Atlanta's King Holiday Observance kept the city's tradition of a full week of purpose. This year, the King Center kicked off 2026 with packed programming that blended culture, community, and red carpet energy, all while pushing one urgent message to the front: nonviolence is not soft, it is strategic. Source: Paras Griffin/Getty Images The 2026 King Holiday Observance ran January 12 through January 17 in Atlanta ahead of the federal Martin Luther King Jr Holiday with a theme of"Mission Possible II: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way." With Dr.