Award-winning artists Demi Lovato and Jon Batiste will appear as part of the celebration marking the official start of the 2026 USA Games
MINNEAPOLIS, May 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Demi Lovato and Jon Batiste will perform during the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games on June 20 at Huntington Bank Stadium, kicking off a weeklong competition that will bring nearly 3,000 athletes from all 50 states to Minnesota. The two-and-a-half-hour ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m. and will feature separate performances from Lovato and Batiste, punctuating the evening's large-scale production with signature moments throughout the celebration, alongside entertainment and traditions at the heart of the Special Olympics movement. Tickets are available now at https://gophersports.evenue.net/events/SO
k5:G 4=2DDlQ!#}0x>365565pDD6E#676C6?46Q :5lQs:GpDD6E!=246w@=56C`QmkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>>2]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^ahg_g`_^s{000y2?60sJ=2?0r@5J000$A640$9@@E0ac00`]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk^2mk^Amk^5:Gm
kAm%96 6G6?:?8 H:== 762EFC6 E96 !2C256 @7 pE9=6E6D 2D 56=682E:@?D 6?E6C E96 DE25:F>[ C6>2C<D 7C@> $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D r92:C>2? %:> $9C:G6C 2?5 E96 =:89E:?8 @7 E96 42F=5C@? E@ @77:4:2==J @A6? E96 v2>6D]k^Am
kAm{@G2E@[ <?@H? 7@C 96C 25G@424J 2?5 492>A:@?:?8 :?5:G:5F2=:EJ[ H:== 3C:?8 2? 6=64EC:7J:?8 A6C7@C>2?46Â @7 72?\72G@C:E6 9:ED]Â QxVG6 2=H2JD 36=:6G65 E92E 36:?8 F?2A@=@86E:42==J H9@ J@F 2C6 :D E96 >@DE A@H6C7F= E9:?8 J@F 42? 5@] xV> D@ 9@?@C65 E@ 36 A2CE @7 2 ?:89E E92E 46=63C2E6D E96D6 2E9=6E6D H9@ 6>3@5J E96:C DEC6?8E9 2?5 :?5:G:5F2=:EJ 6G6CJ 52J]QÂ k^Am
kAmq2E:DE6[ H9@D6 Q$E2J wF>2?Q A9:=@D@A9J 46?E6CD @? 4@??64E:@? 2?5 D92C65 6IA6C:6?46[ H:== A6C7@C> 2 D6E 56D:8?65 E@ 3C:?8 E96 6?E:C6 DE25:F> E@86E96C] Qx 2> :?4C65:3=J 9@?@C65 E@ 4FC2E6 2?5 A6C7@C> 7@C E96 $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D &$p v2>6D ~A6?:?8 r6C6>@?J] {6EVD 46=63C2E6 E96 A@H6C @7 :?4=FD:@? 2?5 E96 :?5@>:E23=6 DA:C:E @7 E96 :?4C65:3=6 2E9=6E6D 4@>A6E:?8 E9:D J62C]Qk^Am
kAm%96 ~A6?:?8 r6C6>@?J <:4<D @77 E96 a_ae $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D &$p v2>6D[ E2<:?8 A=246 yF?6 a_–ae 24C@DD E96 %H:? r:E:6D] r@>A6E:E:@?D H:== 36 96=5 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:??6D@E2 2?5 E96 }2E:@?2= $A@CED r6?E6C :? q=2:?6[ H:E9 >@C6 E92? `__[___ 72?D 6IA64E65 E9C@F89@FE E96 H66<] x? 255:E:@? E@ 4@>A6E:E:@?[ 72?D 42? 6IA6C:6?46 u2? +@?6D 2?5 4@>>F?:EJ 6G6?ED E92E 3C:?8 E96> 4=@D6C E@ E96 2E9=6E6D 2?5 E96 >:DD:@? 369:?5 E96 >@G6>6?E]k^Am
More from this section
