Decision 2024

Beyoncé expected to perform at Harris rally in Houston

The pop star is from Houston and her appearance comes as the vice president has welcomed other musicians to the campaign trail.

Pop superstar Beyoncé will appear with Vice President Kamala Harris at her event in Houston on Friday evening, according to three sources familiar with the plans. 

Beyoncé is also expected to perform, according to one of the sources, who has direct knowledge of the preparations. The Washington Post first reported the news of Beyonce’s appearance.

The pop star is from Houston and her appearance comes as the vice president has welcomed other musicians, like Bruce Springsteen and Eminem, to the campaign trail.

The vice president has racked up a slew of prominent celebrity endorsements since jumping into the race in July, including Taylor Swift, Charli XCX and Billie Eilish.

Beyonce is not often involved in politics but famously sang the national anthem at former President Barack Obama’s first inauguration in 2008 and performed at a rally in Ohio in the final days of then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign in 2016.

Though Texas is not expected to be competitive in the presidential race, Harris’ rally there comes amid a tightening Senate race between Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic Rep. Colin Allred, who is expected to attend Friday's rally.

Singer Willie Nelson and Tina Knowles, Beyonce's mother, are also expected to appear at Friday's rally, Harris campaign spokesman Ian Sams said on X.

On Thursday, singer James Taylor, whose performance at the Democratic National Convention in August was scrapped due to time constraints, is expected to perform at a rally with Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in North Carolina.

A senior Harris campaign official told NBC News earlier this week that the vice president would speak about the impact of abortion bans while in Texas. The state currently has a six-week abortion ban and Democrats have previously highlighted the stories of women who have left the state to receive emergency reproductive care.

Beyonce’s 2016 hit “Freedom” has become Harris’ anthem on the campaign trail and plays often at the start of her rallies. Clinton also used the song on the trail during her campaign.

With less than two weeks until Election Day, the vice president is traversing the country to make her final case to voters. She's set to appear Thursday in Georgia, a critical battleground state, one day after she participated in a CNN town hall in Pennsylvania, another pivotal swing state.

Next week, Harris is expected to deliver a "closing argument" speech in Washington, D.C., at the same location where former President Donald Trump spoke on Jan 6., 2021, before a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol.

The vice president is expected to argue that it's time to turn the page on Trump and show a contrast between a potential Harris administration and a second Trump administration.

Trump is also campaigning across the country in the closing days of the presidential campaign. He has also touted several celebrity endorsements, including from wrestler Hulk Hogan and country music singers Jason Aldean and Kid Rock.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

Copyright NBC News
Contact Us