If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to be in the same room as the voices that shape America’s political conversation, MSNBC is about to offer a front-row seat. On Saturday, October 11, the network will host its second annual in-person extravaganza, MSNBCLIVE ‘25: This Is Who We Are, at Manhattan’s Hammerstein Ballroom. This gathering promises to be as much a celebration of community as it is a showcase of cable news star power.
A Network Steps Off the Screen
Last year, MSNBC’s inaugural live event drew more than 4,000 attendees to Brooklyn and over a million viewers to its televised broadcast. The energy, as described by creative director Luke Russert, was like a rock concert—a rare moment when the digital and television audience materialized into a living, breathing crowd. This year, the network is doubling down, expanding the format and inviting even more of its marquee names to the stage, including Rachel Maddow, Jen Psaki, Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Nicolle Wallace, Lawrence O’Donnell, Chris Hayes, Ari Melber, Stephanie Ruhle, Alicia Menendez, Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele, and Katy Tur, among others.
What’s on the Agenda?
The day is structured around two main sessions. The Morning Session (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) will feature a blend of analysis, interviews, and unscripted moments with hosts like Chris Hayes, Nicolle Wallace, Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, Alicia Menendez, Symone Sanders Townsend, and Michael Steele. Afterward, a limited-seating Capstone Lunch will offer a more intimate setting for conversations on women’s empowerment, led by Brzezinski, and a dialogue between Jacob Soboroff and Katy Tur.
The Evening Session (5:30 to 7:30 p.m.) brings out the heavy hitters: Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Jen Psaki, Ari Melber, Stephanie Ruhle, and Ali Velshi. The day concludes with a Capstone Dinner, where Maddow and Psaki will share the stage for a conversation that’s likely to be as revealing as it is unscripted.
Why Now? Why Live?
MSNBC’s move into live events is more than a revenue play. It’s a response to the shifting sands of media consumption. As cable viewership contracts and digital engagement surges, the network is betting that its audience craves more than just analysis from afar. They want connection, a sense of belonging, and the chance to ask questions in real time. Last year’s event drew attendees from as far as London and Hawaii, a testament to the network’s reach and the hunger for community among its viewers.
Luke Russert, who returned to MSNBC to spearhead the live events division, describes the goal as creating a space where viewers can not only engage with hosts and contributors but each other, and hopefully leave feeling inspired and informed. The event is also a signal of MSNBC’s evolving identity as it prepares for a spinoff from NBCUniversal and a new chapter under the Versant corporate umbrella.
The Experience: More Than Just Panels
What sets MSNBCLIVE ‘25 apart isn’t just the lineup, but the format. Attendees can expect a blend of high-level TV production and the kind of unscripted, solutions-focused conversation that rarely makes it to air. There’s a palpable sense that the event is as much about the audience as it is about the hosts. The day is designed to foster connections—between viewers, between hosts, and between the network and its most loyal fans.
Tickets start at $100, and if last year’s sold-out crowd is any indication, demand will be high. For those who can’t make it to Manhattan, the event will be broadcast on MSNBC at a later date, ensuring that the conversation extends far beyond the ballroom. For more details and ticket information, visit the official MSNBC Live event page.
A Glimpse of the Future
In an era when news is often consumed in isolation—on phones, in earbuds, in the quiet of living rooms—MSNBC’s live event is a reminder that journalism can still be communal. It’s a bet that the future of news isn’t just about information, but about gathering, questioning, and, perhaps most importantly, listening together.