The official opening of the Obama Presidential Center this week will double as one of the year’s most impressive all-star music gatherings. (Spin Magazine report)
The invitation-only dedication ceremony, scheduled for June 18 in Chicago’s historic Jackson Park, will feature performances and appearances from a cross-generational lineup that includes Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Common, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, the Roots, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Marc Anthony, Tems, Bono and the Edge of U2 and actress/producer Marsai Martin.
The event marks the formal unveiling of the 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center, a sprawling campus designed to serve as both a museum and civic hub inspired by the values and legacy of Barack and Michelle Obama. The ceremony will be livestreamed via Obama.org and the Obama Foundation’s social channels, while ticketed guests will gather nearby at Midway Plaisance Park to watch the proceedings on large screens.
“This Grand Opening ceremony will be unlike any other,” Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett says. “We hope to inspire people everywhere to believe in their power to bring change home.”
Organizers describe the ceremony as a gathering of “global leaders, artists, changemakers and citizens,” with a focus on civic engagement and community action as much as entertainment.
Located in Chicago’s South Side, the Obama Presidential Center includes a museum, library, public gardens, walking paths and community gathering spaces. Following the grand opening, the campus will be open daily to visitors free of charge.
The 64-year-old served as America's leader from 2009 to 2017.
