PBS Wisconsin and Wisconsin Public Radio will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a special live broadcast of the 46th annual State of Wisconsin Tribute & Ceremony honoring the life and legacy of Dr. King from the State Capitol in Madison.

The event will air and stream live at noon Monday, Jan. 19 on The Wisconsin Channel, or PBS Wisconsin-2, and at pbswisconsin.org. The program will be rebroadcast at 8 p.m. on The Wisconsin Channel. It will also air live at 12 p.m. on WPR Music and wpr.org and be rebroadcast at 7 p.m. on WPR News and wpr.org.

Hosted by WPR’s Dr. Jonathan Øverby, Wisconsin’s event is the oldest official state celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day  in the United States. This year’s theme is “The Power of Unity.” Featured participants include Chicago’s Victory Travelers gospel group, violinist Dr. Lawren Brianna Ware, pianist George Ramey, Wisconsin Poet Laureate Brenda Cárdenas and the presentation of the 2026 MLK Heritage Awards. Journalist Ahmed Baba will give the keynote address.

PBS Wisconsin and Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) are services of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Wisconsin Public Media division and the Educational Communications Board. Together, they serve communities statewide through trusted journalism and Wisconsin storytelling, music, cultural programming, lifelong learning and educational resources – on air, online and in person through live events, freely accessible to all and powered by community support. pbswisconsin.org

-END-