YouTube announced Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Taylor Swift will be among those joining “Dear Class of 2020,” punching even more star power into its virtual commencement ceremony for this year’s quarantined graduates.
What We Know:
- More than two dozen additional artists, celebrities and influencers will participate in the livestream, set to kick off Saturday, June 6, at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT. They will join previously announced headliners President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, who are delivering commencement addresses, alongside K-pop powerhouse BTS, Lady Gaga, and more.
- Beyonce-Knowles Carter will deliver an “inspirational message” to the 2020 seniors, according to YouTube.
- Musical performances during the multi-hour marathon livestream will feature artists including Lizzo, Camila Cabello, Chloe x Halle, and Maluma. Following a symbolic graduation cap-toss, YouTube’s celebration will continue with a grad-night party headlined by BTS, along with newly announced performances by CNCO, Doja Cat, and Megan Thee Stallion.
- They will join previously announced lineup, which includes appearances from Bill and Melinda Gates, Billy Porter, Malala Yousafzai Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Zendaya, Alicia Keys, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Demi Lovato, Hasan Minhaj and more.
- Other newly announced as participating in “Dear Class of 2020” include Lala Anthony, Andy Cohen, Misty Copeland, Kevin Durant, Yara Shahidi, Michael Strahan, and Ciara and Russell Wilson.
- The event’s festival style lineup combines traditional commencement-day themes and keynotes with live entertainment. Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative, aimed at inspiring kids to continue their educational careers beyond high school, will kick off the broadcast with a full hour of programming.
- The YouTube special will be produced by Done + Dusted, which also co-produced the May 16 “Graduate Together” event – featuring Barack Obama, Lebron James and Malala Yousafzai – with James’ Springhill Entertainment.
- “Dear Class of 2020” will be streamed at this link and can be found on the YouTube Originals channel and YouTube’s Learn@Home site. YouTube doesn’t have an estimate on how long the show will be, but it will be several hours long in total.
U.S. graduating students who want a chance to participate in the event can upload videos via YouTube’s “Dear Class of 2020” website in a range of categories, like teacher shout-outs and their own celebrations. The deadline for submissions is Friday, May 22. YouTube said it will highlight “inspriring videos” from members of the class of 2020 in the weeks leading up to the June 6 livestream.
https://youtu.be/rxpTjcouaeQ
