Kamala Harris faced a frustrated [1] crowd in Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium on Friday after drawing thousands of attendees with the expectation of a Beyoncé performance that never occurred.
The event, part of a rally for the Harris-Walz campaign, quickly turned sour as disappointed fans and attendees booed the vice president during her speech.
They said Beyoncé was performing but she just came and talked for 2 minutes??
— Peachy Keenan (@KeenanPeachy) October 26, 2024 [2]
Harris has developed a pattern of hosting high-profile artists at her campaign events, drawing large crowds by featuring popular musical acts such as Megan Thee Stallion and Usher.
These events often give the impression of substantial support for the vice president, though video footage from past rallies has shown crowds streaming out of venues as soon as the concerts end.
Friday’s event followed a similar trend but with one major difference: the promised concert featuring Beyoncé and other stars never took place.
The stadium filled with thousands anticipating performances from Houston-native Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, and Willie Nelson.
Beyoncé’s presence had been heavily rumored, especially after similar speculations surrounding her involvement in the Democratic National Convention proved untrue.
Instead, the rally featured a brief appearance by Beyoncé, who delivered a short speech endorsing the Harris-Walz campaign and addressing issues related to abortion. “I’m here as a mother who cares deeply about the world, my children, and all of our children,” Beyoncé stated. “A world where we have the freedom to control our bodies.”
The lack of a live musical performance, however, left the crowd unsatisfied.
NEW: Kamala Harris’ highly anticipated rally in Houston, Texas was a complete disaster as some attendees fumed that Beyonce didn’t perform.
Harris failed to control the rowdy crowd as boos and shouting drowned her out on multiple occasions.
Some in the crowd were reportedly… pic.twitter.com/IXioDq7UfK [3]
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 26, 2024 [4]
As Harris began her address, audible boos and heckling from the audience interrupted her remarks.
CHAOS ST THE KAMALA RALLY pic.twitter.com/jujhrISumg [5]
— Old Row (@OldRowOfficial) October 26, 2024 [6]
At one point, she responded to the crowd, saying, “You’re at the wrong rally,” and directed hecklers to “that smaller rally down the street,” though it was unclear which rally she meant.
Former President Trump was holding an event three hours away in Austin, Texas, at the time.
Throughout her speech, Harris faced ongoing heckling, with segments of the crowd expressing frustration over the apparent concert bait-and-switch.
The scene escalated to the point where security was forced to intervene. Conservative comedian and activist Alex Stein shared videos from the event, showing several individuals being escorted out by security personnel.
Stein posted on X, formerly Twitter, “People were heckling Kamala like crazy all night…the Secret Service was stressed out.”
People were heckling Kamala like crazy all night…the secret service was stressed out pic.twitter.com/Dvk9zv960o [7]
— Alex Stein #99 (@alexstein99) October 26, 2024 [8]
The incident marks another case of Harris’s rallies encountering disruptions, often from pro-Palestinian protesters who have criticized her and Governor Tim Walz for what they describe as support for “genocide” in Gaza.
As Harris and Walz continue their campaign, the strategy of using celebrity endorsements and free concerts to attract crowds remains a notable element.
However, Friday’s event demonstrated that unmet expectations can lead to a hostile response from attendees, posing challenges for the Harris-Walz campaign as they seek to maintain momentum in key areas.
One of the people at the event even screamed in the face of a toddler in a stroller outside the venue. Watch:
This is the Kamala Harris demographic in a nutshell. Screaming at a toddler over politics. They are just insane. pic.twitter.com/4M16n1fcKZ [9]
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) October 26, 2024 [10]