Taylor Swift Will Perform at the 2026 Academy Museum Gala

Taylor Swift will close the 2026 Academy Museum Gala with a performance on October 17, adding a major pop-music moment to an evening devoted to cinema. The sixth annual fundraiser will honor Charlize Theron, Colman Domingo and filmmaker-composer John Carpenter in Los Angeles.

The Academy Museum announced Swift’s appearance on Thursday, October 8. Museum president Amy Homma said the singer’s work resonates around the world and framed the performance as the finale to a night supporting the institution’s mission to celebrate and preserve film.

A performance arrives during an awards push

No set list has been announced. However, the timing puts fresh attention on “I Knew It, I Knew You,” Swift’s song for the Toy Story 5 soundtrack. The track is eligible for the best original song race at the 99th Academy Awards in March 2027, and both Billboard and TheWrap linked the gala booking to that developing awards campaign.

Swift previously performed the song at the animated film’s world premiere in June. Billboard also noted that she included it in a piano mashup during an August appearance at the Grammy Museum. Those earlier performances make the soundtrack single a natural possibility for the gala, but the museum has not confirmed which songs she will sing.

The gala will spotlight three film careers

Theron is scheduled to receive the Icon Award, while Domingo will receive the Vantage Award and Carpenter the Luminary Award. Together, the honorees span blockbuster acting, independent film, horror direction and influential film music.

Presented in partnership with Rolex, the gala raises money for the Academy Museum’s exhibitions, screenings and educational programs. Last year’s event honored Penélope Cruz, Bowen Yang, Walter Salles and Bruce Springsteen, who also performed.

Swift’s addition gives this year’s ceremony an especially visible closing act while keeping the night anchored to film. It also places her soundtrack work before an audience closely connected to the coming awards season, even though nominations remain months away.