Information on the DNC schedule and issues released by the Democratic Party – NBC Chicago

The 2024 DNC in Chicago will officially begin this week and party leaders have unveiled their themes and a rough schedule of events surrounding the convention.

The theme of this year's Democratic National Convention is “For the People, for Our Future” and speakers include Vice President Kamala Harris, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama.

Officials say the convention's daily topics will leverage the “growing energy and coalition” behind the Harris-Walz contingent and help bring both politicians and their agenda closer to the nation.

Here are some more details the DNC released this weekend:

When do the speeches in the plenary session begin each evening?

According to officials, the program on the convention grounds will begin at 5:15 p.m. on Monday and run until 10:00 p.m. CDT.

According to official information, coverage begins on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. and ends around 10 p.m.

As a reminder, you can follow all of the floor speeches via the NBC Chicago app and our 24/7 streaming news service, available on a variety of streaming platforms.

With only a few days left until the Democratic National Convention, NBC Chicago's Lexi Sutter gives us a first look at the stage and screens at the United Center.

What are the main topics of the congress?

Each evening of the conference has its own theme. This is what the topics look like.

Monday – “For the people”

Biden will kick things off with a speech to the party convention on Monday. According to DNC officials, he will focus on the successes of his administration and how a Harris administration would like to continue that work.

Tuesday – “A bold vision for America’s future”

The topic on Tuesday will be the Democrats' program to move America forward. In a press release, the party leadership accused former President Donald Trump of believing the country's best days were behind it and that he and Senator JD Vance were implementing a “Project 2025” agenda to set the country back.

Wednesday – “A fight for our freedoms”

Walz will speak at the convention, and the dominant theme of the evening will be the preservation of rights that Democrats say were eliminated under the Republican administration, including reproductive rights and others.

Thursday – “For our future”

Harris will deliver a speech on the final night before the convention, laying out an agenda that will portray a second Trump administration as “even more dangerous and extreme” than his time in office.

In contrast, Harris will present a vision of a “better and more hopeful” government in her remarks, official statements say.

Who else will speak?

While Harris, Walz and Biden are all officially on the speaking schedule, reports of other speakers have also surfaced.

According to various reports, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will deliver speeches at the party's convention, which begins with its main program on Monday.