See inside the Obama Presidential Center ahead of its grand opening
USA TODAY reporter Kinsey Crowley explored the new Barack Obama Presidential Center ahead of its grand opening on June 19th.
Former President Barack Obama has called on several high-profile friends to celebrate the opening of his new presidential center in Chicago.
The Obama Foundation on June 16 announced a lineup of performances from “global icons” for the grand opening ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center on Thursday, June 18. The dedication will kick off the grand opening weekend festivities over the Juneteenth weekend, June 19-21.
The livestreamed ceremony promises to be a “celebration of the values that shaped the Obama presidency,” including the “power to create change.” It will be available for viewing starting at noon ET/9 a.m. PT.
One major omission from what will likely be a star-studded guest list is President Donald Trump, who’d bashed the estimated $850 million center as a “total disaster” in a social media post. However, the Obama Foundation told USA TODAY Trump was “welcome” to visit and tour the grounds.
The 19-acre campus, located in Chicago’s South Side, is home to a Chicago Public Library branch, a playground, a sledding hill, a cafe and restaurant, an athletic center, community spaces and a ticketed museum that breaks from the traditional presidential library model.
Here’s who is confirmed to perform at the Obama Presidential Center’s June 18 grand opening.
Who is performing at the Obama Presidential Center opening ceremony?
The following artists will take the stage during the presidential center’s grand opening:
- Bruce Springsteen
- Christina Aguilera
- Common
- Eddie Vedder
- Jennifer Hudson
- John Legend
- Marsai Martin
- Marc Anthony
- Stevie Wonder
- Tems
- The Roots
- U2’s Bono and The Edge
How Obama’s ceremony compares to Trump’s Freedom 250 events
After nearly all of the scheduled performers backed out of Trump’s Great American State Fair in May, the president announced country singer Lee Greenwood, who previously performed his 1984 hit “God Bless The U.S.A” during Trump’s inauguration ceremony, would sing the track at a June 24 rally on the National Mall. The president will headline the event and give a speech.
Country star Martina McBride and R&B group The Commodores were among the acts that denounced the partisan nature of the event as they withdrew from the series of concerts. The fair is being organized by Freedom 250, a nonprofit group Trump created to plan the semiquincentennial celebration.
“I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading,” McBride wrote in a May 28 X post. “I asked lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states.”
“Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party. We support the betterment of all Americans,” The Commodores wrote in an Instagram post shared that same day.
Meanwhile, Vanilla Ice remained committed to going forward with his performance, and Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli confirmed he would still take part in the I Love the ’90s Tour because “I am here to entertain and unite people, not divide them,” he said in a statement.
Trump also announced the UFC Freedom 250 MMA event that took place on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14, 2026, coinciding with the president’s birthday. Zac Brown Band performed the national anthem, and other stars who took part included comedians Nate Bargatze, Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe, as well as singers Luke Bryan and Kid Rock.
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