Experience world class art and performances with no cost for admission. See events for details on availability and reservations.
Social Impact
DC Bhangra Crew
Sat. Dec. 21, 2024
Join us for Dance Sanctuaries, a series of free movement-based classes in the REACH. Dancers are invited for three one-hour structured classes & an optional Open House Hour. This week, learn beginner through advanced Bhangra styles and choreography with DC Bhangra Crew!
The REACH
Moonshot Studio
Open Sat. and Sun. 11am - 4:30pm
Moonshot Studio at the REACH celebrates creativity and the artist in everyone through hands-on art-making. The recommended age is 5 years old and above. Stop by anytime from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on (most) Saturdays & Sundays to explore our projects.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Beltway Brass Quintet
Sat. Dec. 21, 2024
The Beltway Brass Quintet is a project group conceived in 2003 by Zachary Smith of the nationally acclaimed Dixie Power Trio. The repertoire for the quintet is unusual in its emphasis on 20th century jazz harmonies and stylings; featuring guest vocalist, Raina Chan.
Millennium Stage Films
Extraordinary Cinema: Scrooged
Sun. Dec. 22, 2024
Join us for a FREE film screening in the Justice Forum at the REACH. Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is a cold and cynical TV network president who is visited by ghosts on Christmas Eve. The ghosts give him a chance to change his ways and right his wrongs.
Millennium Stage
Messiah Sing Along
Mon. Dec. 23, 2024
Be part of Washington’s most popular free holiday event, the Kennedy Center’s Messiah Sing-Along. Back by popular demand, the evening concert features conductor Nancia D’Alimonte as she leads members of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, guest soloists, a chorus of 150, and a very enthusiastic audience in Handel’s masterpiece. A family and community tradition since 1971!
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
All-Star Christmas Eve Jazz Jam
Tue. Dec. 24, 2024
Join in our annual All-Star Christmas Eve Jazz Jam, with host and vibraphonist Chuck Redd, drummer Lenny Robinson, pianist Robert Redd, bassist James King, vocalist Sharon Clark, and saxophonist Jacob Chung.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Encore Creativity
Thu. Dec. 26, 2024
Encore Creativity singers from across the nation join together for a grand celebration of older adults in the arts with the joy of singing!
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
The Legacy of the Dibinga Sisters and OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center
Dec. 27, 2024
Join us for a Kwanzaa celebration! For more than 30 years, the Dibinga Sisters have been a pillar of support for Boston’s youth. This year marks a significant milestone as their nonprofit, OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center, celebrates three decades. Come celebrate the second principle of Kwanzaa (Kujichagulia - Self-Determination) through African inspired dances and music celebrating 30 years.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
The Peace and Carol Ringers
Sat. Dec. 28, 2024
Join us as we celebrate over five decades of handbells at St. Matthew’s UMC in Annandale, VA. Under the direction of Tamara Freeman, the Peace and Carol Ringers will perform Songs of the Season.
Millennium Stage Films
Extraordinary Cinema: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Sun. Dec. 29, 2024
Join us for a FREE film screening in the Justice Forum at the REACH. As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas. However, things go awry quickly.
NEXT at the Kennedy Center on PBS
Sara Bareilles: New Year’s Eve
Tues., Dec. 31 at 8/7c on PBS
Join Sara Bareilles for a career-spanning New Year's Eve! Since her first mega-hit “Love Song,” Bareilles has become one of the most acclaimed singers and songwriters of her era.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Jill Sobule
Thu. Jan. 2, 2025
Jill Sobule’s work is at once deeply personal and socially conscious, seriously funny and derisively tragic. Having released a dozen albums, her hits include “I Kissed A Girl” and the alt-rock anthem “Supermodel” featured in the film Clueless.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Trio Sefardi
Fri. Jan. 3, 2025
Trio Sefardi, a Northern Virginia–based ensemble, performs traditional songs of the Sephardim, the descendants of Jews exiled from Spain in 1492. The Washington Post said the ensemble “gave lovely and luminous performances.”
