Democrats will gather in Chicago on Thursday night where Vice-President Kamala Harris will make the biggest speech of her life, as she readies herself for the sprint before November’s presidential election.

On the final day of the Democratic National Convention, Ms Harris will formally accept her party’s nomination – following a ceremonial roll call earlier in the week during which state delegates confirmed their support.

Her running mate Tim Walz spoke on Wednesday night, making a personal pitch to middle America by giving a “pep talk” in the vein of an American football coach.

US political conventions, which happen every four years before a presidential election, date back to the 1830s, when a group of Democratic delegates supporting President Andrew Jackson gathered to nominate him for a second term.

Here’s what to know about the 2024 DNC, which has been attended by thousands of people.

The convention has all been building up to Thursday night.

When she takes the stage, Vice-President Harris will formally accept the presidential nomination, and give a speech looking ahead to November.

It will be the most significant address of her political career.

Ms Harris became the Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden stepped aside and gave her his backing, following weeks of pressure from party members.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, who both represent swing states, are also expected to speak on Thursday – as is high-profile Republican Adam Kinzinger.

Wednesday night was Mr Walz’s first significant opportunity to introduce himself to the nation – and specifically to connect with middle America.

His speech was heavy on his personal story, including the importance of his family, his teaching career and time spent coaching a high-school football team, his stint in Army National Guard, and his service as a congressman and Minnesota governor.

Long-time TV host Oprah Winfrey made a surprise appearance, receiving a raucous response and urging Americans to “choose truth” in the upcoming vote.

Other prominent Democrats who featured on the same night included grandees Bill Clinton, the former president, and Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker.

There were also appearances by rising stars such as Josh Shapiro, the governor of the swing state of Pennsylvania.

Earlier in the week, the convention heard from President Joe Biden, who stepped aside last month for Ms Harris to contest the presidency. On Monday, he gave an emotional defence of his time in the White House: “America, I gave my best to you.”

The same evening, Hillary Clinton, the 2016 presidential candidate, took the stage and voiced her hope that Ms Harris could finally break the “highest, hardest glass ceiling” in the US by becoming the first female president.

During back-to-back speeches on Tuesday, Barack and Michelle Obama mixed gags with serious exhortations to Democrats to get out and vote in November.

“Hope is making a comeback,” said Mrs Obama. This was a contrast with the “chaos” of Donald Trump’s time in the White House, Mr Obama added. And Trump’s former spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham gave a speech of her own criticising her ex-boss.

America’s Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff was introduced to the stage on the same night by his son Cole, who called him a “goofy dad”. Mr Emhoff went on to laud his wife, Ms Harris, as the “right person” for him and the presidency alike.

Because Ms Harris and Mr Walz were already nominated ahead of the event, and the roll call was a formality, this year’s convention has been focused on speeches and the adoption of the party’s policy platform.

Delegates have been working in the daytimes to finalise the platform, a draft of which has already been released. It focuses on a broad range of issues, including plans to lower inflation, mitigate climate change and tackle gun violence.

In the draft, Democrats contrast each of the party positions with Project 2025, an ultra-conservative blueprint for what a second Trump administration could look like, authored by the Heritage Foundation. Trump has sought to distance himself from the project, though several of his allies were involved in writing it.

Members of the public can only attend the convention in person by becoming volunteers. But as with the Republican convention, there is plenty of national media coverage, and the convention itself has been offering live-streams on social media platforms.

You can follow BBC News coverage – featuring on-site reporting and analysis – across the website and app, and on our livestream.

The BBC News Channel is carrying special coverage from 20:00 ET (01:00 BST) each night. You can find special episodes of The Global Story and Americast podcasts on BBC Sounds and other podcast platforms.

Sign up to North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher’s election newsletter US Election Unspun for his take on the week’s events direct to your inbox.

About 50,000 people are thought to have travelled to the event in Chicago. They include thousands of delegates chosen by state Democratic parties, as well as party grandees and some members of the Democratic National Committee.

As with the equivalent Republican event last month, which featured famous faces as well, the DNC has been a star-studded affair. Winfrey and Lil Jon have been joined by musicians Stevie Wonder, John Legend and Lil Jon, and comedian Mindy Kaling.

Rumours have swirled about whether mega-stars Beyoncé and Taylor Swift will make appearances themselves, but neither has confirmed anything.

Demonstrations have been taking place outside the convention centre, focusing on opposition to US support of Israel’s war in Gaza. A further demonstration is planned on Thursday.

On Wednesday, a group of delegates who were denied the chance to speak at the convention began a sit-in outside the arena.

The delegates, selected in state Democratic primaries earlier this year, have pledged themselves “uncommitted” to any presidential candidate as part of an internal protest over Gaza.

Earlier in the week, a protest on Tuesday near Chicago’s Israeli consulate culminated in scuffles between demonstrators and police and led to several arrests.

And thousands of marchers took to the streets for a mostly peaceful protest on Monday, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to US support for Israel. Several were arrested when dozens of them broke through a security fence.

In that night’s address, Mr Biden acknowledged that the activists “have a point”, going on to say that “a lot of innocent people are being killed, on both sides”.