Mayor Rex Richardson is expected to deliver the annual State of the City address Jan. 9 inside Downtown’s Terrace Theater. Here’s how you can watch, in person or remotely.
For the first time, this year’s State of the City will include a “Youth State of the City” according to a city announcement, as well as the typical overview of city accomplishments and updates on city projects.
Tickets to attend the event are free, but you need to RSVP for those in advance. You can also watch the address from home through the city’s social media channels, the city’s broadcasting channel or the city’s YouTube channel.
The annual address provides the city’s mayor with an opportunity to make big announcements about upcoming projects or new businesses that are moving into the city, but it also provides a platform for the mayor to spell out policies he wants the City Council to pursue.
The address will be Richardson’s second as mayor with last year’s coming the same day that the City Council declared a local state of emergency over homelessness. Long Beach officials have indicated they may lift the emergency as soon as the end of February. Richardson is expected to give some details Tuesday about the city’s plan for homelessness moving forward.
In 2023, Richardson used the address to announce his “Opportunity Beach” agenda that outlined how to bolster the local economy by investing in tourism and continuing to court the space industry and others.
Last year’s address included an announcement that Vast Space would be moving to Long Beach.
The 2024 State of the City is expected to start at 5:30 p.m. with doors at the Terrace Theater opening at 4:30 p.m. Parking will be available in the structure in the Convention Center’s parking lot at 400 Seaside Way.