Events
Michigan Public Events bring the radio to a stage, pub, or local business near you. Each event is different, giving you the chance to interact with Michigan Public personalities, witness live storytelling, hear engaging interviews, and more.
Check out upcoming Michigan Public Events below, or click through the tabs to learn about special events series like Issues & Ale or various travel opportunities.
Want to know what's going on in your area? Click here for our Community Calendar.
Check out upcoming Michigan Public Events below, or click through the tabs to learn about special events series like Issues & Ale or various travel opportunities.
Want to know what's going on in your area? Click here for our Community Calendar.
Upcoming Featured Events
Michigan Public Featured Events
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Join Stateside host April Baer in a discussion with Sam Sanders, journalist and host of The Sam Sanders Show. The two will recount Sanders's past as a political journalist, discuss his evolution into a pop-culture podcast host, and look at what's on the horizon for him in the new year. -
Ira Glass, one of America’s most influential storytellers, returns to Ann Arbor for his fifth A2SF appearance for an evening filled with insight, creativity, and unforgettable moments. As the creator and host of This American Life, the award-winning public radio program heard by more than 5 million listeners each week, Glass has shaped how a generation thinks about narrative and the power of everyday stories.
In this special A2SF appearance, Glass blends live storytelling with audio clips, music, video, and audience Q&A to share how he builds a story from the ground up. He reflects on what inspires him, how challenges evolve into breakthroughs, and what he has learned from a life devoted to curiosity and craft.
Under his leadership, This American Life has earned nine Peabody Awards, the first Pulitzer Prize for audio journalism, and induction to the Library of Congress. His programs were also ranked among Time magazine’s 100 Best Podcasts of All Time.
Tickets can be purchased here.
A limited number of tickets to a pre-show VIP Meet & Greet reception with Mr. Glass are available to ticket buyers. Meet & Greet tickets are $30 and capacity is limited. The reception will take place in the Power Center lobby before the performance and will include refreshments. This add-on can be purchased here.
Moth StorySLAM
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The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night's theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show! Tonight’s theme is…
NEW LEAF: Prepare a five-minute story about a new chapter. Bold beginnings, fresh starts and the mess we had to leave behind. Whether you pack up your life to move cross-country, cut ties with a partner to find yourself, or woke up one day and chose a different career. Tell us what it takes to begin again and what still lingers in the rearview. -
The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night's theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show! Tonight’s theme is…
THIN ICE: Prepare a five-minute story about big risks, sneaky sidesteps, and treading lightly. The time you found yourself in territory so treacherous that one wrong move might crack the whole surface. Flirting with catastrophe, the texts you shouldn’t have sent, the secret you let slip, the gamble that cost you everything. Did you narrowly miss disaster, or did you plunge right through?
Issues & Ale
Issues & Ale is an event series from Michigan Public designed to engage people in conversations about important issues facing Michigan in an informal atmosphere. The events are hosted by Michigan Public reporters and feature experts on the topic. All events are free, and the public is invited to join in the discussion. You can find information on upcoming and past Issues & Ale events on the pages below.
We hold Issues & Ale events at venues all across our listening area. You can share your suggestions for future topics or locations by e-mailing us at marketing@michiganpublic.org.
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Join It's Just Politics hosts Zoe Clark & Rick Pluta as they look back on this year in politics ... and look forward to what's on the horizon. Register. -
Join Michigan Public’s It's Just Politics team Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta and a panel of guests, as they dig into what’s happening at the state capitol and take your questions about Michigan politics. -
Join Morning Edition host Doug Tribou, author & sports commentator John U. Bacon, and special guests at The Ark in Ann Arbor, as they discuss the seismic changes college sports are facing today. -
Join Michigan Public’s It's Just Politics team of Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta in Lansing for our next Issues & Ale on June 4, 2025. They'll speak with a bipartisan panel of lawmakers. -
From fishing and heavy industry to recreational waterfronts and new tech, an array of interest groups are using, and sometimes abusing, Michigan's biggest economic asset. Join Michigan Public’s Environment Reporter Lester Graham and a panel of experts for a fast-paced discussion about The Blue Economy on Monday, May 19 at 7pm, in person at the South Lyon Hotel or online.
Travel
You can join Michigan Public on-air hosts and reporters for fabulous vacation opportunities to exciting destinations. Through our partnership with select tour operators, you'll enjoy a unique trip, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Michigan Public.
When you travel with Michigan Public, you’ll enjoy a personalized experience accompanied by one of our on-air hosts and carefully selected local guides. You’ll join other travelers who are full of curiosity, are interested in life-long learning…and share a love of public radio. If that sounds like you, learn more about our vacation opportunities below.
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Join Michigan Public as our Michigan Public Travelers program heads to Japan to experience the country by bullet train! -
Join the Michigan Public Travelers program as we head to Italy to experience the Highlights of Italy’s Amalfi Coast and Rome! -
Join Michigan Public’s Mercedes Mejia, host of “The Dish,” as the Michigan Public Travelers program embarks on a vibrant culinary tour of Mexico City, where ancient flavors meet modern innovation. -
Michigan Public's Steve Carmody recaps the station's Costa Rica trip. -
Join Michigan Public’s News Director Vincent Duffy on a grand nine-day adventure through the imperial cities of Central Europe to visit the European Christmas markets.
Past Station Events
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On Thursday, August 14, join University of Michigan English Professor Anne Curzan and Michigan Public’s Rebecca Hector, the hosts of That’s What They Say, at the Encore Theatre in Dexter for "Grammar Night" — a fun evening discussing our ever changing English language and your favorite language pet peeves. -
Tuesday, April 29th will mark 100 days of the second Trump presidency. Join Michigan Public’s It's Just Politics team Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta for a discussion about covering the president and presidency with NPR’s Asma Khalid and Domenico Montanaro. -
Divided government is back in Lansing. How are lawmakers at the state capital working bipartisanly to get things done? Join the It's Just Politics team for Issues & Ale. -
The Michigan Public Speaker Series welcomes NPR Morning Edition host Leila Fadel. She'll talk with Doug Tribou about her journalism career in an online event on Feb. 20. -
Michigan Public and Michigan Theater will present a live performance of The Moth Mainstage in Ann Arbor on Friday, June 27, 2025, at 8 p.m. The Moth Mainstage features a line-up of writers, performers, and other unique national and Michigan storytellers, each with a 10-minute story to tell live without notes. -
It’s been a year — in more ways than one. We’ve been through a Presidential election, elected two state Supreme Court justices, filled an open U.S. Senate seat, as well as changed the make-up of the state House of Representatives. At our next Issues & Ale, we’ll take a look back... and a look forward at what's to come in Lansing. Join Michigan Public's It's Just Politics team of Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta, and their expert political panel, as they discuss what’s on the horizon and take your questions! -
On October 24, join Michigan Public's Zoe Clark for our next Issues & Ale: It's Just Politics - Countdown to the Election. The event is at 7 PM at Bell's Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo, doors open at 6 PM. Get your political questions answered as the November election approaches. -
Michigan Public will welcome NPR’s popular news quiz show Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! to Detroit’s Fox Theatre for a live show on Thursday, November 14, 2024. Special VIP Meet & Greet packages are currently available through Michigan Public. Tickets now on sale. -
Detroit Story Fest brings journalists and locals together for a unique blend of music, art, and journalism. And, Michigan Public's Laura Weber Davis will do a deep dive into Dough Dynasty. -
In April 2025, Michigan Public's Mid-Michigan Reporter/Producer Steve Carmody will lead a trip to Costa Rica. Come experience the unique flora and fauna, and the "pura vida" with other public radio supporters and listeners!
