The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame opened its 2026 inductee exhibit in Cleveland on Monday, putting objects from all 18 entries in this year’s class on display five days before the induction ceremony in Los Angeles. Visitors can see a tambourine Liam Gallagher used with Oasis, a tour jacket worn by Luther Vandross and a time capsule that Wu-Tang Clan fans helped fill, according to the museum and Axios Cleveland.

The Nov. 9 opening gives the public a way to explore the class before its members are inducted Saturday at the Peacock Theater. Viewers watching from home will have to wait until December: Disney says ABC will show the recorded ceremony Dec. 8, with streaming on Disney+ and Hulu beginning the next day. The museum exhibit and the Los Angeles show are separate events, with different ways for fans to take part.

What went on display in Cleveland

The third-floor exhibition brings together objects that musicians used to make records and those they wore or handled in front of audiences. The exhibit guide lists a synthesizer from New Order’s early years and the metallic headpiece Billy Idol wore in his video for “Shock to the System.” Ideastream reported that the display also includes the first bass guitar owned by Peter Hook, who played in both Joy Division and New Order. Placed together, the instruments show a shift from the bass-driven sound of one band to the electronics that became central to the other.

Some of the larger objects sit outside the main gallery. The Wu-Tang Clan time capsule, which gathered contributions from fans during the group’s 2025 tour, is just outside it, Axios reported. A floor above, visitors can see the Honda motorcycle from Queen Latifah’s “U.N.I.T.Y.” video. The Hall’s artifact list also includes the custom Dior jacket Vandross wore on his 1991–92 Power of Love Tour and cowboy boots that belonged to Gram Parsons. Those objects cover music videos, touring and the clothing artists used to make a visual impression alongside their music.

Who enters the Hall this year

The Hall’s announcement lists eight entries in the performer category: Billy Idol, Phil Collins, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan. Joy Division and New Order are a joint entry. Collins, Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan made the class on their first nominations, the Hall said. To be eligible, an act must have put out its first commercial recording at least 25 years before the nomination year.

The remaining awards recognize different contributions. Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Gram Parsons receive the Early Influence Award. Songwriter Linda Creed and producers Arif Mardin, Jimmy Miller and Rick Rubin are in the Musical Excellence category. Ed Sullivan receives the Ahmet Ertegun Award. As Ideastream noted, Sullivan’s television show brought performers now in the Hall to television audiences, including the Beatles and the Supremes. His induction recognizes the role television played in bringing music into American homes.

When the ceremony reaches viewers

The Peacock Theater will host the ceremony for the second year in a row, the Associated Press reported. The induction itself recognizes the whole class, but that roster does not double as a list of performers. The AP reported Monday that some appearances were still uncertain and that the Hall tends to keep parts of the program under wraps. That leaves open which artists will play, who will honor them and what makes it into the broadcast.

The ceremony’s location has changed over time. The Hall held its first induction in 1986, and the Cleveland museum opened in 1995, according to Ideastream. Since 2021 the ceremony has rotated among Cleveland, Los Angeles and New York. The museum stays in Cleveland even in years when the stage show goes elsewhere.

The broadcast is also changing after two years of live streaming, according to the AP. The ceremony will be recorded on Nov. 14 and edited for television. Disney’s schedule lists the ABC special from 8 to 11 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on Dec. 8. Disney+ and Hulu will carry it from Dec. 9. Fans planning to watch at home should use the December listings; Saturday is the date of the in-person event.

A second event for Cleveland visitors

The Cleveland museum will hold its Community Day on Nov. 22, with free admission for Cuyahoga County residents who RSVP. The museum says the event will give residents a look at its expanded space and a chance to see the inductee artifacts. It has also scheduled performances by alumni of its artist residency and screenings of footage from “Soul Train.” The free admission offer applies to county residents for that event.

The Nov. 22 event is part of a larger expansion that adds exhibit and event space to the Cleveland museum, Ideastream reported. For this year’s class, the exhibit lets visitors spend time with the objects behind the recordings and performances. Los Angeles hosts the formal inductions on Saturday; the December special will bring the ceremony to viewers elsewhere.