Thousands of people will converge in Juneau next week to dance, sing and showcase their Indigenous culture.
Celebration 2026 officially kicks off on Wednesday with the theme “enduring strength.” The every-other-year gathering began more than 40 years ago to recognize the survival and persistence of Lingít, Haida and Tsimshian traditions.
The unofficial kickoff to Celebration happens Tuesday afternoon, when two separate traditional canoe or yaakw landings will take place in downtown Juneau and at Auke Recreation Area. Paddlers from other Southeast communities — including Sitka, Petersburg and Haines — will arrive after completing multi-day journeys.
The Grand Entrance parade through downtown Juneau, starting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, is the official kickoff. It will showcase more than 30 dance groups as they make their way to Centennial Hall, including groups from Hawaii and New Zealand for the first time this year. This year’s lead dance group is the Lepquinm Gumilgit Gagoadim Tsimshian Dancers, which translates to “Our Own Dance in Our Hearts.” The multigenerational group is from Anchorage.
Other events include the Northwest Coast juried art show, the Native Arts Market, traditional food contents and the ever-popular toddler regalia review.
The gathering concludes Saturday with the Grand Exit downtown.
Celebration events will broadcast live statewide on KTOO 360TV and stream on Sealaska Heritage Institute’s YouTube channel and ktoo.org/tv. You can also watch live on KTOO’s Roku and AppleTV apps.
Disclosure: KTOO’s production department is contracted to provide television and streaming services during Celebration 2026. It operates independently from the News department.
