The Postal Service announces its stamp program in waves through the year, so no single January press release ever contains the full calendar. This page tracks the confirmed 2026 USPS stamp release schedule as announcements roll out, with issue dates, first-day cities and what collectors should watch. Every date below is taken from a USPS announcement or Postal Bulletin stamp announcement. Last updated August 2026.
Confirmed 2026 Releases: January Through March
| Stamp | Release Date | First-Day City |
|---|---|---|
| Angel’s Trumpets (4c) | Jan. 9 | Kenosha, WI |
| Love | Jan. 13 | Kansas City, MO (no ceremony) |
| Muhammad Ali | Jan. 15 | Louisville, KY |
| Colorado Statehood (150th) | Jan. 24 | Denver, CO |
| Black Heritage: Phillis Wheatley | Jan. 29 | Boston, MA |
| Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse | Feb. 3 | Houston, TX |
| Bruce Lee | Feb. 18 | Seattle, WA |
| Harriet Powers | Feb. 28 | Washington, DC |
| Lowriders | March 13 | San Diego, CA |
| Sunflowers | March 14 | Strongsville, OH |
Confirmed 2026 Releases: April Through July
| Stamp | Format | Release Date | First-Day City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Figures of the American Revolution | Forever | April 10 | Washington, DC |
| Happy Birthday | Forever | April 18 | Providence, RI |
| A Day at the Beach | Forever | April 24 | Burlingame, CA |
| Route 66 | Forever | May 5 | Phoenix, AZ |
| Bald Eagle: Hatchling to Adult | Forever | May 14 | Wabasha, MN |
| Summer Sunset | Nonprofit bulk mail | June 25 | Edgartown, MA |
| Declaration of Independence (250th anniversary) | Forever | July 4 | Philadelphia, PA |
The July 4 Declaration of Independence issue in Philadelphia is the centerpiece of the year. 2026 is the nation’s semiquincentennial, and the Revolution-themed issues around it are strong candidates for topical collections built on the 250th anniversary.
Boston 2026 World Exposition: Six First-Day Issues in Six Days
The largest U.S. philatelic event of the decade ran May 23 to 30 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, and USPS used it to issue six stamps on six consecutive days. For anyone building a 2026 collection these are the hardest first-day cancels to assemble after the fact, because every ceremony happened in one city inside a single week.
| Stamp | Format | Release Date | First-Day City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treasures of the Revolutionary Era | Forever, prestige booklet of 20 (ten designs) | May 23 | Boston, MA |
| Stamp Encore: Mister Rogers | Forever | May 24 | Boston, MA |
| American Bison | Forever, pane of 16 | May 25 | Boston, MA |
| Postcrossing | Pane of 8, four triangular designs | May 26 | Boston, MA |
| International Peace | Forever, pane of 20 | May 27 | Boston, MA |
| North American Soccer | Forever, pane of 20 | May 28 | Boston, MA |
Stamp Encore is the unusual one. To mark 250 years of postal delivery, USPS invited the public to vote on a single stamp to be reprinted from among the 25 most popular designs of the past three decades. More than 500,000 people voted and the winner, revealed at the May 24 ceremony, was Mister Rogers.
One clarification worth making, because the show programme lists it: Figures of the American Revolution also had a ceremony at Boston 2026 on May 29, but that was a second dedication event. Its first day of issue was April 10 in Washington, DC, and that is the date that matters for first-day covers.
Confirmed 2026 Releases: August Through Year End
| Stamp | Format | Release Date | First-Day City |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagonal U.S. Flag | Stamped envelope | Aug. 7 | Linthicum Heights, MD |
| Sarah Orne Jewett | Literary Arts | Aug. 21 | South Berwick, ME |
| U.S. Coast Guard Academy | Forever | Sept. 12 | New London, CT |
| Global Winter Wreath | Global (international rate) | Sept. 18 | Humble, TX |
| Christmas Cookies | Forever | Sept. 19 | Washington, DC |
| Kwanzaa | Forever | Sept. 23 | Norfolk, VA |
| Squirrels and Chipmunks in Snow | Forever | Sept. 25 | Brookfield, WI |
| Hanukkah | Forever | Sept. 29 | New Orleans, LA |
| Christmas: Madonna and Child | Forever | Oct. 2 | Williamstown, MA |
| Know the Facts About Fentanyl | Semipostal | Oct. 6 | Bethesda, MD |
Announced for 2026, Dates Not Yet Set
Three issues have been announced without a confirmed first day of issue. USPS releases these details through the year, so treat the table below as the current gap rather than the final answer.
| Stamp | Format | What USPS has said |
|---|---|---|
| Diwali | Forever | Releasing in October. Exact date and first-day city not yet announced. |
| Galaxy Pair | Priority Mail Express | Kansas City, MO. Date to be determined, no ceremony planned. |
| Crab Nebula | Priority Mail | Kansas City, MO. Date to be determined, no ceremony planned. |
USPS states plainly in its own announcements that dates and locations are subject to change, and a first-day city can move even after it is published. Confirm against the Newsroom before travelling to a ceremony or preparing covers.
How USPS Release Dates Work
Each stamp gets an official first day of issue, usually with a dedication ceremony in a city connected to the subject: Muhammad Ali in Louisville, Route 66 in Phoenix, the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. Stamps typically go on sale nationwide the same day at Post Offices and usps.com, but first-day-of-issue postmarks come only from the designated city, which is why the location matters to collectors. USPS accepts requests for first-day cancellations by mail for a window after each release.
Collecting Tips for the 2026 Program
Buy mint singles or panes at the counter in the release window if you want them at face value. Once an issue sells out, the secondary market sets the price. For first-day covers, either service your own envelopes through the first-day cancellation program or buy prepared covers from dealers.
The anniversary issues are likely to see the heaviest first-day demand this year: the Declaration of Independence, Figures of the American Revolution, Treasures of the Revolutionary Era and Colorado Statehood. The six Boston 2026 issues are worth singling out because all six ceremonies happened in one city in one week, which makes a complete run of those first-day cancels harder to assemble after the fact than a typical year’s output. Semipostals like the fentanyl awareness stamp sell above the First-Class rate, with the surcharge going to the designated cause, and they often make interesting topical additions.
Modern issues are printed in large quantities, so most 2026 stamps will remain face-value material for years. Collect them for the designs and the story, not as an investment. If you are weighing what modern material is worth holding, our guide to whether forever stamps increase in value covers the honest math.
Where to Confirm Updates
USPS announces additional dates and ceremony locations through the year via its Newsroom at about.usps.com, and publishes the technical detail for each issue as a numbered stamp announcement in the Postal Bulletin. Both are the authoritative sources and this page is updated as new 2026 issues are confirmed. If you spot an announcement we have not added yet, the Newsroom listing is where to check.
Building a collection around new issues, or have older material you are ready to part with? Get a stamp appraisal from our team.
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