When Amber Glenn steps onto the ice these days, it’s no longer just about competition. It’s about connection—something she says audiences immediately feel when the curtain rises on Stars on Ice.
“It has been absolutely incredible,” Glenn says, still sounding a bit awed by the experience herself. “Every night, standing ovations, a crazy amount of cheers. The energy is so electric—it almost knocked me off my feet.”
That energy is heading to Seattle on Saturday, May 23, when Climate Pledge Arena hosts the 2026 Stifel Stars on Ice tour. The show arrives following a historic Olympic season in Milan, where Team USA assembled one of the most decorated squads in Winter Games history—and now, many of those same athletes are bringing their victories directly to fans.
At the forefront is Alysa Liu, whose return to the sport became one of the defining stories of the Olympics. Her gold medal marked the first time since 2002 that an American woman topped the podium. Alongside her is a lineup that reflects both dominance and evolution within the sport: Madison Chock and Evan Bates, continuing their reign in ice dance, and Ilia Malinin, whose technical prowess has reshaped what’s possible in men’s skating.
Malinin—nicknamed the “Quad God”—represents a new frontier. His ability to land multiple quadruple jumps with consistency has pushed the sport into uncharted territory, and during the Olympics, he carried immense expectations as the anchor of Team USA. Glenn, who describes their dynamic as almost sibling-like, saw firsthand the pressure he faced.
“There was so much happening in those moments,” she says. “The pressure of being the next big thing… I can’t imagine. He’s doing things that are unheard of.”
That pressure briefly surfaced during the Olympic moment that didn’t go as planned for Malinin—an experience that highlighted the mental and emotional demands behind the spectacle. For Glenn, it reinforced something she’s come to understand deeply: elite skating is as much about resilience as it is about talent.
“We’re on this tour together now, and everything’s going great,” she adds. “The future looks bright.”
If Malinin represents the sport’s technical future, Stars on Ice also carries echoes of its recent past—particularly through the influence of skaters like Adam Rippon and Johnny Weir, who helped redefine what it means to be a figure skating star in the modern era.
Rippon, who became a breakout personality during the 2018 Olympics, brought wit, visibility, and unapologetic authenticity to the sport at a time when LGBTQ+ representation was still emerging on that stage. Weir, before him, had already carved out a space where artistry, fashion, and individuality were just as central as athleticism—often blurring the lines between sport and performance in ways that expanded figure skating’s cultural reach.
Glenn sees herself as part of that ongoing evolution, but not as a continuation of any single mold.
“I don’t know if I’d call it a gimmick,” she says, when asked what sets her apart. “A lot of the time, it’s just my authenticity and my care for the people around me.”
Where Weir had high fashion and Rippon had sharp humor, Glenn’s identity on the ice is rooted in emotional openness and connection. She describes herself as a “motherly” presence among her peers—someone who actively works to foster the kind of supportive environment she didn’t always experience earlier in her career.
“I want to make sure the people around me are taken care of,” she says.
That sense of care is part of what makes Stars on Ice distinct from competition. The show allows skaters to collaborate, interact, and even play—something Glenn says audiences rarely get to see.
“There are group numbers where you get to see us in a way you never would in competition,” she explains. “There’s so much interaction, so much fun.”
This year’s cast underscores that dynamic, with performers like Jason Brown—whom Glenn calls “a light in everyone’s life”—bringing emotional depth and artistry that complement the technical brilliance of skaters like Malinin.
“Jason is the best performer we have,” she says. “Anyone who meets him is blown away by how incredible he is.”
For Glenn, the tour is also an extension of her personal journey. As the first openly queer U.S. women’s figure skater at the Olympics, she occupies a space that previous generations—including Rippon and Weir—helped make possible.
“It’s really important,” she says. “There were people before me who didn’t feel like they could be their truest selves at the Olympics. I’m grateful I could be.”
Her path hasn’t been easy. She describes it as a decade-long process of resilience—navigating mental health challenges, setbacks, and moments where she nearly walked away from the sport entirely.
“It’s been a roller coaster,” she says. “But it kept getting higher every time.”
Now, with Olympic gold behind her, Glenn is redefining her purpose.
“I want to skate for me,” she says. “For fun.”
That joy—and that sense of freedom—is what audiences in Seattle can expect to feel when the tour arrives. Beyond the medals, beyond the titles, Stars on Ice offers something more human: a chance to see these athletes not just as competitors, but as artists, teammates, and individuals.
For Glenn, that authenticity is at the heart of everything.
“Queer means being your purest, happiest, most authentic self,” she says. “And feeling safe.”
On May 23, that spirit will take center ice—alongside quadruple jumps, world champions, and the legacy of skaters who helped shape the sport into what it is today.
For one night in Seattle, figure skating won’t just be about perfection. It will be about expression—and the stories that continue to push the sport forward.
Stars on Ice are also coming to Portland, OR on Sunday, May 24th. Go to www.starsonice.com for tix.
