close
close

Will Beyoncé and Taylor Swift attend the DNC in Chicago? What we know

play

The 2024 Democratic National Convention is set to be historic, as Vice President Kamala Harris will become the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major party, and fans are hoping the world's biggest icons – Beyoncé and Taylor Swift – will make a special appearance.

This year's convention begins in Chicago on Monday with a speech by vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Wednesday and an acceptance speech by Harris on Thursday evening.

President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton are among the keynote speakers, but for the Beyhive and Swifties, the question remains: Will their favorite artist take the stage to support Harris?

While the answer is still uncertain, we would like to share what we know about each singer's political track record and recent activities to help us better assess the likelihood that they will join forces in the name of politics next week.

Beyoncé releases “Freedom” song for Vice President Harris

It's worth noting that Walz has been recognized as a certified Beyhive member and Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles, has already endorsed Harris for the next U.S. president. In addition, Harris attended Beyoncé's Renaissance concert outside of Washington last summer after the superstar gifted her tickets.

In addition to those connections, Beyoncé's camp gave Harris permission to use Beyoncé's 2016 song “Freedom,” featuring Kendrick Lamar, on Harris' campaign tour. And Harris first used the song during her first official visit to her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware – a day after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race and endorsed Harris.

Beyoncé has performed at political events in the past

Harris' use of “Freedom” is certainly not the first time Beyoncé has used her music to support presidential candidates and on the political stage.

In 2009, Beyoncé sang for former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as the couple struck their first dance at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. Four years later, she sang her famous song “The Star Spangled Banner” at Barack Obama's 2013 inauguration ceremony. And in 2016, the superstar and her husband, hip-hop mogul Jay Z, headlined a rally for then-Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in Cleveland, Ohio.

As fans know, the “Ya Ya” singer released her breakthrough album “Cowboy Carter” on March 29. Although she is known for keeping a low profile and always having a lot on her plate, there are currently no public events that could clash with the timing of the DNC.

Taylor Swift has previously supported Harris as Vice President

Swift herself is not afraid to use her voice to make her political views clear.

A month before the 2020 election, Swift posted on Instagram a photo of “Biden 2020” cookies that she had baked to encourage voters to paint the ballot box blue. She wrote: “I have @vmagazine about why I will vote for Joe Biden for president,” Swift wrote in the caption. “So fitting that it came out on the night of the VP debate. I will be watching and supporting @KamalaHarris by shouting at the TV a lot.

Swift still has time to come to the DNC, even with a tour

The “Tortured Poets” singer has a few more shows in London and nine in the US before election day – six of them in the swing states of Florida and Indiana. Although she hasn't endorsed a candidate this election cycle, Swifties are already speculating that she may have hinted at her endorsement of Harris as the next president during an Eras Tour concert in Hamburg.

As Swifties know, you have to decode a series of Easter eggs to understand the possible message. The light-up bracelets handed out before the show glowed red, white and blue as Swift – wearing a blue dress – performed a mashup of her songs “Last Great American Dynasty” and “Run.”

As for the timing of the tour relative to the DNC, the superstar will perform in London on Tuesday night, which would end by Tuesday evening Central Time. That gives her plenty of time to get to the Windy City on her private jet and attend the events on Wednesday and Thursday.

Neither of the two ladies has appeared at previous Democratic or Republican conventions, but it will only be a matter of time before we see if this year will be any different.

Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network’s Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok And X as @cachemcclay.

You may also like...