City of Orlando celebrating the life, legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with MLK Gospel Concert
The event will be held at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 at 7 p.m.
BUDDY DYER AND A SPECIAL COMMISSION THEY’RE GOING TO BE TAKING FOR WEEKS NOW, THE CITY OF ORLANDO, THEY’VE BEEN HONORING HERE, DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING. SUCH A SPECIAL MONTH HERE. AND THE CELEBRATION WILL BE CONTINUING. SO AS WE DRAW CLOSER HERE, THE MLK GOSPEL CONCERT, ORLANDO MAYOR BUDDY DYER AND A SPECIAL COMMISSION WILL BE PARTNERING HERE WITH GRAMMY AWARD WINNING DIRECTOR TO PAIR STORYTELLING WITH MUSIC A PERFECT COMBINATION. SO JOINING ME NOW WITH YOUR INVITATION IS MLK COMMISSION MEMBER COREY JOHNSON, ALONGSIDE DOCTOR JEFFREY REDDING, THE CONCERT DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER. GENTLEMEN, WELCOME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY. ABSOLUTELY. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY. OKAY. SO, COREY. I’M GOING TO START WITH YOU TELL US ALL ABOUT MLK COMMISSION AND THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DO THERE. ABSOLUTELY. YES. THE MLK COMMISSION IS 40 YEARS OLD THIS YEAR AND WE’RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT. WHAT WE DO AT THE CITY OF ORLANDO MAYOR’S COMMISSION, WE GO OUT AND WE PARTNER WITH AREA PARTNERS, LIKE MY JOB, OVERSEE THE RELIABLE ONE, AND WE GO OUT AND WE GO AND HELP WITH 27 HUMANITARIANS. WE BRING THEM ON. AND THESE ARE KIDS THAT ARE AROUND ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT EXHIBITS THE BEHAVIOR OF MLK. AND THEY COME IN AND WE GET THEM TO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE FABULOUS EVENTS LIKE THE PARADE DOWNTOWN. AND ONE OF THE EVENTS THAT DOCTOR REDDING IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT AS WELL. EXCELLENT. AND WE COVERED THE PARADE. IT’S SUCH A TERRIFIC EVENT. WE HAD MARSHAL WAS ON ACTUALLY TO HIGHLIGHT THE PARADE AND EVERYTHING HAPPENING. AND SHE’S I KNOW WITH THE COMMISSION. SO YOU GUYS DO SUCH GREAT WORK. OKAY. SO JEFFREY, THAT TAKES US TO YOUR QUESTION HERE. I KNOW YOU’VE GOT A BIG WEEKEND COMING UP. TELL US ABOUT THE CONCERT AND WHAT CAN EVERYONE EXPECT WHEN THEY GO THERE? THEY CAN EXPECT A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE. THE CONCERT IS CALLED MLK. YOU ARE MY LIFE AND IT’S IS BROKEN INTO FOUR SECTIONS THAT TALK ABOUT THE HERITAGE, THE COMMITMENT, THE SACRIFICE, THE LOVE AND THE DEDICATION. OKAY, AND SO IN FOUR DIFFERENT SETS. SO YOU WILL HAVE NOT ONLY GOSPEL, YOU WILL HEAR THE ART SONG, THE SPIRITUAL. DIFFERENT ALL EVERYTHING THAT ENCOMPASSES UNITY AND HOW WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER. I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I WATCHED A CLIP OF IT ON YOUTUBE. IT GIVES YOU GOOSEBUMPS. IT’S INCREDIBLE. TELL ME ABOUT THE PERFORMERS. ARE THEY ALL AGES? IS IT THE ENTIRE THE THAT? IT’S AT THE DOCTOR PHILLIPS CENTER. YES YES YES YES. SO I MEAN, AND IF YOU’VE BEEN TO THE DOCTOR PHILLIPS CENTER, OBVIOUSLY BEAUTIFUL. BUT THEN YOU JUST HEAR THOSE INCREDIBLE VOICES. IT’S SO MOVING. AND THE THING ABOUT IT IS ABOUT 700 SINGERS. OKAY. AND SO THEREFORE WE, WE, WE WILL REPRESENT UCF ORLANDO CHORAL SOCIETY OF CHURCHES, THE WINTERGARDEN COMMUNITY CHOIR. OVER AND OVER WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT REPRESENTS EVERYTHING FROM FLORIDA. ALSO, WE HAVE SOME OF THE SOME OF OUR GREAT SINGERS FROM ORLANDO THAT WILL ALSO BE SHOWCASED. WE’RE ALSO HAVING PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN THAT