The The Richmond Forum has announced a diverse lineup for its 41st season, bringing a mix of entertainment, politics, economics, and psychology to Richmond’s stage during the 2026–2027 speaker series.

Leading the season is entertainment icon Cher, who will open the Forum on Nov. 21 with a presentation titled Turning Back Time. The Grammy, Oscar, and Emmy-winning performer is expected to reflect on her decades-long career spanning music, film, fashion, and activism. Known for reinvention across generations, Cher’s appearance signals one of the Forum’s highest-profile celebrity bookings in recent years.

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The season continues Jan. 16 with Laurie Santos, the Yale psychology professor whose “Science of Well-Being” course became one of the university’s most popular classes. Santos will discuss modern happiness, mental health, and behavioral science in a talk titled Why We’re So Bad at Being Happy. Her work gained national attention during the pandemic as audiences increasingly turned toward conversations about burnout, stress, and emotional wellness.

Education innovator Sal Khan follows on Feb. 13 with Classroom Reboot, a conversation expected to focus on the evolving relationship between technology, artificial intelligence, and education. As founder of Khan Academy, Khan helped reshape online learning long before remote education became mainstream. His appearance comes as schools nationwide continue debating how AI tools will transform teaching and student learning.

On March 20, economist and author Dambisa Moyo will examine global markets and international policy in Tectonic Shifts in Global Trade. Moyo, known for her analysis of geopolitics, finance, and development economics, is expected to address changing trade relationships, economic uncertainty, and the shifting balance of global power.

Closing the season on April 17 is former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with a presentation titled Oh, Canada!. Trudeau’s appearance adds an international political dimension to the series and is likely to draw discussion around diplomacy, leadership, North American relations, and the changing political climate across democratic nations.

Founded in 1987, The Richmond Forum has become one of the region’s most recognizable lecture series, regularly attracting nationally and internationally known speakers to Richmond. Past guests have included presidents, journalists, astronauts, artists, and business leaders, helping position the Forum as a major cultural and civic institution in Central Virginia.

The organization says subscriptions for the five-program season begin at $145.