As the world anticipates if, when, or how Taylor Swift or Beyoncé might weigh in on the historic campaign to elect Kamala Harris as president, new details are emerging about the celebrities who have committed to traveling to Chicago next week for the Democratic National Convention.
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| John Legend speaks on stage at the Voices of Beauty Summit at California Market Center on March 27, 2024. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images |
The 2024 DNC, taking place from Aug. 19-22, will be the official gathering where Democrats from all 50 states and U.S. territories unite to support Harris in her bid for the White House, with Tim Walz as her vice-presidential running mate.
The nightly events will be centered at Chicago’s United Center, with additional party activities at McCormick Place Convention Center. These events are being organized through a partnership between the Democratic National Committee, the Chicago host committee, the City of Chicago, and the State of Illinois.
According to the DNC, the convention is expected to draw 50,000 visitors to Chicago, including 5,000 delegates and alternates, along with 15,000 members of the media.
Those attending the convention will find numerous opportunities to mix, mingle, and discuss U.S. politics at various gatherings tied to official DNC events. An online third-party event directory lists over 100 events happening in Chicago next week, with a star-studded lineup that includes John Legend, Jon Stewart, Joan Jett, Octavia Spencer, DJ D-Nice, Lil Jon, and stars from RuPaul’s Drag Race, among others.
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| Jon Stewart at The Daily Show. Matt Wilson |
Speculation has been rife for weeks about which celebrities will be heading to the Midwest, especially following July’s Republican National Convention, which attracted names like Amber Rose, Hulk Hogan, Jason Aldean, reality TV star Savannah Chrisley, Kid Rock, Dana White, and Lee Greenwood.
All eyes will be on the United Center stage to see how Hollywood elites are featured, especially in an election year where voters have consistently cited inflation, the economy, and the cost of living as their top concerns.
Jon Stewart and his team from The Daily Show will set up at the Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture for the entire convention, running from Aug. 19-22. Stewart will kick off the week with a live broadcast on Monday, with the show’s roster of hosts and “all-star news team” filling in for the remainder of the week.
According to a ticketing site, the closing night’s broadcast will run late, wrapping up after the DNC ends around 11:45 p.m. local time, and is expected to be the most star-studded night of the convention.
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| Yvette Nicole Brown is “booked solid for many events” next week. Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney/Pixar |
The Creative Coalition, under the leadership of Robin Bronk, has finalized plans for a series of events hosted by the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization representing the arts and entertainment community. With Tim Daly as president and Bronk as CEO, the organization has secured a delegation that includes Uma Thurman, Uzo Aduba, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Yvette Nicole Brown, Anthony Anderson, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Busy Philipps, Jon Cryer, David Cross, Yolonda Ross, Iain Armitage, Chris Witaske, and Danai Gurira.
However, Thurman’s representative has confirmed that she will no longer attend in person due to work commitments. Ralph, who is busy filming the Emmy-winning series Abbott Elementary, will still make the trip to attend the convention's closing night on Thursday. Brown, known for her active involvement in politics and other industry causes, will be in Chicago and is reportedly "booked solid for many events," according to her team.
Also confirmed are Aduba, Ferguson, Philipps, Anderson, Gurira, Cryer, and others. Additionally, The Morfeli Reporter has learned that Connie Britton is likely to attend, with a source suggesting that Don Cheadle may also be present in Chicago.
On Tuesday, Aug. 20, the Creative Coalition will kick off with a VIP welcome dinner at the Whitehall Hotel. The next morning, the organization will host an Empower Policy Luncheon at the Palmer House Hotel, sponsored by Full Sail University. This leadership luncheon is expected to attract "C-suite and policy trailblazers from Fortune 500 companies, entertainment, Silicon Valley, and policy sectors."
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| Robin Bronk and Tim Daly. Araya Doheny/Getty Images |
Following that, the hotel will also host The Case for Kindness, a reception organized by the Creative Coalition and sponsored by Articulus Entertainment. This event will be a "salute to groundbreakers, trailblazers," and leaders from various sectors and special interest groups.
The Creative Coalition’s big week will culminate with a benefit gala concert at Chicago’s Ramova Theatre on Halsted Street on Wednesday, Aug. 21. According to The New York Times, which called the event a “contender for the biggest and best party of the week,” the concert will be co-hosted by Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and presented in partnership with Reproductive Freedom for All, End Citizens United, and Gabrielle Giffords’ gun safety organization.
Headlining the marquee will be Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Drive-By Truckers, and SistaStrings. The NYT reports that Danai Gurira, Iain Armitage, Uzo Aduba, Gabrielle Giffords, and her husband, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, will be in attendance. Previous editions of the gala concert have featured performances from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sting, the Black Eyed Peas, Journey, Elvis Costello, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Melissa Etheridge.
Music will be a major attraction in Chicago throughout the week. John Legend, who performed at the Lincoln Memorial after President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s inauguration in January 2021, will headline a show at Salt Shed for Illinois billionaire governor JB Pritzker on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
The night before, the Equality PAC will host a party featuring LGBTQ talent in Chicago’s iconic Boys Town, with performances by RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Chad Michaels, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, and Jackie Cox. On the same night, DJ D-Nice will take the stage at a celebration organized by members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, while rapper Lil Jon will headline a Southern Soul party for Georgia’s State Democratic Party at PRYSM nightclub.
Salt Shed will also be the venue for a special Pod Save America event on Thursday night. The popular political podcast is hosted by former President Barack Obama aides Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor. This story will be updated as more details about the DNC emerge.
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