The 2026 Chicago Socialism Conference will require all attendees to wear N-95 or K-95 masks during formal sessions, organizers announced, with masks provided on site for those who don’t bring their own.
The conference website notes the rule has limits: “Please note: this requirement applies only to formal conference spaces and sessions—attendees should be aware of the possibility that attendees will be unmasked elsewhere in the conference hotel (or beyond) where they may informally congregate.”
Organizers are encouraging attendees to test for Covid-19 before arriving, and free tests will also be available at the venue.
The four-day event begins Friday and features speakers including Hasan Piker and Democratic Socialists of America president Megan Romer.
According to its own description, “Socialism 2026 is a four-day conference bringing together thousands of socialists and radical activists from around the country to take part in discussions about social movements, abolition, Marxism, decolonization, working-class history, and the debates and strategies for organizing today.”
The conference also describes itself as a space where “activists share lessons from their struggles—from anti-ICE organizing to the fight for gender liberation, from striking workers to Palestine solidarity campaigns, the struggle to stop the destruction of the planet, the fight against racism, and more.”
Sessions and Sponsors
The published agenda includes sessions such as a “Marxism Education Series,” a “Reproductive Justice Strategy Session,” “Sing, Struggle, Organize: Movement Songs, Political Education, and Collective Power,” and “Abolition Judaism: The Revolutionary Possibilities of Diaspora.”
Sponsors listed for the event include the Democratic Socialists of America and the Palestinian Youth Movement, along with a number of other left-leaning organizations.
A code of conduct posted for the conference says organizers are committed to “uplifting and centering the voices and organizations of oppressed people and we know that interpersonal harm and harassment are pervasive in our society, and the left is not immune to these behaviors.”
“Our goal is to have a conflict- and crisis-free conference, and we are committed to working to de-escalate and resolve any problems that may arise.”
Cost of Attendance
Full conference tickets range from $250 to $500. A subsidized rate of $65 is available for those who identify as students or low income.
