Lady Gaga, Jon Bon Jovi, Katy Perry and More Perform at Kamala Harris Election Eve Concert
Lady Gaga performed at Kamala Harris’ Philadelphia rally on Monday night, where she sang “God Bless America” and “Edge of Glory,” telling the crowd of swing state voters, “the country is depending on you.”
Gaga was one of many starry names at Harris’ multi-city rally on election eve, which also saw performances from Katy Perry, Jon Bon Jovi, Christina Aguilera and more in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Detroit, Las Vegas and Milwaukee.
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“For more than half of this country’s life, women didn’t have a voice,” Gaga told the crowd after her performance of the patriotic ballad. “Yet we raised children, we held our families together, we supported men as they made the decisions — but tomorrow, women will be a part of making this decision.”
She continued, “Today I am holding in my heart all the tough, tenacious women who made me who I am. I cast my vote for someone who will be a president for all, for all Americans.”
The pop star then introduced Doug Emhoff, who spoke to the audience about his wife’s readiness for the White House. Oprah Winfrey followed after him, introducing will.i.am for a his new song, “YES SHE CAN,” before the vice president took the stage for the final speech of the night, telling the Philadelphia crowd, “You will decide the outcome of this election, Pennsylvania.”
In her speech, Winfrey also touched on the importance of Pennsylvania voters, where polls show Harris and Donald Trump locked in a dead heat.
“If we don’t show up tomorrow, it is entirely possible that we will not have the opportunity to ever cast a ballot again,” Winfrey said. “And let me be very clear, if you do not make sure that the people in your life can get to the polls, that is a mistake. Deciding not to decide, that is most definitely a vote to let other people control your future.”
Gaga returned after Harris spoke for an acoustic performance of “Edge of Glory,” which carried the event across midnight, marking the official start of Election Day.
The lineup for the star-studded Kamala Harris concert had been under wraps for weeks. Then, on Monday, the performers were revealed, not only for one concert rally but also for simultaneously coordinated concert rallies taking place in seven battleground states.
The livestreamed Vote for Freedom rallies — the campaign’s final get-out-the-vote effort before Election Day to capture grassroots enthusiasm and mobilize voters — included performances from 2 Chainz, Anthony Hamilton, Ciara, Joy of Jesse & Joy in Atlanta; Fantasia Barrino, James Taylor, Remi Wolf, and Sugarland in Raleigh; Christina Aguilera, Los Tigres Del Norte, SOFI TUKKER in Las Vegas, with remarks by Eva Longoria; La Original Banda El Limón in Phoenix; Eric Benet at a Tim and Gwen Walz-hosted Milwaukee event; and Jon Bon Jovi, The War and Treaty and Detroit Youth Choir in Detroit.
But the main event was two rallies taking place in Pennsylvania, with Harris making her first stop in Pittsburgh — where Katy Perry, Andra Day and D-Nice performed — and ending her tour in Philadelphia, where the A-list lineup included Winfrey, Gaga, DJ Cassidy, Fat Joe, Ricky Martin, The Roots, Freeway, Just Blaze, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Jazmine Sullivan and Adam Blackstone.
The 2024 election eve rallies followed a burst of Hollywood support for the vice president in the final days leading into Nov. 5, including a Houston rally endorsement from heavy-hitter supporter Beyoncé, a Saturday Night Live appearance from Harris herself (prompting equal time given to Donald Trump on Sunday by NBC), and other high-profile endorsements from the likes of Harrison Ford, Jennifer Lawrence and Will.i.am.
A campaign senior official recently spoke of the impact of celebrities getting out the vote for Harris, noting how the campaign’s strategic use of DJs, videos, songs and celebrities throughout Harris’ campaign run speaks to both the hopeful and optimistic environment Harris looks to create and helps to hammer home her message that “everyone has a home with us.”
DJ Cassidy previoously helped rally the Democratic National Convention with a first-of-its-kind roll call dance party; Winfrey was also a surprise speaker at the convention.
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