A-list talent announced for Obama presidential library opening

The upcoming grand opening ceremony for former President Obama’s presidential center will feature a lineup of award-winning performers, the former president’s nonprofit announced on Tuesday.

The Obama Foundation’s chief executive, Valerie Jarrett, said that the Thursday event “will be unlike any other — filled with music, performances, and hope.”

“The Grand Opening Ceremony will reflect a spirit of inspiration and joy, with a big boost from the performers who are sharing their talent with us. We hope to inspire people everywhere to believe in their power to bring change home.”

The celebration will include performances from Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, John Legend, The Roots, Common, Jennifer Hudson, Marc Anthony, Tems and U2’s Bono and The Edge.

Actress and producer Marsai Martin, who starred in ABC’s sitcom “Black-ish,” will also participate in the event, and the Illinois National Guard’s Color Guard will perform in the opening ceremony.

The ceremony will be livestreamed starting at 11 a.m. local time, and noon EDT, on The Obama Foundation’s social media accounts.

Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama will give speeches at the dedication event, ahead of the library’s public opening on June 19.

In a video message shared in March, the former head of state expressed his gratitude to the residents of the south side of Chicago, where the center is located.

“Thank you for raising Michelle, for welcoming me as one of your own and for lifting up our family every step of the way,” Obama said. “And thank you for embracing this presidential center, not as something of mine, but of yours. Hope is coming home, and it wouldn’t have happened without all of you.”

During a tour of the presidential center shared on his Instagram earlier this month, Obama said his “favorite exhibit” features some of the letters he received from American citizens during his time in office.

“Some of the letters make me cry still,” Obama said in the video.

The $850 million construction project has set records as the longest-delayed and most-expensive presidential library in history. The center, which was originally supposed to open in spring of 2026, includes a museum, Obama Foundation offices, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a playground and more.