2024 Presidential Election Debate Schedule: Dates, Times, Who’ll Be There And Who Won’t

Media-wise, the 2024 Presidential election crosses the official starting line with debate season, and this cycle the contenders on the Republican side, including a multiple-indicted former POTUS, are looking to beat Democrat Joe Biden and take over the White House. But first they have to take on each other.

For the candidates, debates are a way to score points against a rival, stand out from the field or define a campaign that’s heretofore been rudderless.

Frontrunner Trump opted out of the first debate In August, instead deciding to hold forth with Tucker Carlson in a more friendly pre-taped interview. The debate drew 12.8 million viewers on Fox News. He also did not participate in the September 27 debate in Simi Valley, CA, which drew 9.5 million viewers across Fox Business and Univision and simulcast on Fox News.

The third debate has been set for November 8 in Miami and will air on NBC and Rumble.

Below is the official schedule of dates, times, locations and participants involved in the primary debates. Check back as more are announced, including as general election debates are added, ahead of the November 2024 elections.

Republican Primary Debates

Wednesday, November 8

City (Venue): Miami (Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County)
Networks: NBC News, Rumble
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Moderators: NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt, Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker, Salem Radio Network’s Hugh Hewitt
Participants: TBA

Wednesday, September 27

City (Venue): Simi Valley, CA (Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum)
Networks: Fox Business, Univision (simulcast on Fox News/Fox Nation)
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Moderators: Fox News Media’s Stuart Varney and Dana Perino, Univision’s Ilia Calderón 
Participants: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC). 

Wednesday, August 23

City (Venue): Milwaukee, WI (Fiserv Arena)
Networks: Fox News, Rumble
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Moderators: Bret Baier, Martha MacCallum
Participants: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, former pharmaceutical executive Vivek Ramaswamy, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum

Democratic Primary Debates

None scheduled, though it is unclear who Biden would debate.

General Election Debates

None scheduled. In the 2020 cycle, they took place on September 29, 2020 and October 22, 2020.