THE CREATIVE COALITION OPENS WEEKEND WITH FRIDAY NIGHT’S HOTTEST INVITATION ON APRIL 24
Hollywood, Journalists, Policy Leaders Gather at DC hotspot PubKey for One-Night-Only Celebrity Jam Session, High-Wattage Dinner at Intersection of Free Expression, Arts, Culture, and Power
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 7, 2026) — To open the nation’s keystone weekend celebrating the First Amendment and freedom of expression, Washington’s most influential Friday-night room will belong to The Creative Coalition.
On Friday evening, April 24, 2026, The Creative Coalition will launch the weekend with its annual Night Before Dinner at Penn Quarter’s PubKey (410 7th St. NW, Washington, DC), convening a high-wattage mix of Hollywood talent, media leaders, policymakers, philanthropists, and industry insiders, for what is expected to be that weekend’s most coveted early invitation.
Part benefit, part power convening, part cultural happening, the evening is hosted by The Creative Coalition’s 2026 Capitol Hill Delegation Chaired by actor Michael Chiklis (The Shield, Fantastic Four), alongside Michelle Chiklis, and includes actor and President of The Creative Coalition Tim Daly (Leanne, Madam Secretary), Wendie Malick (Shrinking, The Chicken Sisters), Pamela Adlon (Better Things, Californication), Zachary Levi (Shazam!, Chuck), Ian Armitage (Young Sheldon, Big Little Lies), William Stanford Davis (Abbott Elementary), Asher Grodman (Ghosts, Succession), Rob Morrow (Billions, Murdaugh: Death in the Family, Northern Exposure) Rebecca Wisocky (Ghosts), Jazz Raycole (The Lincoln Lawyer), and more.
Earlier in the day, this assembly of influential voices from across entertainment and Corporate America will be on Capitol Hill meeting with policymakers to encourage support of federal arts funding. “I was incredibly fortunate to be a part of the opening of the Merrimack Regional Theater at the age of 14 in my hometown,” says Michael Chiklis, 2026 Arts Advocacy Day Co-Chair. “A grant from the NEA helped make the existence of that theater possible, and it’s still thriving to this day! My career as an actor started that year when I appeared in the opening production of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ and I have no idea what my life would have looked like had I not been given that glorious opportunity!”
Timed as the Friday night kickoff to the weekend, the event, made possible with support from PubKey, is designed as the place where the conversations shaping the rest of the weekend begin, at the intersection of journalism, the arts, policy, and influence. The centerpiece of this benefit evening will be a special return musical performance by The Creative Coalition’s Jam Band featuring celebrities who are part of the Capitol Hill Delegation.
The 2026 Honorary U.S. Congressional Host Committee for the evening includes U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer, The Honorable Mazie Hirono, The Honorable Edward J. Markey, The Honorable Jeff Merkley, The Honorable Chris Murphy, The Honorable Don Bacon, The Honorable Becca Balint, The Honorable Nanette Barragan, The Honorable Jack Bergman, The Honorable Ami Bera The Honorable Suzanne Bonamici, The Honorable Earl “Buddy” Carter, The Honorable Judy Chu, The Honorable Emanuel Cleaver, The Honorable Steve Cohen, The Honorable Angie Craig, The Honorable Jason Crow, The Honorable Diana DeGette, The Honorable Debbie Dingell, The Honorable Neal Dunn, The Honorable Valerie Foushee, The Honorable Lois Frankel, The Honorable Laura Friedman, The Honorable John Garamendi, The Honorable Andrew Garbarino, The Honorable Laura Gillen, The Honorable Jimmy Gomez, The Honorable Lance Gooden, The Honorable Adelita Grijalva, The Honorable Chrissy Houlahan, The Honorable Hank Johnson, The Honorable Julie Johnson, The Honorable Susie Lee, The Honorable Ted Lieu, The Honorable Doris Matsui, The Honorable Betty McCollum, The Honorable Kristen McDonald Rivet, The Honorable David Min, The Honorable John Moolenaar, The Honorable Jerrold Nadler, The Honorable Johnny Olszewski, The Honorable Jimmy Panetta, The Honorable Scott Peters, The Honorable Brittany Pettersen, The Honorable Chellie Pingree, The Honorable Mark Pocan, The Honorable Nellie Pou, The Honorable Mike Quigley, The Honorable Raul Ruiz, The Honorable Hillary Scholten, The Honorable Marilyn Strickland, The Honorable Shri Thanedar, The Honorable Dina Titus, The Honorable Lori Trahan, The Honorable Nydia Velázquez The Honorable James Walkinshaw, The Honorable Bonnie Watson Coleman, and others TBA. This is a widely attended event.
For patrons, underwriters, and invited guests, the night offers something increasingly rare in Washington: a room that is both culturally electric and civically consequential.
For tables, underwriting opportunities, press credentials, and access to Washington’s Most Coveted Friday Night Room: CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Limited hosted tables and underwriting opportunities remain. Access is by invitation and curated placement.
For nearly four decades, The Creative Coalition has stood at the intersection of art and free speech, advocating for federal arts funding, the protection of journalism, and the freedoms that allow creativity to thrive. Through #RightToBearArts, the organization is issuing a clear challenge to policymakers, cultural leaders, and the public alike: are the freedoms that have shaped American creativity still worth defending?
“When we stop defending expression, we start accepting silence,” says Tim Daly, President of The Creative Coalition. “That silence begins when we fail to protect both the First Amendment and the institutions that make creativity possible, including vital federal support for the National Endowment for the Arts. Defending the NEA means defending the artists, storytellers, and cultural voices that help define who we are as a nation.”
Adds Robin Bronk, CEO of The Creative Coalition, “For nearly four decades, The Creative Coalition has operated at the intersection of art and free speech because the two are inseparable. The First Amendment exists to express inconvenient and necessary truths. When we begin to question the value of that freedom, we are weakening the foundation of our democracy. This is the moment to stand behind expression, not step away from it.”
About The Creative Coalition
The Creative Coalition is the premier nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization of the arts and entertainment community. Founded in 1989 by leaders across the creative sector, The Creative Coalition is dedicated to educating artists on issues of public importance. Led by actor and President Tim Daly, the organization is known for award-winning initiatives — including its signature #RightToBearArts campaign — that leverage storytelling to drive social impact and inspire civic engagement. Most recently, The Creative Coalition established the Entertainment Industry Commission on Family Caregiving. To learn more, visit TheCreativeCoalition.org
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CONTACT:
TCC@pmkentertainment.com