Boston, Denver, and Philadelphia have been named as the finalists for hosting the 2028 Democratic National Convention. This announcement was made by Ken Martin, the Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The selection process will now be overseen by the Democratic National Convention Committee, a procedure that is expected to take several months to complete.
Earlier contenders, Atlanta and Chicago, were not included in the final selection. The Associated Press first broke the news of the three shortlisted cities. Martin expressed that the upcoming convention will be a pivotal event celebrating the party’s future nominee and an essential part of the Democrats’ strategy for regaining the White House. He praised the strong proposals from Boston, Denver, and Philadelphia and mentioned that the DNC looks forward to collaborating with these cities as they make their final decision.
The process of selecting a host city began in September 2025, when the DNC started requesting proposals. Site visits followed in April and May of this year. Notably, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens voiced his disappointment at the exclusion of his city from the shortlist, stating that it appeared the DNC overlooked Atlanta and Georgia’s significance to the party.
The 2028 convention is slated to occur from August 7 to 10. The previous Democratic National Convention in 2024 took place in Chicago. Philadelphia hosted the event in 2016, the same year Hillary Clinton was announced as the presidential nominee. Boston had the honor of hosting in 2004, a notable year when then-Senator Barack Obama gave the keynote address. Denver was the host city in 2008, marking the event where Obama accepted the presidential nomination.