WILL BE A PART OF WHAT WE CALL THE BELOVED COMMUNITY. THAT DOCTOR KING TALKED SO MUCH ABOUT. SO ONCE YOU SEE THE CONCERT, EVEN BEFORE WE SING, YOU WILL SEE THE TAPESTRY OF THE BELOVED COMMUNITY. EVERYONE FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, CULTURES, RACES AND BELIEFS UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF MAKING MUSIC AND TOUCHING AND CHANGING LIVES BRINGS EVERYONE TOGETHER, DOESN’T IT? ABSOLUTELY. SURE. ALL RIGHT. COREY. THIS IS A FREE EVENT AS WELL, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAT DOES BRING EVERYONE TOGETHER AND UNITES EVERYONE, AND ALWAYS A BONUS WHEN IT’S FREE AND YOU CAN JUST GO AND ENJOY, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. MUSIC IS THE ULTIMATE UNIFIER. ABSOLUTELY. IT IS WONDERFUL WHEN AND DOCTOR KING LOVES SPIRITUALS AS WELL. SO THE FACT THAT WE’RE COMING TOGETHER, WE WANTED TO HAVE AN EVENT, A PREMIER EVENT AT DOCTOR PHILLIPS WHERE EVERYBODY CAN COME TOGETHER AT NO COST. HOWEVER, WE ARE ENCOURAGING EVERYONE THAT COMES OUT TO BRING A NONPERISHABLE FOOD ITEM, AND WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DO IS WE’RE GOING TO DONATE THAT OUT. SO IT’S A GIVE AND TAKE ALL THE WAY AROUND. IT’S GOING TO BE A WONDERFUL EVENT AND IT’S GOING TO BE FANTASTIC. I’M JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. FREE NO CHARGE. BUT WE ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGING YOU TO BRING A ITEM SO THAT WE CAN HELP THOSE IN NEED. AND I’M SURE THEY WILL. GENTLEMEN, THIS WAS WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND WHAT TIME? WHAT TIME? THIS WEEKEND. WE HAVE NEXT SUNDAY. NEXT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY AT 7 P.M. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE’LL HAVE ALL THAT INFORMATION ON O
City of Orlando celebrating the life, legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with MLK Gospel Concert
The event will be held at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 at 7 p.m.
Updated: 10:09 AM EST Feb 12, 2026
The City of Orlando is celebrating the life, legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the 11th Annual MLK Gospel Concert on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. The event is presented by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Mayor’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission. Grammy Award–winning director, Dr. Jeffrey Redding, is the concert producer and director. Redding and MLK Commission member, Corey Johnson, join WESH 2 to preview the event and discuss its impact. Admission is free, however attendees are requested to bring nonperishable food donations for United Against Poverty.The donations will be distributed to local community and school food pantries. Click here to learn more.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
The City of Orlando is celebrating the life, legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the 11th Annual MLK Gospel Concert on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.
The event is presented by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the Mayor’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission.
Grammy Award–winning director, Dr. Jeffrey Redding, is the concert producer and director.
Redding and MLK Commission member, Corey Johnson, join WESH 2 to preview the event and discuss its impact.
Admission is free, however attendees are requested to bring nonperishable food donations for United Against Poverty.
The donations will be distributed to local community and school food pantries.