Happy New Year. The year of our Lord 2026 looks to be one to remember for the state of Georgia and its capital city of Atlanta, for more reasons than one. The Atlanta Voice, as we have done year after year and decade after decade, will be there to chronicle it all as the paper of record for the Black communities of this city.
To properly put into perspective how important and memorable 2026 may be for so many of us, I’ve broken down several scheduled highlights in chronological order. Of course, there will be surprises along the way, because what is a day in Atlanta without breaking news or viral moments? See: our airport, 100-degree summer days, the public transportation system, and horrific traffic.
The FIFA World Cup begins on Monday, June 15, and the city of Atlanta will welcome soccer fans for its first of eight matches, including one of the two semifinal matches, which takes place on Wednesday, July 15. Spain and Cabo Verde are scheduled to compete in the opening match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and I expect record-breaking crowds.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens told The Atlanta Voice that hosting the World Cup on the anniversary year of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games is especially meaningful.
“My life couldn’t get any better than being able to see the first Olympic Games here in Atlanta and now the World Cup here in Atlanta,” Dickens said. “It doesn’t get much better than that as a native.”
Speaking of those Games, the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, which took place across Georgia but began and concluded in downtown Atlanta, will be marked on July 19. Atlanta remains the last U.S. city to host the Olympics, with Los Angeles slated to host next in the summer of 2028.
The state of Georgia will be electing a new governor on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. But before that, the general primary elections will take place on Tuesday, May 3. The stage will be set for a new leader under the Gold Dome after eight years with Republican Governor Brian Kemp in the big chair. Say what you will about Kemp, but Georgia’s budget surplus reserves are nearing $15 billion with him at the helm.
The National Association of Black Journalists’ (NABJ) annual convention will take place in downtown Atlanta from August 12 to 16. The 50th anniversary of NABJ took place in Cleveland in August, and although it was memorable, having the convention return to Atlanta after more than a decade couldn’t have come at a better time or in a better year. The Atlanta Association of Black Journalists (AABJ) will be the host, and as a member of AABJ, I am looking forward to welcoming my fellow journalists to the city.
The Atlanta Voice, a cornerstone of Black-owned media in Atlanta and the city’s only weekly Black-owned print newspaper, will celebrate its 60th anniversary on May 11, 2026. Founded in 1966 by the late Ed Clayton and the late J. Lowell Ware, the newspaper has not missed an issue in 60 years. What began in the basement of Ware’s home has grown into a publication rooted in Mechanicsville, carried forward by generations who believe in the power of our stories. Today, under the leadership of his daughter, longtime publisher Janis L. Ware, The Atlanta Voice continues to appear every week, serving our neighborhoods, our history, and our community.
In 2026, The Atlanta Voice will be one of two newspapers in the city that will run in print, along with the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Recording the happenings that will take place in Atlanta in 2026 will not only be a priority for my colleagues and me at the newspaper, but an honor and a pleasure.
It should be one to remember.