Watch the Obama center's grand opening with Stevie Wonder, John Legend
Kinsey Crowley- The Obama Presidential Center grand opening ceremony will start streaming at 11 am CT Thursday, June 18.
- The ceremony will take place in Chicago but will be livestreamed.
- The Obama center opens to the public on June 19, the federal holiday Juneteenth.
The Obamas are preparing to officially open the doors to the new Obama Presidential Center, starting with a star-studded ceremony.
The center, which includes a towering museum, a Chicago Public Library branch, an athletic center, a civic center and more, opens to the public on June 19.
Before that, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are expected to speak at a June 18 grand opening ceremony. That event will also include performances with stars like Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen.
The opening ceremony taking place on the plaza in front of the Chicago museum is invite-only. Even the local watch party's tickets have long been sold out.
But people around the world can tune in remotely. Here's how:
How to watch the Obama Presidential Center grand opening ceremony
The grand opening ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago will be livestreamed on the Obama Foundation website and on USA TODAY's YouTube. Find the livestream link here.
When is the Obama Presidential Center grand opening ceremony?
The Obama Presidential Center grand opening ceremony starts at 11 a.m. CT, noon ET Thursday, June 18, the day before the federal holiday Juneteenth, when it officially opens to the public.
Performers include Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera
The Obama Foundation announced these performers will participate in the June 18 ceremony.
- The Roots
- Bruce Springsteen
- Christina Aguilera
- Common
- Eddie Vedder
- Jennifer Hudson
- John Legend
- Stevie Wonder
- Marc Anthony
- Tems
- U2’s Bono and The Edge
- Marsai Martin
When does the Obama Presidential Center open?
The Obama Presidential Center opens to the public on June 19. As of June 17, museum tickets were sold out through the end of October.
Where is the Obama Presidential Center?
The museum and the surrounding campus are on Chicago's South Side in Jackson Park. It it located near the University of Chicago and the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on X (Twitter), Threads, Bluesky and TikTok.