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Niccolo Seligmann with Lucas Ashby
Sat. Jan. 4, 2025
Join medieval fiddle expert Niccolo Seligmann and percussionist Lucas Ashby on a musical tour of the Middle Ages. From Spanish miracle songs to whirlwind Italian dances and more, this concert illuminates how bright the Dark Ages really were.
Millennium Stage Films
Extraordinary Cinema: Mountains
Sun. Jan. 5, 2025
Join us for FREE film screenings in the Justice Forum at the REACH. Monica Sorelle’s tender feature debut is a multigenerational drama that deftly explores the relationships between immigrants and their children, the looming threat of gentrification, and the pursuit of the American dream.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Zar Electrik
Wed. Jan. 8, 2025
Zar Electrik pays homage to tribal cultures, particularly through the incorporation of the ancient Zar ritual originating from Ethiopia and Egypt. The group transports us into its unique universe, where the reigning forces are trance and dance.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
TAE & The Neighborly
Thu. Jan. 9, 2025
TAE & The Neighborly is a Wisconsin-based soul-pop R&B group. It was formed during 2020 over their shared love of cake baking. The Cowboy Gazette says their live show is “...going down smoother than a can of [beans] warmed on the campfire.”
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Raul Midón
Fri. Jan. 10, 2025
Blind singer-songwriter and guitarist Raul Midón is nothing if not prolific. His 14th and latest album Lost & Found is a blend of what he calls “smooth folk,” “alt-pop,” and “jazz.”
Social Impact
The Lion’s Den
Sat. Jan. 11, 2025
Join The Lion’s Den DMV and friends to learn DC’s very own, Beat Ya Feet, along with Bmore’s Baltimore Club, and a style from Los Angeles, KRUMP. Be sure to stay for the open hour for a special drumming workshop & exhibition by DMV’s local legend, Malik Dope!
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Vienna Teng
Sat. Jan. 11, 2025
Songwriter Vienna Teng reemerges this fall with her We’ve Got You—her first new music in over a decade—but her fans have been here the whole time. Teng’s new mini-EP reflects the complexity of her life over the past decade: climate change work, community building, parenthood.
Millennium Stage Films
Extraordinary Cinema: Becoming Cousteau
Sun. Jan. 12, 2025
Join us for FREE film screenings in the Justice Forum at the REACH. Academy Award®–nominated filmmaker Liz Gabus gives an inside look at adventurer Jacques Yves-Cousteau and the experiences that made him the 20th century’s most renowned environmental voice.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Maruja Limón
Wed. Jan. 15, 2025
Maruja Limón is a female sextet from Barcelona known for their vibrant music that blends flamenco, pop, and Latin rhythms. The group delivers explosive music with lyrics that balance sensitivity and irony.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
NSO Youth Fellows
Thu. Jan. 16, 2025
Students from the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship Program will perform chamber music on the Millennium Stage.
National Symphony Orchestra
Sound Health Friday
Select Fridays at 10 a.m
Join us for Sound Health Fridays at The REACH for activities prior to 11:30 a.m. NSO coffee concerts. Arrive at 9:30 a.m. and purchase coffee at the Hyannis Port Coffee Bar, and wander the REACH. At 10 a.m., participate in a Morning Sing, attend a health-inspired talk and performance, or join a wellness-inspired workshop.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
National Sympony Orchestra
Fri. Jan. 17, 2025
Members of the National Symphony Orchestra play an assortment of chamber music.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Yeison Landero
Sat. Jan. 18, 2025
Yeison Landero was born in San Jacinto (Bolívar), and carries in his soul a cumbiambero heart inherited from his legendary musician grandfather, Andrés Landero. His love for his ancestral accordion and his passion for cumbia are so great that he decided to turn them into the motor of his life.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Let Freedom Ring Celebration
Sun. Jan. 19, 2025
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Georgetown University celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a free, ticketed musical tribute, the Let Freedom Ring Celebration.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
The Guitar Renegades
Wed. Jan. 22, 2025
The Guitar Renegades are a guitar quintet comprised of Cristian Perez (founder/leader), Connor Holdridge, Jan Knutson, Parker Spears, and Tommy Holladay. Although they’re all jazz guitarists at heart, they venture into repertoire as diverse as Bach, Simon & Garfunkel, and more.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
WNO Orchestra
Thu. Jan. 23, 2025
Members of the Washington National Opera Orchestra play an assortment of chamber music.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Impactful Words Series: Mary Beard with Emperor of Rome
Fri. Jan. 24, 2025
International bestselling author Mary Beard (SPQR, The Fires of Vesuvius) offers a sweeping account of the social and political world of the Roman emperors. Don’t miss a fascinating talk with “the world’s most famous classicist” (Guardian).