kAm%96 v2>6D H:== 4@?4=F56 yF?6 ae H:E9 2 7C66 r=@D:?8 r6C6>@?J 2E wF?E:?8E@? q2?< $E25:F>[ 2 46=63C2E@CJ 7:?2=6 762EFC:?8 6?E6CE2:?>6?E 2?5 E96 DJ>3@=:4 A2DD:?8 @7 E96 E@C49 E@ E96 ?6IE 9@DE 4:EJ] u@C E:4<6ED 2?5 >@C6 56E2:=D 23@FE E96 ~A6?:?8 2?5 r=@D:?8 r6C6>@?:6D[ 4@>A6E:E:@? 2?5 u2? +@?6 D4965F=6D[ 2?5 G@=F?E66C @AA@CEF?:E:6D[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^=:?<^nEl_U2>Aj=l6?U2>Aj@lceghdge\`U2>Aj9lb_adgddd__U2>AjFl9EEATbpTauTaua_aeDA64:2=@=J>A:4DFD282>6D]@C8TauU2>Aj2la_aeDA64:2=@=J>A:4DFD282>6D]@C8Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQma_aeDA64:2=@=J>A:4DFD282>6D]@C8k^2m]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mp3@FE E96 a_ae $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D &$p v2>6Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm%96 a_ae $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D &$p v2>6D – D4965F=65 7@C yF?6 a_\ae[ a_ae[ 24C@DD |:??6D@E2VD %H:? r:E:6D H:E9 DA@CED 4@>A6E:E:@?D 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:??6D@E2 2?5 E96 }2E:@?2= $A@CED r6?E6C :? q=2:?6 – :D 2 ?2E:@?2= 46=63C2E:@? @7 :?4=FD:G:EJ[ 492?8:?8 A6C46AE:@?D[ 2?5 E96 23:=:EJ @7 E96 9F>2? DA:C:E C:D:?8 23@G6 =:>:E2E:@?D] %96 &$p v2>6D[ H:E9 4@\AC6D6?E:?8 A2CE?6CD y6CD6J |:<6VD $F3D 2?5 &?:E65w62=E942C6[ H:== 36 @?6 @7 E96 3:886DE &]$] DA@CE:?8 6G6?ED @7 E96 J62C[ 5C2H:?8 E6?D @7 E9@FD2?5D @7 72?D E@ 46=63C2E6 E96 23:=:EJ @7 ?62C=J b[___ :?4C65:3=6 2E9=6E6D 7C@> 2== d_ DE2E6D 2D E96J 4@>A6E6 :? `e ~=J>A:4\EJA6 E62> 2?5 :?5:G:5F2= DA@CED]k^Am
k5:G 4=2DDlQ!#}0x>365565pDD6E#676C6?46Q :5lQs:GpDD6E!=246w@=56CaQmkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>>2]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^ahg_g``^y@?0q2DE:DE60pAAC@G650x>28600`]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk^2mk^AmkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>>2]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^a_eahef^$A64:2=0~=J>A:4D0&$p0v2>6D0|:??6D@E20a_ae0{@8@]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk^2mk^Amk^5:Gm
kA :5lQ!&#{Qmk:>8 E:E=6lQr:D:@?Q H:5E9lQ`aQ 96:89ElQ`aQ 2=ElQr:D:@?Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^:>8^72G:4@?]A?8nD?lrve_dfaU2>AjD5la_ae\_d\`dQ ^m ':6H @C:8:?2= 4@?E6?E E@ 5@H?=@25 >F=E:>65:2ik2 :5lQ!#}&#{Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQ 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^a_ae\DA64:2=\@=J>A:4D\FD2\82>6D\2??@F?46D\@A6?:?8\46C6>@?J\6?E6CE2:?>6?E\=:?6FA\E:4<6ED\@?\D2=6\?@H\b_affb`bf]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^a_ae\DA64:2=\@=J>A:4D\FD2\82>6D\2??@F?46D\@A6?:?8\46C6>@?J\6?E6CE2:?>6?E\=:?6FA\E:4<6ED\@?\D2=6\?@H\b_affb`bf]9E>=k^2mk^Am
kAm$~&#rt a_ae $A64:2= ~=J>A:4D &$p v2>6Dk^Am
kAmk:>8 2=ElQQ DC4lQ9EEADi^^CE]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^CE]8:7n}6HDxE6>x5lrve_dfaU2>Aj%C2?D>:DD:@?0x5la_ae_d`d_gb_!#0}t($0&$!#00000rve_dfaU2>Ajs2E6x5la_ae_d`dQ DEJ=6lQ3@C56Ci_AIj H:5E9i`AIj 96:89Ei`AIjQ ^mk^Am
