A summary of the stars heading to Chicago

As the world waits to see if or when Taylor Swift or Beyoncé will take part in the historic campaign to elect Kamala Harris for president of the United States, details are emerging about the group of celebrities who have pledged to travel to Chicago next week for the Democratic National Convention.

The 2024 Democratic National Convention is the official event where Democrats from all 50 states and U.S. territories will gather from August 19 to 22 to rally for Harris in her White House bid alongside vice presidential nominee Tim Walz. The night’s programming will take place at the Chicago United Center with other party activities scheduled to take place at the McCormick Place Convention Center, all of which are being launched as a collaboration between the Democratic National Committee, the Chicago Host Committee, the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois. According to the Democratic National Convention, 50,000 visitors are expected to descend on Chicago, a number that includes 5,000 delegates and alternates and 15,000 members of the media.

Those visitors will have plenty of options for how and where to mingle, connect and commune about the state of American politics at additional gatherings organized around official Democratic Party events. According to an online event guide, there are more than 100 events taking place next week in Chicago with a roster of confirmed headliners including John Legend, Jon Stewart, Billy Porter, Joan Jett, Octavia Spencer, DJ D-Nice, Little John and the stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

For weeks, tongues have been wagging about which big names will head to the Midwest, especially in the wake of the Republican National Convention in July that drew Amber Rose, Hulk Hogan, Jason Aldean, reality TV star Savannah Chrisley, Kid Rock, Dana White, Lee Greenwood and more. All eyes will be on the United Center stage to see how strategists will deploy Hollywood’s elite on the main stage, especially in an election year when voters have repeatedly said inflation, the economy and the cost of living are the most pressing issues.

Ahead of the Democratic National Convention, officials confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that James Taylor, Mickey Jetton and Jason Isbell will perform Monday night to help kick off the festivities during a program that will also include keynote addresses from President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Taylor’s performance tonight will mark a return to the Democratic National Convention stage. In 2012, he performed “Carolina on My Mind,” “You’ve Got a Friend” and “How Sweet” from the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has appeared at several campaign events for Barack Obama, and performed “America the Beautiful” during his second inauguration in 2013. Taylor has recently been showing his support for President Biden’s reelection efforts before he chose to step down from the current campaign.

The 2024 Democratic National Convention will be hosted by Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling, Tony Goldwyn and Ana Navarro, with each star delivering opening remarks and appearing throughout the evening on select nights. The schedule is as follows: Goldwyn (Monday), Navarro (Tuesday), Kaling (Wednesday) and Washington (Thursday, which is also the day Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepts the Democratic nomination for president). Additional performers are expected throughout the week, but no announcement has been made.

Jon Stewart and his team from Comedy Central’s The Daily Show will broadcast from inside the Athenaeum think tank for thought and culture throughout the convention, Aug. 19-22. The show’s “distinguished news team” will host Monday through Wednesday nights, and Stewart will host the live show on Thursday nights. According to a ticketing website, the finale night will air late (it will end after the Democratic National Convention wraps up around 11:45 p.m. local time) and is expected to be the most star-studded night of the convention.

The Creative Alliance, led by Robin Bronk, also confirmed details of a series of events hosted by the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to advocate for community, arts and entertainment. The organization, led by president Tim Daly and CEO Bronk, confirmed it has booked a delegation that includes Uma Thurman, Uzo Aduba, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Evatte Nicole Brown, Anthony Anderson, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Busy Philipps, Jon Cryer, David Cross, Yolonda Ross, Iain Armitage, Chris Wetasky and Danai Gurira.

According to Thurman’s rep, she’s no longer able to attend in person due to work commitments. Ralph is also working on her Emmy-winning series, Abbott Elementary, next week, but her rep confirmed that she’ll be making the trip on Thursday for the convention’s closing night. Brown, who actively donates her time and activism to politics and a number of other industry causes, will be on the ground in Chicago and “fully booked for several events,” according to her team. Aduba, Ferguson, Phillips, Anderson, Gurira, Cryer and others are also confirmed to attend. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Connie Britton is likely to make the trip, and a source suggests that Don Cheadle may also be in the Windy City. Also expected to attend are CAA’s Bryan Lourd, NBCUniversal Studio Group President and Chief Content Officer Donna Langley, screenwriter Billy Ray, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Murphy.

On Tuesday, August 20, the Creative Coalition will host a VIP welcome dinner at the Whitehall Hotel. The following morning, the organization’s Empower Policy Luncheon, sponsored by Full Sail University, will take place at the Palmer House Hotel. Described as a leadership luncheon, attendees are expected to include “CEOs and policy leaders from Fortune 500 companies, entertainment, Silicon Valley, and politics.” The following morning, the hotel will also host The Case for Kindness, a reception hosted by the Creative Coalition and sponsored by Articulus Entertainment that is “a tribute to entrepreneurs and innovators” and leaders from across industries and special interest groups.

The Creative Alliance’s Big Week will conclude with a benefit concert at Chicago’s Ramova Theater on Halsted Street on Wednesday, August 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 hosted by Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and presented in partnership with Reproductive Freedom for All, End Citizens United, and gun safety organization Gabrielle Giffords. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Drive-By Truckers, and SistaStrings will also be in attendance. The New York Times reports that Gurira, Armitage, Aduba, Giffords, and her husband, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, will be on stage. Previous editions of the concert have featured acts such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sting, the Black Eyed Peas, Journey, Elvis Costello, the Goo Goo Dolls, and Melissa Etheridge.

Music is expected to be a big draw in the Windy City. Legend, who performed at the Lincoln Memorial after President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were inaugurated in January 2021, will perform at the Salt Shed for billionaire Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday, Aug. 20. The night before, Equality PAC will host a party featuring LGBTQ talent at Chicago’s famed Boys Town featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Chad Michaels, Silky Nutmeg Ganache and Jackie Cox. Also on Monday, DJ D-Nice will spin the turntables at a party hosted by members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and rapper Lil Jon will headline a Southern Soul party for the Georgia Democratic Party at PRYSM nightclub.

According to his rep, Billy Porter will appear and perform at a luncheon for veteran politician Nancy Pelosi in a show that will mark a reunion for the two, who last collaborated on an Emmy-winning June performance during San Francisco Pride. The LGBTQ+ Victory Institute event, Victory at the DNC, will take place Tuesday at WIT Chicago and feature Pete Buttigieg, Zachary Quinto, Dana Goldberg, Wilson Cruz and the organization’s president and CEO Annise Parker.

This story will be updated as more DNC details emerge.

August 15, 3:37 p.m. This story has been updated with Bryan Lourd, Donna Langley, Billy Ray, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Murphy expected to attend.