The Performers of 'A Capitol Fourth 250th Weekend Celebration' and 'America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together' – And How to Watch Them
Daniel Hautzinger
July 1, 2026
A 250th birthday seems worthy of multiple celebrations, so this year PBS is hosting two specials for the Fourth of July and America's 250th. First up is the annual Capitol Fourth with fireworks and music from Washington, D.C., this year premiering on Friday, July 3 at 7:00 pm with a repeat at 8:30 pm as well as the following day, the Fourth, at 5:30 pm and 11:00 pm. It will also be available to stream via the PBS app.
A special addition for the semiquincentennial is America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together, which will broadcast live from colonial Williamsburg with performances, fireworks, and drones on Saturday, July 4 at 7:00 pm and via the PBS app.
Meet the performers of both specials below.
A Capitol Fourth 250th Weekend Celebration
The actor and TV host Alfonso Ribeiro hosts this celebration from Washington, D.C. In addition to the performers listed below, Jack Everly and National Symphony Orchestra return, as do various other groups, including military bands.
Chicago
With a name shortened from Chicago Transit Authority and founders who were students at DePaul and Roosevelt, Chicago is strongly rooted in its eponymous city. It's also one of the most successful American bans of all time, at least as measured by the charts, thanks to songs like "Colour My World," "Feelin' Stronger Every Day," and "If You Leave Me Now." Founding member and saxophonist Walter Parazaider died in June.
Patti LaBelle
She's an iconic voice and performer of popular music, often known as the "Godmother of Soul," with a career stretching back all the way to the 1960s.
Kool & the Gang
This R&B band featuring brothers and friends have sampled numerous genres over the decades but are best known for "Jungle Boogie" and "Celebration."
Trace Adkins
Adkins is a country singer with multiple number ones to his name and a recognizable deep voice, and he is a return performer to A Capitol Fourth.
Alan Jackson
One of the best-selling music artists of all time, Jackson is a neotraditional country singer and songwriter who has nine records that have gone multi-platinum, two Grammys, and membership in the Grand Ole Opry and numerous halls of fame. He has performed at other national specials like this.
Carly Pearce
A country singer-songwriter from a younger generation, Pearce has received various country music awards and a Grammy.
Gary Sinise
Along with Joe Mantegna, another actor with Chicago ties known for playing a law enforcement agent on a long-running serial, Sinise hosts PBS' Memorial Day concert every year. Now they both appear in the companion Capitol Fourth. Sinise does extensive charitable work, particularly on behalf of veterans, one of whom he famously played in Forrest Gump. He co-founded Steppenwolf in Chicago and has acted on stage, TV, and film, as well as directing. He starred in CSI: NY.
Loren Allred
Loren Allred is known as the voice behind “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman soundtrack and gave a notable performance of the song on Britain’s Got Talent.
Joe Mantegna
Along with Gary Sinise, another actor with Chicago ties known for playing a law enforcement agent on a long-running serial, Mantegna hosts PBS' Memorial Day concert every year. (Mantegna had to pull out at the last minute this year.) Now they both appear in the companion Capitol Fourth. Mantegna is a star of Criminal Minds but began his career on stage in Chicago, working frequently with David Mamet. He also has appeared in films and directed both plays and films.
Angel Blue
Angel Blue is a Grammy Award-winning soprano who has performed in opera houses all over the world. She has played the title roles in Aida and Tosca, Violetta in La Traviata, Bess in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Mimí in La Bohéme, and more.
Just in Time
The cast of this Broadway musical featuring the songs of Bobby Darin joins A Capitol Fourth.
America Made in Virginia: 250 Years Together
The actor Richard Thomas narrates this special, while Ken Burns offers a greeting in the wake of his monumental look at our nation's founding in the documentary The American Revolution. In addition to the performers listed below, it will also feature a combination of Indigenous, West African, and English colonial drums together and readings from the Declaration of Independence.
Michael Feinstein
A singer and pianist, Feinstein keeps the tunes of the Great American Songbook alive.
Ryan Speedo Green
A bass-baritone opera singer, Speedo Green is also the subject of a book about his remarkable life, which includes a rise to the biggest opera stages from a childhood that included a stint in juvenile detention.
Kelli O'Hara
O'Hara is a Broadway star with a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical who has also appeared in TV shows like Masters of Sex and The Gilded Age as well as at the Metropolitan Opera, where she premiered Kevin Puts' The Hours.
Adrienne Warren
Another Broadway star, Warren has won two Tony Awards, including one for her portrayal of Tina Turner.
Judy Collins
The legendary singer-songwriter has been performing for almost seven decades. She has dipped into folk music, show tunes, and standards, as well as film, receiving an Academy Award nomination for a documentary about the obstacles facing women orchestral conductors.
