Muhammad Ali’s Hometown Celebrates His Life & Legacy 10 Years Since Passing

LOUISVILLE, KY., May 12, 2026 - Ten years ago, an estimated one billion people worldwide watched as Louisville said goodbye to Muhammad Ali. Over 100,000 mourners lined the city’s streets and another 15,000 filled a downtown arena to celebrate a man who spent a career knocking people down and a lifetime lifting people up.

From June 1-7, 2026, coinciding with tenth anniversary of Ali's passing, the Muhammad Ali Center will host the 10th annual “Ali Fest” taking place in various locations around Ali’s hometown.

Beginning June 1 at the Iroquois Amphitheatre there will be a free showing of “When We Were Kings” as part of the Louisville Parks and Recreation’s Hollywood Classics Under the Stars summer movie series. The documentary details the legendary 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” heavy weight championship fight between Ali and George Foreman in Zaire, Africa.

June 3 will mark 10 years to the day that Muhammad Ali passed and also mark the Muhammad Ali Center’s inaugural "Day of Compassion," an annual global day of service and community action. Anchored in one of Ali's most enduring beliefs: "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth," the day will bring together nonprofits, schools, faith communities, corporate partners, and community leaders to complete coordinated acts of service.

The “Day of Compassion” will begin with a public program hosted at the Muhammad Ali Center starting at 9 a.m. featuring Lonnie Ali, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, Rev. Dr. Kevin Cosby with Simmons College of Kentucky, and former Muhammad Ali Center Council of Students member Natasha Mundkur (who also spoke at Ali’s memorial service in 2016) along with entertainment from a local school choir, West End School.

“June 3rd marks 10 years since Muhammad’s passing. What a different world we find ourselves. The call to engage and be of service to your neighbor, community and nation is more urgent than ever,” said Lonnie Ali, Muhammad Ali's wife and Co-Founder and Interim President, CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center. “Muhammad believed daily acts of compassion was the vehicle to not only be of service to others, but to find common ground and build bridges of understanding. The Ali Center is celebrating June 3rd as a Day of Compassion. We invite you to join us by performing your own acts of service within your communities. See the difference you can make."

On June 5, the Muhammad Ali Center will honor its next Daughter of Greatness, Renee Shaw, Director of Public Affairs and Moderator at Kentucky Educational Television (KET).

And on June 7, the Muhammad Ali Festival Carnival returns to the Muhammad Ali Center from 12PM to 5PM. Enjoyed by thousands every year, this event features free activities and games for families, balloon artists, face painting, performances from local partners, as well as free access to Ali Center exhibits. Admission is free, but early registration is recommended.

Fans of Muhammad Ali can also walk in The Champ’s Footsteps of Greatness while on a self-guided tour around Louisville. Visit some of the locations that helped shape his life and career, along with his final resting place at the historic Cave Hill Cemetery. Visitors can also find a myriad of murals and street art depicting Ali here.

A Global Call to Action

The invitation does not stop at Louisville's city limits as outreach extends to cities that have participated in the Muhammad Ali Index’s study of compassion which include cities across the country, including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Louisville, New York City, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Seattle in addition to the global and US expansion that took place earlier this year to Sharjah, Houston, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Columbus, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington, DC. These cities and more are being called on to get out in their communities and perform acts of service on June 3rd. Individuals, organizations, and community leaders everywhere are encouraged to organize, volunteer, and activate, then share their stories through social media using #DayofCompassion, video, and personal storytelling.

Can't make it out into your community that day? Start by joining thousands of others who have already taken the Ali Compassion Pledge at www.aliindex.org/pledge, a personal commitment to practice kindness, stand with others, and lead with empathy in the spirit of Ali's legacy. Together, the pledges and acts of service will build a global picture of compassion in practice, demonstrating that no act of service, however small, exists in isolation.

The Day of Compassion is designed to grow. The ambition is to establish June 3 as an annual global observance, one that deepens its roots over time, strengthens community partnerships, and positions the Muhammad Ali Center as a convening force for compassion in action worldwide.

For more on the Muhammad Ali Center and upcoming Ali Fest visit https://alicenter.org/.