Social Impact
Tara Aura
Sat. Jan. 25, 2025
Curated by interdisciplinary ritual artist Tara Aura, this Dance Sanctuaries brings together three of DC's most beloved yoga teachers for a special day of integrated mental health and wellness support. Come join dynamic yoga classes, guided meditation and a soundbath to benefit from a nervous system reset and come away with a greater sense of calm, clarity and confidence.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Lunar New Year Celebration: Stephanie Chou
Sat. Jan. 25, 2025
Prepare to welcome the Year of the Snake with lion dancing and musical performances at the Kennedy Center on the Millennium Stage! This year’s musical performance will feature Stephanie Chou, a Chinese American jazz composer, saxophonist, and singer.
Millennium Stage Films
Extraordinary Cinema: The Joy Luck Club
Sun. Jan. 26, 2025
Join us for a FREE film screening in the Justice Forum at the REACH. This epic film, based on the best-selling novel by Amy Tan, beautifully reveals startling events and conditions that have shaped the lives of several generations of Chinese women.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
The Anderson Brothers present Duke Ellington at 125
Wed. Jan. 29, 2025
“Virtuosos on clarinet & saxophone” (New York Times), Grammy®-winning Juilliard graduates and identical twins Peter & Will Anderson have performed across the world. On this lively evening of amazing jazz, the twins and their quintet will explore the works of iconic composer Duke Ellington.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
NSO Youth Fellows
Thu. Jan. 30, 2025
Students from the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship Program will perform chamber music on the Millennium Stage.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Emerging Conductors Concert
Fri. Jan. 31, 2025
Experience the energy of emerging conductors Sasha Scolnik-Brower, Chia-Hsuan Lin, Kyle Ritenauer, and Kellen Gray as they lead the National Symphony Orchestra in concert following masterclasses with Music Director Gianandrea Noseda.
Art and Ideals: President John F. Kennedy is a major permanent exhibit in the massive roof-level Atrium that explores Kennedy’s appreciation and promotion of the arts and why the Kennedy Center came to be the living memorial to him and his ideals.
Art and Ideals: President John F. Kennedy is a major permanent exhibit in the massive roof-level Atrium that explores Kennedy’s appreciation and promotion of the arts and why the Kennedy Center came to be the living memorial to him and his ideals.
See what’s coming and watch recent performances of our free in-person and livestreamed series.
Millennium Stage
Messiah Sing Along
Mon. Dec. 23, 2024
Be part of Washington’s most popular free holiday event, the Kennedy Center’s Messiah Sing-Along. Back by popular demand, the evening concert features conductor Nancia D’Alimonte as she leads members of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, guest soloists, a chorus of 150, and a very enthusiastic audience in Handel’s masterpiece. A family and community tradition since 1971!
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
All-Star Christmas Eve Jazz Jam
Tue. Dec. 24, 2024
Join in our annual All-Star Christmas Eve Jazz Jam, with host and vibraphonist Chuck Redd, drummer Lenny Robinson, pianist Robert Redd, bassist James King, vocalist Sharon Clark, and saxophonist Jacob Chung.
Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream)
Encore Creativity
Thu. Dec. 26, 2024
Encore Creativity singers from across the nation join together for a grand celebration of older adults in the arts with the joy of singing!
Watch extraordinary performances from the Kennedy Center's stages and beyond.
Explore music, dance, theater, opera, visual and media arts at home and in the classroom through informative and engaging Kennedy Center Education digital learning resources. Browse the highlights listed here, or access the complete collection (below).
Galleries By Year and Genre
Experience our collection of 45 years of tribute performances, interviews, and memories captured on film.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts presents the 24th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor to Adam Sandler. Watch interviews from the red carpet and performance highlights from the star-studded cast of special guests.
