The Savannah Bananas to Perform at the 2026 ESPYS in New York
The ceremony airs live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on ABC.
The Savannah Bananas, the song-and-dance sports team with Broadway's Derek Klena among THE LINEUP this season, will be among the performers at The 2026 ESPYS Presented by Capital One.
The ceremony, which commemorates the past year in sports, airs live from the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on ABC.
Hosted by Marcello Hernández, the show will also stream on the ESPN App in tandem with ABC airings across time zones and be available to stream the next day on Disney+, Hulu, the ESPN App and ABC Video on Demand.
The Savannah Bananas are a song-and-dance sports team that plays "Banana Ball", a fast and entertaining take on the game of baseball. The players perform choreographed dances every game, including songs from Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey, and more.
Recent performances include those featuring Tony-winner Ben Platt, Aladdin's Michael James Scott, and Broadway’s MJ, Matte Martinez. Klena also recently performed "Waving Through A Window" from Dear Evan Hansen and the title song from "The Phantom of the Opera." Check out videos of the Savannah Bananas performing Broadway and theatre songs here.
In addition to the Savannah Bananas, the night will also feature special musical performances from hip-hop royalty De La Soul, critically acclaimed rapper Ghostface Killah, and the legendary Slick Rick.
Stars and athletes scheduled to present this year include: Rauw Alejandro (singer), Allyson Felix (Olympic gold medalist, track & field), Mason Gooding (cast of “72 Hours”), Eileen Gu (Olympic gold medalist, freestyle skiing), Tiffany Haddish (actress and comedian), Kevin Hart (cast of “72 Hours”), DJ Khaled (GRAMMY®-winning musician), Chloe Kim (Olympic gold medalist, snowboarding), Billie Jean KING (tennis legend), Pat McAfee (host of “The Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN analyst), Ilona Maher (Olympic rugby player), Ben Marshall (cast of “72 Hours”), Tracy Morgan (actor and comedian), Kevin Negandhi (ESPN personality), Kam Patterson (cast of “72 Hours”), Jake Paul (boxer and creator), Oz Pearlman (mentalist), Robin Roberts (“Good Morning America” co-anchor), Jayson Tatum (NBA champion, Boston Celtics), Mike Tyson (boxing legend and actor), and Lindsey Vonn (Olympic gold medalist, alpine skiing), along with a special appearance by actor and comedian Will Ferrell.
In addition, top athletes and celebrities scheduled to attend include Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Lauren Betts (Washington Mystics, UCLA women’s basketball), Simone Biles (Olympic gold medalist, gymnast), Jalen Brunson (NBA champion, New York Knicks), Ciara (singer and songwriter), Ayesha Curry (co-founder of Eat. Learn. Play), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Terence Crawford (boxer), Kevin Durant (Houston Rockets), Crystal Dunn (USWNT legend), Charlotte Flair (WWE superstar), Myles Garrett (Los Angeles Rams), Damar Hamlin (Buffalo Bills), Dwight Howard (Basketball Hall of Famer), Jack Hughes (Olympic gold medalist, New Jersey Devils, U.S. men’s hockey team), Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR legend), Hilary Knight (Olympic gold medalist, PWHL Detroit, U.S. women’s hockey team), Alysa Liu (Olympic gold medalist, figure skater), Oksana Masters (Paralympic gold medalist), Fernando Mendoza (Indiana football, Las Vegas Raiders), Shedeur Sanders (Cleveland Browns), Mikaela Shiffrin (Olympic gold medalist, alpine skiing), Matthew Tkachuk (Olympic gold medalist, Florida Panthers, U.S. men’s hockey team), Karl-Anthony Towns (NBA champion, New York Knicks), Russell Wilson (former NFL player), members of the Savannah Bananas and more.
As previously announced, trailblazing former NBA player Jason Collins will be posthumously honored with the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, baseball legend Jim Abbott will receive the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and Scott Ruskan will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service. Additionally, the Sports Humanitarian Awards will feature honorees as part of this year’s show, including the recipients of the MUHAMMAD ALI Sports Humanitarian Award and the Billie Jean KING Youth Leadership Award.
“The ESPYS Red Carpet Show presented by TJ Maxx” — hosted by Samantha Rivera, Harry Lyles Jr., Monica Mct and Kimberley Martin, with Will Reeve contributing as a reporter — will stream live at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN’s YouTube and Facebook and the ESPN App. Also from the red carpet, Kevin Negandhi and Christine Williamson will host “SportsCenter” live at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN and “The ESPYS Preview Show Presented by Capital One” live at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. “Good Morning America”’s Will Reeve will contribute as a reporter to all ESPN preshow programming.
Photo Credit: Disney
