Barack Obama has marked the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center in his hometown of Chicago with a ceremony that was attended by every living former president except for current President Donald Trump.
The in-person audience at the grand opening ceremony was invitation only, with Presidents Biden, Bush and Clinton in attendance with former first ladies Jill Biden, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton at the event.
Trump, after he previously criticized the $850 million project as a “disaster,” was not invited to the event, but Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett said he would be welcome to visit the museum and get a tour at a later time.
The June 18 ceremony — hosted by the former president and former first lady Michelle Obama — took place a day before the presidential center, which has been in the works for a decade, opens to the public on Juneteenth for thousands of guests.
The grand opening, which was livestreamed on the center’s website at Obama.org, had a star-studded lineup of performances from artists including Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, The Roots, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Marc Anthony, American rapper Common and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. U2's Bono and The Edge, Nigerian singer Tems, and actress and producer Marsai Martin were also on the impressive lineup.
Follow along for live updates of the Obama Presidential Center grand opening today…
Key points
- How to watch the grand opening today
- Star-studded lineup revealed
- Why Trump isn't there
- A look at the Obama Presidential Center
- Museum tickets are sold out until November
Obama Presidential Center opens today
12:26 , Carsen HoladayBarack and Michelle Obama will open the Obama Presidential Center today with a star-studded dedication ceremony.
After nearly a decade in the making, the massive 19-acre space on the south side of Chicago features a museum, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a basketball court and a garden.
The grand opening will start at noon ET.
No invite for Trump
12:30 , Carsen HoladayEvery living president will be in attendance at the grand opening ceremony except for President Donald Trump.
During a press preview of the center earlier this month, Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett said Trump is welcome to visit the museum and get a tour.
However, she said he was not invited to the dedication.
“I can tell you that this is a celebration for those who helped get President Obama where he is. And this is a gift to them,” Jarrett said at the time.
“And so the people who will be here are the people who've been helpful along the way.”
Trump has been a consistent critic of the $850 million center, calling it a “disaster” in a Truth Social post earlier this month.
Star-studded lineup
12:33 , Carsen HoladayThursday’s grand opening ceremony has an impressive lineup of performers, including:
- Bruce Springsteen
- Christina Aguilera
- The Roots
- Jennifer Hudson
- John Legend
- Stevie Wonder
- Marc Anthony
- Common
- Eddie Vedder
- Bono and The Edge
- Tems
- Marsai Martin
A look at the Obama Presidential Center
12:39 , Carsen HoladayThe Obama Presidential Center cost about $850 million to build, which was raised through private donations.
Museum tickets are sold out until November
12:55 , Carsen HoladayAs the Obama Presidential Center opens Friday, museum tickets are already all sold out for the grand opening weekend.
The next tickets available on the museum’s website are not until November.
The museum has four levels, and a ticket includes access to the Oval Office and the Sky Room.
How to watch the Obama Presidential Center grand opening today
13:39 , Ellie MuirThe event is invite-only, but it will be available to watch via livestream on the official Obama Foundation channels here from 11 a.m. CT (noon ET).
The Obama Presidential Center officially opens to the public on June 19, Juneteenth. While Museum tickets are sold out from the opening weekend through September, the rest of the campus is free and accessible for the general public.
'Finally opening'
13:56 , Carsen HoladayBarack Obama has shared a poster inviting fans to tune in to today’s ceremony.
The Obama Presidential Center is finally opening!
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 18, 2026
Tune in today on https://t.co/GYkEOK8EuT starting at 11am CT as Michelle and I share what this moment means to us and celebrate with friends, family, and members of the community in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/fZG3S0tgcL
Barack Obama gets emotional over picture on Michelle Obama's skirt
13:59 , Carsen HoladayBarack Obama was moved to tears after noticing a touching tribute to Michelle Obama’s late mother, Marian Robinson, woven into her outfit.
During Tuesday’s stakeholders event at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, the former First Lady, 62, took the stage in a custom light brown pencil skirt, featuring a portrait of her mom, who died in 2024 at age 86.
“I am so proud of my husband. He’s really messed up. I’m giving him some time, because this beautiful skirt that my stylist Meredith Koop picked out, that is a portrait — my favorite portrait of my mom — he didn’t know it existed until just a few minutes ago,” Michelle said during her speech, as she placed her hand on her husband, who was wiping the tears from his eyes.
“I’ve had a few weeks to settle down in the beauty of this skirt, but it’s messing him up for good reason,” she continued. “But Marian would have been so proud, she was so proud of her son-in-law and the man that he is and has been to our family, always dreaming probably way too big, but always pulling it off. Thank you for doing this for the South Side of Chicago, I love you.”
Barack Obama moved to tears by Michelle’s skirt featuring touching tribute
A decade of setbacks
14:30 , Carsen HoladayThe Obama Presidential Center’s official opening comes after a decade of planning and setbacks.
