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
-
Lansing Brewing Company (LBC) - Lansing
Wednesday, April 15, 2026 – 7:00 p.m.
In person and online - Register Here
Join Michigan Public's Political Director Zoe Clark, Senior Capitol Correspondent Rick Pluta, and their FAQ Squad panelists as they give you the facts of the upcoming election cycle! -
The ultimate storytelling competition, The Moth GrandSLAM invites winners from our open-mic StorySLAMs back to the stage for the Ann Arbor storytelling championship! -
Ira Glass: Stories for a Saturday Night
June 20, 2026 - 7 p.m.
The Power Center for Performing Arts
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
-
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…
SUS: Prepare a five-minute story about deception or sus(picion). Counterfeit handbags, messages from unknown phone numbers, or skeletons in the closet. Raising an eyebrow or calling someone out. Acting shady or being played a fool. Was your gut feeling right or wrong? A deal too good to be true. I smell a rat! -
The ultimate storytelling competition, The Moth GrandSLAM invites winners from our open-mic StorySLAMs back to the stage for the Ann Arbor storytelling championship!
-
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…
DISASTERPIECE: Prepare a five-minute story about a failure so epic, it became a work of art. A magnificent misfire. A glorious flop. Throwing spaghetti at the wall and failing upward. That last-minute improvisation that was mistaken for genius, so you just went with it. Whether it’s a community rallying after a natural disaster, a seeming setback that unexpectedly changed your life for the better, or an April Fools’ prank that sparked a reconciliation — paint us your disasterpieces!
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.
-
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. -
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. -
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! -
Today, we talk with reporters about Detroit buildings that look abandoned, but have owners — and why that's the case. Then, we listen to some of last night's Issues and Ale from Kalamazoo. Later, we discuss how one Michigan diner is bringing people together by talking politics.
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.
-
In February 2025, Michigan Public's Stateside Host April Baer will be leading a trip to Hawaii. She looks forward to experiencing the unique beauty, history and culture of Hawaii with our group of public radio listeners. -
A group of Michigan Public listeners embarked on a journey through Costa Rica with hosts Rebecca Williams and Jaci Kovala. -
Michigan Public is offering public radio listeners another opportunity to visit Cuba this year. Following up on the success of our sold-out Cuba trips in 2023, you now have a chance to join Michigan Public’s Briana Rice and a small group of other listeners for an exclusive trip to Cuba in November 2024. -
You can join Michigan Public's Program Director Matt Shafer Powell on a nine-day journey to sunny Portugal. You’ll explore Lisbon, Portugal's capital, where old customs and ancient history intermix with modern cultural entertainment. Visit quiet whitewashed villages and the charming Portuguese countryside filled with groves of orange and almond trees. -
Join Michigan Public’s Stateside Executive Producer Laura Weber-Davis to experience the rugged beauty and Viking heritage of Iceland in September, 2024.
Past Station Events
-
Join Michigan Public's Political Director Zoe Clark, Senior Capitol Correspondent Rick Pluta, and their FAQ Squad panelists as they give you the facts of the upcoming election cycle!
-
This November is shaping up to be one of Michigan’s most consequential elections in decades. Join Michigan Public's Political Director Zoe Clark, Senior Capitol Correspondent Rick Pluta, and their panelists for our FIRST Issues & Ale: It's Just Politics of the year. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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.
