Bluesky Hits 2026 Usage Peak With 44 Million Likes on Election Night
Bluesky hit its 2026 usage peak on U.S. midterm election night, with 44 million likes, 4.8 million posts, 2 million follows and traffic up 200% on November 4.
Summary
Bluesky recorded its highest daily totals for posts, replies and likes in 2026 during Tuesday’s U.S. midterm elections. CEO Toni Schneider said new users joined and former users returned, with posts and likes doubling during the election. COO Rose Wang said activity peaked from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. PT as results arrived. Compared with the previous 30 day averages, daily posts rose 30%, likes 70% and link clicks 20%.
Open source data for November 4 showed 44 million likes, 4.8 million posts and 2 million new follows. Data traffic ran 200% above usual and reached 35.8 GB/s. The daily likes total nearly matched Bluesky’s record of 45 million, set in November 2024. Bluesky’s politically left leaning audience grew most rapidly after Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, and activity surged amid sweeping Democratic victories.
Positives
- 44 million likes on November 4 brought Bluesky within 1 million of its all time daily record.
- 4.8 million posts and 2 million new follows accompanied Bluesky’s highest daily engagement totals of 2026.
- 70% more likes and 30% more posts than the previous 30 day averages showed broad election night engagement.
- 20% more link clicks indicated users were also engaging with material beyond posts.
- 35.8 GB/s of traffic, 200% above usual, reflected the scale of election night demand.
Risks & concerns
- 44 million likes remained below the 45 million daily record set in November 2024.
- No exact reply total was disclosed despite replies reaching their highest daily level of 2026.
- Bluesky’s reputation as a politically left leaning platform highlights its concentrated ideological audience.
- Schneider’s doubling statement and Wang’s 30% and 70% increases use different comparisons, complicating direct measurement.