How and When to Watch the 2024 Republican and Democratic Conventions

When is the RNC? Where is the RNC?

The 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC) is under way in Milwaukee, Wis., where a series of speakers have begun to give addresses heralding the party platform and GOP delegates formally nominated former President Donald Trump and his newly-announced running mate Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio on Monday to represent the party on the ballot in November. 

Trump was warmly welcomed when he arrived at the convention on Monday in his first public appearance since being shot during an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania two days earlier. The RNC will run through Thursday, July 18, when Trump is expected to give a primetime speech on the floor.

Read More: How the Trump Rally Shooting Changes the GOP Convention

When is the DNC? Where is the DNC?

The Democrats will follow with their own Democratic National Convention (DNC) next month in Chicago. It will run from Monday, August 19 through Thursday, August 22.

President Joe Biden is largely expected to be confirmed as the party’s nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris as his running mate—though that could still change in the coming weeks, as tensions continue to run high within the party over Biden’s suitability to serve another term. The Democratic Party has said it will hold a “virtual roll call” before the convention to officially nominate its ticket.  

Read More: Can Joe Biden Be Replaced as the Nominee? Here’s How It Could Happen

How to watch the RNC and DNC

While the RNC and DNC will be attended by tens of thousands of credentialed guests—including delegates, politicians, and media personnel—they are not open to the general public. 

But you can follow along from home in a number of ways:

TV: Network and cable channels including ABC, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox, NBC, PBS and more will all broadcast coverage of the events. (The conventions run all day, though most TV coverage focuses just on the primetime speeches and highlights from earlier in the day, interspersed with commentary from anchors and pundits.)

Streaming: In addition to television streamers like Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV, streaming platforms—such as Paramount Plus, Peacock, and Max—as well as websites associated with news channels and news publications will stream coverage of the events. There are also a number of live streams available on YouTube, including from the official RNC and official DNC channels.

Read More: Why We Have Conventions and How They Work

Who will speak at the RNC and DNC?

The four days of the RNC all have different themes, each a variation of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. 

Monday’s “Make America Wealthy Once Again” theme featured speeches by Vance, Rep. Marjorie-Taylor Green, Gov. Kristi Noem, model and rapper Amber Rose, and Teamsters president Sean O’Brien, among others.

Read More: The Key Moment in Republican Convention History That Shows Just How Much the GOP Has Changed

The other days’ themes are: “Make America Safe Once Again,” “Make America Strong Once Again,” and “Make America Great Once Again,” and speakers will include Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White, former Trump rival Nikki Haley, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and Trump’s sons Don Jr. and Eric along with their respective partners ex-Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle and RNC co-chair Lara Trump. 

The list of 2024 DNC participants has not yet been made public, though past conventions have included the party’s veterans and rising stars as well as celebrity supporters. The 2020 DNC saw speeches by the Obamas and Clintons and performances by Billie Eilish and John Legend, among others.