Bernice King to Lead Atlanta’s MLK Day Commemorative Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church on January 19

Atlanta marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a public commemorative service led by Bernice A. King

Rev. Dr. Bernice A. King, chief executive officer of The King Center, is set to lead the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Beloved Community Commemorative Service on Monday, Jan. 19, at Ebenezer Baptist Church in downtown Atlanta. The service is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Eastern and is free and open to the public at the church’s New Horizon Sanctuary.

The event serves as the culminating program of The King Center’s annual King Holiday Observance, which runs this year from Jan. 8 through Jan. 19. The 2026 observance theme is “Mission Possible 2: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way,” continuing a framework The King Center has used to connect commemoration with community-focused civic engagement.

How the commemoration fits within Atlanta’s broader holiday schedule

The commemorative service is part of a multi-day slate of public events in Atlanta organized around King’s legacy and nonviolent social change. The schedule includes educational programming, youth-focused events, and convenings intended to draw participation from a range of communities and professions.

• Beloved Community Global Summit: Jan. 14–16

• MLK Jr. Beloved Community Awards: Saturday, Jan. 17

• Beloved Community Commemorative Service: Monday, Jan. 19 at 10 a.m.

Programming details: music and speakers

Organizers have announced that the Jan. 19 service will include musical performances and appearances by faith and cultural leaders. The program is expected to feature performances by Shirley Caesar, Tramaine Hawkins, Jamal Roberts, Bishop William Murphy and Mark Gutierrez.

Ebenezer Baptist Church remains central to the holiday’s Atlanta observances because of its historic ties to the King family and its ongoing role as a civic and spiritual gathering place in the city. The commemorative service has become an annual focal point for public reflection on King’s work and its continuing relevance.

Awards weekend highlights ahead of the service

Two days before the commemorative service, The King Center’s MLK Jr. Beloved Community Awards are scheduled for Jan. 17 in Atlanta. The awards recognize individuals and organizations for leadership aligned with social justice and community-building goals. Publicized honorees for 2026 include Viola Davis and Billie Eilish, among others.

The King Center has framed the 2026 observance around “building community” through a combination of commemoration, education and service-oriented engagement.

The Jan. 19 service is expected to draw local residents and visitors to Auburn Avenue and downtown Atlanta as the city’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities reach their peak.