The upcoming 2026 Summer Gala at Lincoln Center is shaping up to be an unforgettable affair.
Billboard has exclusively learned that EGOT-honored artist and chart-topping sensation John Legend will headline the opening of the “Summer for the City” festival. Taking place on June 1 at Manhattan’s iconic David Geffen Hall, the performance will anchor a star-studded gala evening. The event will celebrate the extraordinary career of ballet pioneer Misty Copeland—the American Ballet Theatre’s first Black principal dancer—who is set to receive the inaugural Lincoln Center Luminary Award. Additionally, the gala will honor the philanthropic contributions of Andreas C. Dracopoulos, co-president of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
For those eager to attend, concert tickets become available to Friends of Lincoln Center members this Wednesday (May 13) at 12:00 p.m. ET, with the general public sale following this Friday (May 15) at noon. Proceeds from the gala and its associated concert directly benefit Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to maintaining inclusive, accessible, and often free arts programming for the community. Additional details regarding the full summer series can be found at Lincoln Center’s official website.
It has been a remarkably productive year for Legend. Recently, he collaborated with legendary vocalist Dionne Warwick on the new single “Where Is Your Heart,” a standout track from her upcoming album, Dwuets, arriving August 8. Beyond his current “A Night of Songs & Stories” concert tour, Legend is flexing his creative muscles as a producer for the Tony-nominated production Cats: The Jellicle Ball and is actively developing his debut theatrical musical—an ambitious reimagining of Imitation of Life.
