The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures announced on Thursday, 8 October 2026, that Taylor Swift will perform at its sixth annual Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles on 17 October. The evening honours filmmaker and composer John Carpenter, actor Colman Domingo and actress Charlize Theron, and raises funds for the museum’s exhibitions, screenings and education programmes.
A private concert to close the night
According to the museum and reporting by Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, Swift’s set will close the gala. Amy Homma, Director and President of the Academy Museum and Academy Collection, said the museum was “thrilled to welcome her” and described her as “an extraordinary talent whose work resonates around the world”. Last year’s gala featured a performance by Bruce Springsteen; previous honorees have included Penélope Cruz, Bowen Yang and Walter Salles.
This year’s event is co-chaired by Tom Ford, Robert Rodriguez, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw. Proceeds support the museum’s public programmes. The Academy Museum also noted that gala honorees take part in related public events; Carpenter has hosted screenings linked to the museum’s horror exhibition, and Theron appeared in conversation with its Teen Council earlier in the season.
Soundtrack work and awards season
Coverage of the announcement links the booking to awards-season interest in Swift’s original song “I Knew It, I Knew You”, written for the animated film Toy Story 5. Deadline and Billboard report that she has already performed the track at the film’s world premiere and at a Grammy Museum appearance. The gala itself is a fundraising evening for the museum rather than an Academy Awards ceremony, but it traditionally draws a film-industry guest list as awards season gathers pace.
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Sources: Academy Museum of Motion Pictures press materials on the 2026 Academy Museum Gala; Deadline, “Taylor Swift To Perform At Academy Museum Gala This Month In L.A.” (8 October 2026); The Hollywood Reporter, “Taylor Swift to Perform at This Year’s Academy Museum Gala” (8 October 2026); Billboard, “Taylor Swift to Perform at Pre-Oscars 2026 Academy Museum Gala” (8 October 2026).
