A look ahead at some of the key events that will be leading the news agenda next year, from the team at Foresight News.
Foresight News looks ahead to the key events in the calendar for 2024 that need to be in your news diary. Events are as planned at time of writing, but subject to change as the year goes on.
2024 is not just an election year – it’s the election year. On top of the potential Joe Biden-Donald Trump rematch in November, there are elections in at least 60 countries next year, including the likes of the UK, India, South Africa, Indonesia, Russia, Taiwan, and potentially Japan.
Some of the major themes from this year will continue into 2024, including Trump’s legal battles and Republican investigations into Joe and Hunter Biden, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and the ongoing battle against inflation and its impacts. It’s also a bumper year for sports, with the Copa America soccer tournament hosted in cities across the US and the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games on the calendar. Read on for a closer look at some of the key events we expect to lead the news in 2024.
For a more comprehensive overview, our 2024 calendar is now available for download to help keep you ahead of the news agenda next year.
January
One of the early big stories of the year comes on January 5 when South African former Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius, who was jailed for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, is due to be released from prison on parole.
Awards season kicks off with the Golden Globes on January 7, followed by Oscar nominations on January 23.
Lawmakers return to Washington DC on January 8 facing a busy month, with January 19 marking the first of two government funding deadlines under the laddered CR passed in November. Oral arguments take place in Donald Trump’s immunity claim appeal on January 9, and Hunter Biden is due to be arraigned on tax charges on January 11.
The Republican nomination process officially begins with the Iowa caucuses on January 15, followed by New Hampshire’s primary on January 23. The month ends with Fed’s first interest rate decision of the year on January 31.
Notable elections this month include Bangladesh (January 7), Taiwan (January 13), and Finland (January 28), as well as delayed municipal elections in Israel (January 30).
February
EU leaders gather for their first summit of the year on February 1 to discuss Ukraine funding, while attention in the US will be focused on the second funding deadline of the new year on February 2.
The first DNC-sanctioned primary takes place in South Carolina on February 3, followed by Nevada on February 6. In the Republican primary, keep an eye out for the Nevada caucuses on February 8 and the South Carolina primary on February 24. Voting in Michigan takes place in both parties’ primaries on February 27.
Awards season continues meanwhile with the Grammy Awards on February 4, followed by one of the year’s biggest TV events with Super Bowl LVIII on February 11.
New York voters head to the polls on February 13 for the special election to fill the New York seat previously held by disgraced former Congressman George Santos. And it’s a big month for political speeches – Ukraine and the Middle East are likely to feature prominently at the Munich Security Conference, which opens on February 16, followed by CPAC on February 21.
It’s a busy month in international elections, too, with votes scheduled in El Salvador (February 4), Azerbaijan (February 7), Pakistan (February 8), Indonesia (February 14), Belarus, Iraqi Kurdistan and Senegal (February 25).
March
Assuming the date holds, Donald Trump’s trial in DC over the 2020 election and events of Jan.6 is set to begin on March 4 in what would be the first time in history that a former president stands trial on criminal charges.
March could also prove decisive when it comes to the Republican primary, with a host of states set to vote on Super Tuesday on March 5 followed by votes in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio on March 19.
It’s a big month for predictions (and betting): Hollywood hosts the Oscars on March 10, and the NCAA March Madness tournament begins on March 19.
The Fed’s interest rate decision on March 20 could be a huge moment if the first of several anticipated cuts this year is announced.
Big elections this month include parliamentary polls in Iran (March 1), the inevitable re-election of Vladimir Putin in Russia (March 17), and presidential elections due in Ukraine (March 31), though these are subject to a fierce debate over whether it’s possible to hold them while the war is ongoing.
April
Look up (but not directly!): what’s being called the Great North American Eclipse will make its way across parts of the US, Mexico and Canada on April 8, while Boeing has targeted April 14 for the launch of its first manned Starliner mission to the ISS.
Influencers and music-lovers descend on Indio for the Coachella festival on April 12 and 19, while a rather different crowd gathers in Washington for the IMF/World Bank Spring meetings from April 15, ahead of first quarter GDP figures due out on April 25.
Gun control activists are likely to mark the 25th anniversary of the Columbine massacre on April 20 with renewed calls for action given the grim regularity of school shootings in the years since.
Elections are scheduled in South Korea on April 10 but there’s still no date for those expected in India this month when Narendra Modi’s future will be decided.
May
The month kicks off with another Fed interest rate decision on May 1, when a rate cut could be on the cards again, while stars descend on New York for the annual Met Gala on May 6, this year themed Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening fashion.
It’s a big month for sports, with the Kentucky Derby on May 4 followed by the Preakness States on May 18 and the Indy 500 on May 26.
Vladimir Putin takes to the streets of Moscow for his country’s annual Victory Day celebrations on May 9, which are likely to focus as much on the Ukraine as on the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.
