Michelle Obama spoke at the dedication ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center, reminiscing about hosting White House sleepovers and playing hide-and-seek with her daughters Malia and Sasha, and praising them for growing up to be “brilliant and beautiful young women.”
The ceremony on Thursday, June 18, featured an impressive roster of celebrity performers, presenting a stark contrast to President Donald Trump’s recent struggles to attract celebrity support for White House events. More than a dozen acclaimed entertainers appeared, from music legends Stevie Wonder and Bruce Springsteen to U2’s Bono and The Edge. The Roots, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam, Marc Anthony, Common, Tems, and actress Marsai Martin also performed. Several are Hall of Fame inductees, and all have won major awards including Grammys, Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, and Golden Globes.
The celebrity gathering highlights former President Barack Obama’s continued ability to draw star power almost 10 years after leaving office. Several of the performers have been longtime Democrats who participated in past campaign events with the Obamas and appeared at the White House during Obama’s administration. Some celebrities, including Springsteen, have openly opposed Trump’s policies and actions during his second term in office.
The Obama Foundation announced the star-studded lineup on June 16, 2026. The dedication ceremony took place at John Lewis Plaza on the center’s 19-acre campus in Chicago’s South Side. Audiences globally watched the event live starting at 11 a.m. through Obama.org and the Obama Foundation’s TikTok, YouTube and Facebook channels.
Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation, said the celebration will embody inspiration and joy, amplified by the talented performers participating.
President Trump took time in April to attack rocker Bruce Springsteen on Truth Social for his harsh criticism of the president while on tour. The president decried the global artist as a “dried up prune” and demanded MAGA boycott his concerts.
The A-list talent in Chicago appeared just days after President Trump’s UFC birthday bash at the White House on June 14 failed to draw a star-studded crowd. Dana White, president and CEO of the UFC, told Time magazine he had extended invitations to multiple high-profile celebrities such as Adam Sandler, Guy Ritchie, Tom Brady, Jared Leto, Jason Statham, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Mario Lopez, but they declined to attend.
Comedian Nate Bargatze represented the most prominent entertainer Trump secured, which disappointed many of the Emmy-nominated performer’s supporters. The event ultimately featured mostly lesser-known performers, members of the Trump family, and business executives such as Mark Zuckerberg who have been cultivating relationships with the White House. The guest list also included comedians Shane Gillis and Tony Hinchcliffe, along with musicians Luke Bryan and Kid Rock. Zac Brown performed the national anthem at the event, which coincided with Trump’s birthday.
The president’s UFC fight also shocked viewers when a fighter hurled a vile insult at former First Lady Michelle Obama during the event.
Trump’s “Great American State Fair” entertainment lineup collapsed, with most acts pulling out within 24 hours of being announced, leaving Trump to headline the event himself with Lee Greenwood carrying most of the musical weight. Country star Martina McBride pulled out of Trump’s event after learning it was not nonpartisan as she had been told.
McBride wrote in a May 28 post on X that she was presented with an opportunity to perform at what she believed was a nonpartisan event, but that turned out to be misleading. The Commodores wrote in an Instagram post that same day that their music has always been their voice and they choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party.
Trump ended up canceling the Great American State Fair event altogether as the vast majority of artists bailed. The fair was being organized by Freedom 250, a nonprofit group Trump created to plan the semiquincentennial celebration.
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, saying he was there to entertain and unite people, not divide them.
This week, President Trump announced he would be holding a Trump rally on the National Mall on June 24 to mark America’s 250th anniversary. Country singer Lee Greenwood, who previously performed his 1984 hit “God Bless The U.S.A” at Trump’s inauguration, will perform the song at the anniversary event. The president will headline the rally and give a speech.
Trump has publicly criticized the Obama Presidential Center, calling the roughly $850 million facility a “total disaster” in a social media post. However, the Obama Foundation told USA TODAY that Trump was “welcome” to visit and tour the grounds.
The center opens to the public on June 19, with grand opening weekend festivities continuing through the Juneteenth weekend, June 19-21. The 19-acre campus 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. While museum tickets for opening weekend have sold out, the remainder of the campus will be free and open to visitors.
