‘Star Trek’ Turns 60: The Full 2026 Anniversary Celebration Guide

‘Star Trek’ Turns 60: How 2026’s Biggest Anniversary Celebration Is Taking Over Screens, Theaters and a London Museum

Few franchises get to celebrate six decades on screen, and fewer still get to do it while the fandom feels as alive as it did on day one. That’s exactly where Star Trek stands as it marks its 60th anniversary on Sept. 8 — the date in 1966 when the original series first premiered on television. What follows isn’t a quiet acknowledgment. It’s a sprawling, globe-trotting celebration that touches theaters, streaming, museums, a world-record attempt and even the International Space Station.

Whether you’ve been a loyal fan since the 1960s or you discovered the franchise through a modern series, there’s something here for you. Let’s break down everything that’s coming, because the sheer scale of it is genuinely something to watch.

The Main Event: Sept. 8 Is Star Trek Day

Everything converges on Tuesday, Sept. 8, the exact date the original series debuted 60 years ago. In Los Angeles, fans can attend a free outdoor screening of the original series episode “The Man Trap” — the very first episode that launched it all — paired with an advance screening of the new Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode “Orders of Magnitude” at the Autry Museum. That event comes with talent appearances, food trucks and giveaways, making it an all-day destination for L.A. fans.

On the same day, Gene Roddenberry’s longtime star on Hollywood Boulevard gets a restored plaque celebration, with the creator’s family teaming up with the Hollywood Historic Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. The plaque originally went up in 1985, and the restoration is a fitting way to honor the man who dreamed the whole thing up.

Across the Atlantic, London becomes Ground Zero for the global celebration. Samsung’s King’s Cross flagship store hosts Star Trek-themed screenings and activations on Sept. 8, and the London Underground joins in with themed takeovers at King’s Cross St Pancras and South Kensington stations from Sept. 7-8, marking stops on a four-destination fan trail across the capital.

A Guinness World Record Attempt for the Vulcan Salute

The crown jewel of the anniversary might be the attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most people performing the Vulcan Salute simultaneously. The global digital event — a celebration built around “connection, community and optimism” — culminates in an official record attempt at the Science Museum in London on Sept. 8, as part of the museum’s adults-only Star Trek Lates event. Fans around the world are invited to join in digitally, which means you don’t have to be in London to be part of Trek history.

It’s a genuinely on-brand way to mark the occasion. The Vulcan salute, with its “live long and prosper” greeting, is arguably the most recognizable gesture in pop culture — a shared sign that instantly identifies a fellow fan. Turning that into a world record is exactly the sort of joyful, inclusive gesture Trek has always championed.

Classic Films Return to Theaters in 4K

If you’ve only ever watched the movies on a screen at home, this is your chance to see them properly. More than 750 theaters across the United States will screen restored 4K presentations of the classic Star Trek films, paired with original series episodes making their theatrical debut, running from Sept. 4-8. That’s a remarkable scale for a theatrical event — most anniversary screenings are lucky to get a few dozen venues, and this one is counting in the hundreds.

Fans attending will also get first crack at limited-edition “Enterprise” popcorn vessels and commemorative drink cups while supplies last. It’s a chance to experience the franchise the way older generations did before home video changed everything: on the biggest screen, with the film absolutely massive in front of you.

Television Programming Fills Out the Week

Given Trek has always been a small-screen franchise first, the TV components are substantial. On Sept. 7, “Entertainment Tonight” airs a special “ET Vault Unlocked” episode featuring interviews with Gene Roddenberry and cast members from across the franchise, along with archival behind-the-scenes footage you don’t see every day.

Long-standing favorites like Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Picard remain pillars of the franchise on Paramount+, and this anniversary has fans revisiting the entire lineage all over again.

Sept. 8 itself is packed. “The Price Is Right” and “Let’s Make a Deal” both air Star Trek-themed episodes with special guests, including Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Rebecca Romijn and Ethan Peck — they air on CBS and stream on Paramount+. Nick at Nite caps the night with a marathon of The Big Bang Theory‘s most Star Trek-focused episodes from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. ET/PT. And Season 2 of the animated Star Trek: Scouts launches on YouTube, following JR, Sprocket and Roo as they train to become Starfleet Explorers.

From Orbit and Into the Parks

The anniversary even extends beyond our atmosphere. The European Space Agency is taking Trek into orbit, with ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot set to wear the Captain’s Delta badge from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds aboard the International Space Station, with special content from orbit premiering on Sept. 8. It’s a lovely full-circle moment for a franchise that once inspired generations to look to the stars.

Down on the ground, Star Trek is partnering with DarkSky International to encourage fans to explore and protect night skies, and with the National Park Foundation for a digital “Going Boldly” series celebrating the national parks through Sept. 8. Both tie back to the franchise’s enduring themes of exploration and stewardship of the unknown.

More Series News: Strange New Worlds Sets Its Finale

The anniversary arrives amid real momentum for the modern Trek universe. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds concludes its fourth season on Paramount+ on Sept. 24, with the series set to return for its fifth and finally-final season in 2027. It’s a bittersweet note — the show has been a critical darling and a fan favorite since its 2022 debut, and knowing the end is now scheduled gives fans a chance to savor the run.

Meanwhile, the entire franchise racks up honors. Trek will receive the Franchise of the Year Award at the 2026 Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame ceremony in New York City on Sept. 29, recognizing six decades of groundbreaking storytelling and cultural influence. And on Oct. 10, the Star Trek Universe panel at New York Comic Con will preview Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, discuss its second season and feature surprise guests celebrating the anniversary.

Collectibles, Games and Memorabilia for the Dedicated

For collectors, the anniversary is a treasure trove. The LEGO Group and Paramount are releasing the LEGO Icons Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 Bridge set on Sept. 1 — a 1,701-piece set recreating the original bridge and transporter room with eight Starfleet minifigures, and it’s already available for pre-order. Magic: The Gathering gets a dedicated Star Trek set on Nov. 13. DK Publishing’s “Star Trek Timelines” book arrives Nov. 17. And for the truly dedicated, there’s the first officially realized Original Saurian Brandy — the drink first seen in “The Man Trap” — plus commemorative 50p coins from the Royal Mint launching Sept. 3.

Why This Celebration Matters

Sixty years is a rare milestone because it means three or four generations all grew up with a version of the same ideal. Trek’s enduring appeal isn’t really about starships or phasers — it’s about the conviction that humanity can build a better future and that exploring the unknown together is how we get there. That message hasn’t just survived six decades; it’s arguably more needed now than when the show first aired.

The breadth of this anniversary — a museum world-record attempt in London, 4K classics in 750 theaters, a badge aboard the ISS, themed game shows on CBS — is proof that the franchise is thriving across every corner of pop culture. Whether you celebrate on the couch, at the cinema, in a museum or just by flashing the Vulcan salute to a stranger who gets it, you’re taking part in something six decades in the making.

Live long and prosper, indeed. The next 60 years are officially on their way.