The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts named Paul Anka, David Foster, Andy Garcia, David Mamet, and Barbara Mandrell as its 49th class of Honorees on November 2, 2026, with the gala set for December 7 at Capital One Arena. Five careers, decades of hits, and a brand new stage for one of Washington’s most glamorous nights.
This marks the first time the ceremony leaves the Kennedy Center since its founding in 1978. Officials closed the main building after a partial ceiling collapse. The Center plans to transform the arena to carry the ceremony’s signature elegance.
Meet the 2026 Kennedy Center Honorees
Paul Anka scored a No. 1 hit with “Diana” at 15 and wrote “My Way” for Frank Sinatra. David Foster holds 16 Grammy Awards and helped launch Celine Dion, Josh Groban, and Michael Bublé. Andy Garcia earned an Oscar nomination for “The Godfather Part III” and premiered his film “Diamond” at Cannes this year. David Mamet won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Barbara Mandrell, twice the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year, is the only woman in the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame.
Capital One Arena sits at 601 F Street NW, above the Gallery Place Chinatown Metro station. The gala takes place Monday, December 7, 2026. Ticket pricing and public access are not publicly listed. Check the Kennedy Center website for updates.
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