, Barbie and Ruth: The story of the world’s most famous doll and the woman who created her.
- Chef Becky Brown: MasterChef Finalist, Chopped Champion and the Executive Chef Behind Malibu Barbie Cafe
Barbie DreamFest tickets are on sale now at BarbieDreamFest.com.
serena williams Barbie Dream Festival Icon Award About seven months after sister Venus Williams got her own Barbie doll.
The doll depicts Venus in an all-white outfit to commemorate her five Wimbledon titles and her role as a key figure in offering equal prize money to women and men at Wimbledon.
The Venus doll is part of Barbie’s “Inspiring Women” collection and was launched at major retailers on August 15 last year.
