Where is the National Memorial Day Concert traditionally performed?

The National Memorial Day Concert is traditionally performed on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

The annual concert is a televised public tribute held on the Sunday before Memorial Day. It combines orchestral music, popular performances, dramatic readings, historical accounts, and military remembrances. The event honors members of the armed forces who died in service and the families affected by war.

The West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol provides the concert’s distinctive setting, with the Capitol building as a backdrop. This is different from the National Mall, the broad park area stretching between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, and from Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River.

The concert began in 1989. The National Symphony Orchestra is a central musical participant, and PBS has broadcast the program nationally for many years. Weather or public-health conditions can occasionally alter the format or location.