Any remaining Republican leadership hopefuls will be expected to make their pitches at the NRA Leadership Forum on May 17, while Trump’s classified documents trial is due to begin on May 20, though many expect it to be postponed.
Big-budget blockbusters Furiosa and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes are scheduled for release on May 24.
Key elections this month include votes in Panama on May 5 and in South Africa, where the beleaguered ANC faces a host of economic and social problems after 30 years in power.
June
June starts off with attention focused abroad, as Mexican elections on June 2 look likely to return the country’s first female president and the Jerusalem Day parade on June 4 risks exacerbating tensions in Israel.
European parliamentary elections get underway across member states on June 6, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, which is marked with an international ceremony at Omaha beach. Joe Biden may mark that anniversary during his expected visit to Europe to attend the G7 Summit hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on June 13.
Back home there’s the Fed interest rate decision on June 12, while the MLB stages a special game in Birmingham on June 20 to mark Juneteenth and June 28 sees the opening of the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center dedicated to the LGBTQ rights movement.
July
President Biden hosts NATO leaders for their annual summit from July 9 as the organization marks its 75th anniversary with the conflict in Ukraine once again likely dominating discussions. Biden’s would be Republican successor, meanwhile, will be officially nominated at the Republican National Convention that begins on July 15 when the party will hope to paper over internal divisions as they look to November’s election.
In sport, Olympics open in Paris on July 26 though events take place across France and indeed as far as the French Polynesian island of Tahiti, where surfing will make its debut at the legendary Teahupo’o. Watch out for protests over the controversial construction of a judging tower on the reef that has faced local opposition.
August
The Olympics will dominate the first half of the month, with sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson and gymnast Simone Biles among US athletes to watch in Paris.
Back home, it is hard to imagine anyone other than Joe Biden being officially nominated as the Democratic party’s candidate at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which opens on August 19. The party will be hoping the convention contrasts starkly with the last time it was held in the city in 1968 amid protests over the Vietnam war.
Fed-watchers will be in Jackson Hole from August 22 for the Kansas City Fed Annual Economic Symposium which always features a highly-anticipated speech from Jerome Powell.
September
The end-of-summer focus on sports continues into the first week of September, with the NFL season kicking off on September 5 and the US Open finals on September 7 and 8.
With the conventions out of the way, the presidential campaign will be fully underway this month, and all eyes will be on the first presidential debate on September 16 followed by the vice presidential debate on September 25.
In economics, the biggest news again will likely be the Fed’s interest rate decision announced on September 18.
World leaders, including Joe Biden, will converge in New York for the landmark UN Summit of the Future on September 22, followed by the week-long UN General Assembly General Debate, which begins on September 24.
October
With just a month to go before the elections, the second and third presidential debates take place on October 1 and 9 alongside what is sure to be a steady stream of campaign visits to swing states. October also typically features debates in the various congressional races, with particular attention likely on a handful of Senate races in a year where Republicans are viewed as favorites to flip control of the upper chamber.
With Russia expected to feature prominently in the election campaign, a new NATO Secretary General will take up the role on October 1 looking for firm commitments from Washington.
October 7 will mark the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, which will be a significant milestone for the region whether or not the war is still ongoing. The anniversary comes just days before the announcement of the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize on October 11, with 2024 marking 30 years since Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat won the prize for their efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.
Parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom, slated for this year, could take place this month with Labour favored to win following 14 years of Conservative party rule characterized in recent years by chaotic infighting and a series of leadership changes.
November
Really just the one story in town this month as voters across the country go to the polls on November 5 to choose the next president of the United States. Depending on how the vote goes, we could see recounts and legal tussles over results in the days that follow.
Joe Biden will be hoping he heads to South America to attend an APEC Summit in Peru on November 14 and the G20 Summit in Brazil on November 18 looking forward to a second term, but he could mark his 82nd birthday on November 20 staring down the final months of his presidency or locked in another protracted dispute over results.
One high point for the month, though, is the planned launch of NASA’s Artemis II mission, which will see the first woman and the first Black man in a lunar crew sent to orbit around the Moon in preparation for a landing mission in 2025.
December
If the presidential election results aren’t clear in the aftermath of the vote, December features three key dates in the run-up to the new administration being sworn in in January, as what were previously something of a formality became flashpoints in the aftermath of the 2020 elections.
December 11 is the so-called ‘safe-harbor’ deadline for states to resolve all election-related disputes before Electoral College delegations meet to cast their votes on December 17. Electoral votes must arrive in DC and be received by the President of the Senate and the Archivist by December 25 ahead of the joint session to count the votes and officially certify the election result on January 6, 2025.
As the year draws to a close, a key Russia-Ukraine gas transit deal is due to expire on December 31, which also marks a deadline for the US to implement the OECD’s Pillar 2 tax reforms, though so far nothing has been set out.