The National Memorial Day Concert will make a resonant return Sunday for its 34th year, attracting star-studded performers and millions of views as America unites to honor fallen members of the U.S. military.
The concert is set to take place at 8 p.m. Eastern time Sunday and will be broadcast across the country. Half a million people are expected to attend the concert in person on the U.S. Capitol west lawn in Washington, D.C., and PBS will livestream the event on its website. Viewers can expect artists to perform musical tributes, and performers also will tell real-life stories of the nation's military conflicts. The event brings a musical delight of performances from award-winning musicians and United States military choirs and ensembles.
Dozens of famous faces including both actors and musicians will perform during the 90-minute program.
The event—which returned in person last year after a two-year virtual performance during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021—has won multiple awards and will feature uplifting musical performances, documentary footage and dramatic readings, according to the website on the event.
The performance is one of PBS' best rated programs.
"On the broadcast, celebrities share real-life stories spanning the broad history of our nation's military conflicts, award-winning musicians perform songs in tribute to our country's true heroes and the finest performers from the United States premier military choirs and ensembles are featured," the website said.
Newsweek reached out to PBS by email for comment.
Where to watch
Local station showtimes of the event are available on the event's website. Livestream options are also available on YouTube, the PBS app and PBS.org. PBS will run a repeat episode of the program at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Viewers can watch the recording of the concert for two weeks following the live broadcast.
The featured stories and Memorial Day history are also available on the website.
Performers will include famous faces and well-known musicians to remember the fallen soldiers. Here's a list of who to expect:
Joe Mantegna
The Tony- and Joseph Jefferson-award-winning actor is known for his role as Richard Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross. He is also known for his roles in House of Games, Searching for Bobby Fisher, Godfather III, The Rat Pack and Criminal Minds.
Gary Sinise
Sinise is the co-founder of Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
Trace Adkins
The country music star has sold more than 11 million albums and charted 40 singles on Billboard's Country Airplay Chart. He has earned numerous awards and Grammy nominations.
S. Epatha Merkerson
Merkerson is widely known for her 17-season run in Law & Order.
John Slattery
Slattery was nominated for an Emmy Award for his performance in Mad Men. He has had numerous other roles, including on Documentary Now, Arrested Development, Sex and the City and many others.
Dulé Hill
Hill stars in ABC's reimagining of The Wonder Years and has appeared in other films such as Hypnotic and Locked Down.
Yolanda Adams
The well-known gospel musician has earned four Grammy Awards and is the host of The Yolanda Adams Morning Show.
Mary McCormack
McCormack has performed in Murder One, The West Wing, In Plain Sight and The Kids Are Alright.
Jo Dee Messina
The singer has posted nine No. 1 hits and sixteen Top 40 songs. She has been honored by the ACM Awards, CMA Awards, and Grammy Awards.
The War and Treaty
The husband-and-wife duo is described as "one of the most electrifying new acts in American music" according to the PBS website.
Chosen Jacobs
Jacobs launched his musical career by singing opera for the Georgia Boys Choir. He also is an actor and has performed in Atlanta theaters.
Phillip Phillips
Phillips won American Idol Season 11 and has recorded several albums.
Megan Hilty
Hilty performed in the musical drama Smash and started her career on Broadway.
Jack Everly
Everly is the Principal Pops Conductor of the Indianapolis and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa.
Other performers:
There will be other performances as well, such as The National Symphony Orchestra, The Military District of Washington, The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, The U.S. Army Chorus, The U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters, The U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants and The Soldiers' Chorus of the United States Army Field Band.
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