In 2015, the former U.S. president announced his library would be built in Chicago, where he has lived since the eighties.
However, the project also faced opposition from Friends of the Parks, which is a watchdog and environmental advocacy group in Chicago.
A federal judge gave the green light on construction in 2019.
Construction began in 2021, but it continued to be slowed by legal problems.
See inside the Oval Office at the Obama Presidential Center
15:00 , Carsen HoladayGet a look at the recreation of the Oval Office in the Obama Presidential Center.
Ceremony is invite-only
15:15 , Carsen HoladayThe Obama Presidential Center grand opening ceremony today will only be attended by people who were invited.
The exclusive guest list includes former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, as well as former first ladies Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Jill Biden.
The ceremony begins at noon ET.
Attendees start to take their seats
15:30 , Carsen HoladayAttendees are starting to find their seats about two hours before the dedication ceremony begins.
The grand opening will take place rain or shine at noon ET. The event is set to be livestreamed.
'It's a symbol of hope'
15:38 , Carsen HoladayFormer speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi said on MSNow that the Obama Presidential Center is a “symbol of hope.”
“This is about hope,” Pelosi said.
“When you go through there, you see signs of community, empathy, integrity, making change... and the president has always been about training leaders for the future.”
Obama's favorite exhibit
15:45 , Carsen HoladayFormer president Barack Obama said that his favorite exhibit in the museum at his Presidential Center is the short film Ten Letters A Day.
The film, created by Chicago-based art and performance collective Manual Cinema, uses shadow puppets to show Obama’s ritual in office he would read 10 letters sent to him by Americans at the end of each day.
Not your average presidential library
16:00 , Carsen HoladayRather than the traditional presidential library, the Obama Presidential Center is located on 19.3 acres of land on the South Side of Chicago and aims to serve as more of a community hub rather than just a place for archives.
The massive center includes:
- A 225-foot tall museum
- A Sky Room on top of the museum
- A Chicago Public Library branch
- An athletic center
- An NBA-regulation-size basketball court
- A playground
- A vegetable garden
Celebrities start to arrive
16:09 , Carsen HoladayLegendary activist Reverend Al Sharpton was seen arriving at today’s ceremony, along with comedian Quinta Brunson and Star Wars actor Mark Hamill.
Ceremony starts soon
16:30 , Carsen HoladayThe star-studded grand opening ceremony of the Barack Obama Presidential Center is set to begin in 30 minutes.
Political figures and celebrities are filing in to the 19.3-acre campus, where performances and speeches will mark the opening ceremony before the general public is allowed to roam the center starting Friday.
Where to watch
16:54 , Carsen HoladayThe program will be livestreamed on the Obama Presidential Center’s website at Obama.org.
Ahead of the show starting at noon ET, some live music from the Roots is warming up the exclusive in-person audience.
The Roots open the event
16:57 , Carsen HoladayThe Grammy-winning funk group is kicking off the show as attendees still find their way to their seats.
They played a rendition of "You Got Me," though Erykah Badu was not there to perform her vocals in the song.
Former presidents take the stage
17:12 , Carsen HoladayThe ceremony kicked off by welcoming special guests to their seats, with former Vice President Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff taking the stage.
Former President Bill Clinton and former First Lady Hillary Clinton then took the stage, followed by George W. Bush and Laura Bush.
Lastly, Jill and Joe Biden walked across the stage and joined the presidential group.
Jennifer Hudson performs the National Anthem
17:21 , Carsen HoladayEGOT winner Jennifer Hudson is performing the National Anthem at the start of the ceremony.
The legendary singer is wearing a white pantsuit with gold jewelry.
Fans left in tears
17:28 , Carsen HoladayThe grand opening ceremony is already making viewers emotional after Jennifer Hudson’s opening performance.
Watching @ObamaFoundation I am sitting here crying...I miss President Obama and having class in the White House😔
— *Tira Simpson* (@Da_ConceitedREL) June 18, 2026
Not me crying while watching Obama Presidential Center live coverage 😭🥹
— Meredith aka Merdy (@MerdyWorld79) June 18, 2026
❤️🤍💙
Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett takes the stage
17:33 , Carsen HoladayLongtime Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett says today is not a traditional presidential library opening — but instead, it’s a day of music, celebration and dancing.
“This is a campus for everybody, whether you live down the street or on the other side of the world,” Jarrett said.
People watching from all over the world
17:43 , Carsen HoladayWatch party host Marsai Martin is speaking to people in the crowd at the grand opening ceremony, who flew from all over the world to attend the event.
One woman named Claudia said she travelled from Africa the day earlier just for the event.
She said she was inspired by Obama to open the “first American school” in her country.
Christina Aguilera takes the stage
17:46 , Carsen HoladayChristina Aguilera has taken the stage in a cream tulle gown to perform one of Obama’s favorite songs, “What A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.
