The Moth Mainstage returns to Wharton Center in East Lansing on Friday, November 13, 2026. Featuring a lineup of writers, performers, and other unique national and Michigan storytellers, each with a ten-minute story to tell live without notes.
The theme of this storytelling event is TIGHTROPE. Storytellers will spend the evening sharing extraordinary true stories about what happens when there’s no clear path—only the courage to keep moving forward. Featuring tales of balancing without a net. Trusting your gut. Taking the leap before you know where you'll land. Of big gambles and near misses, quiet acts of bravery and glorious mistakes. Of sending the text, booking the flight, sharing the secret you've carried for years, and watching everything change.
The Moth Mainstage is a curated event featuring a host and five hand-picked storytellers from across the country who develop and shape their stories with The Moth’s directors. In recent years, this annual show has been held in front of sell-out audiences in Dearborn, East Lansing, Flint, and, most recently, Ann Arbor. Don’t miss The Moth’s return to the Wharton Center.
The Moth Mainstage takes place on Friday, November 13, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts, 750 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing, MI.
Tickets go on sale on Thursday, July 9, 2026 at 10 a.m.
The Moth Radio Hour debuted in 2009 and delights audiences on more than 400 public radio stations nationwide. The Moth Radio Hour can be heard on Michigan Public each Saturday at 12:00 noon and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
