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The Willson Center for Humanities and Arts and the UGA Performing Arts Center will welcome the world-renowned Beninese musician Angélique Kidjo to the University of Georgia September 8-10, 2026 as the Willson Center’s annual Delta Visiting Chair for Global Understanding.

Kidjo’s residency as Delta Chair will include a class session with students in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music on September 8 and an in-person taping of the WUGA radio show “African Perspectives” at downtown Athens’ legendary 40 Watt Club September 9. Her visit will culminate in a UGA Presents performance at the Performing Arts Center’s Hodgson Concert Hall on the evening of September 10. All three events are free and open to the public, though tickets are required for the Hodgson Hall concert.

“We are thrilled to welcome Angélique Kidjo to UGA as the Delta Chair and to open the 31st UGA Presents season,” said Jeffrey Martin, director of the Performing Arts Center. “She is a singular artist who has used her voice throughout her acclaimed career to uplift others and bring hope and joy to people all around the world. The connections she makes with our UGA community will no doubt be powerful, meaningful, and unforgettable.”

Angelique Kidjo is a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress, and humanitarian whose powerful voice and boundless creativity have made her one of the world’s most celebrated global music artists. Born in Ouidah, Benin, she draws on the rich musical traditions of West Africa while blending Afrobeat, jazz, funk, R&B, Latin rhythms, and pop into a vibrant, unmistakable style.

Singing in multiple languages, Kidjo has released numerous acclaimed albums that celebrate cultural diversity, resilience, and social justice. She is a passionate advocate for education, women’s empowerment, and children’s rights, serving as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and supporting girls’ education through her Batonga Foundation. Her collaborations span generations and genres, reflecting her belief in music’s ability to unite people across cultures. With electrifying performances and an unwavering commitment to positive change, Angelique Kidjo continues to inspire audiences around the world.

On September 8, Kidjo will participate in a conversation with students in a Hodgson School survey class in world music taught by Jean Kidula, professor of music in ethnomusicology. The class is open to the public and begins at 1:15 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center’s Ramsey Concert Hall.

The “African Perspectives” taping will feature Kidjo in conversation with the show’s host, Akinloye Ojo, professor in the Department of Comparative Literature and Intercultural Studies and a core faculty member in the African Studies Institute. It will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 9 at the 40 Watt, 285 W. Washington St. No tickets or reservations are required.

Kidjo’s UGA Presents performance with her band at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 10 will include music from her newest album, HOPE!! Free advance tickets are available now through the Performing Arts Center website and box office. Tickets must be presented at Hodgson Hall by 7:15 p.m. or the corresponding seats will be opened to general admission.

“Angelique Kidjo’s residency is an outstanding example of the unique interactions the Delta Visiting Chair is designed to facilitate,” said Nicholas Allen, Baldwin Professor in Humanities and director of the Willson Center. “The ability to provide our community with multiple opportunities and contexts in which to encounter such an iconic global figure is the irreplaceable value of our keynote program in the public humanities and arts. We look forward to sharing these events with our university, our city, and everyone who travels to be part of this enlivening experience.”

The Delta Visiting Chair for Global Understanding, established by the Willson Center through the support of The Delta Air Lines Foundation, hosts outstanding global scholars, leading creative thinkers, artists, and innovators who engage with audiences on and off the UGA campus through lectures, seminars, discussions, and other community events. The Delta Chair program aims to foster conversations that engage with global perspectives through the humanities and arts. The chair was last held by renowned conductor Robert Spano in 2025.

The Delta Chair is founded upon the legacy of the Delta Prize for Global Understanding, which from 1997-2011 was presented to individuals – including Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Ted Turner, Desmond Tutu, and Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter – whose initiatives promoted world peace by advancing understanding and cooperation among cultures and nations.

UGA Presents is the University of Georgia’s series of performances by international professional touring artists. Over 40 events this season, which opens with Kidjo’s concert, audiences will experience world music, classical music, jazz, bluegrass, dance, theatre and more.