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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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
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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…
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!
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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…
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.
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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!
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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.
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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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
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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! -
On September 24, join Michigan Public's Zoe Clark for our next Issues & Ale: It's Just Politics - Countdown to the Election. -
Detroit Story Fest brings journalists and locals together for a night of art, entertainment, and storytelling by and for the people of Detroit. Join Michigan Public's Laura Weber Davis and other Michigan journalists as they go behind the scenes of their reporting, inviting readers into a world they’ve only observed from the outside. -
Michigan Public’s book club, Michigan Public Reads, has announced its next featured book: Deus X by Lansing native Stephen Mack Jones. -
On July 31, join Michigan Public's Zoe Clark for our next Issues & Ale: It's Just Politics - Countdown to the Michigan Primary. -
Join Michigan Public’s Environment Report host Lester Graham along with documentary co-host Rebecca Williams at this live discussion as we look at what’s happening to water birds. Birds are considered sentinel species: and scientists say what’s happening to birds can have implications for human health. -
Michigan Public’s book club, Michigan Public Reads, has announced its next featured book: My Murder by Lansing-native Katie Williams. -
The next Michigan Public Speaker Series event is coming up on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. Michigan Radio's April Baer (Stateside host) will be chatting with Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! host Peter Sagal. They'll discuss what it takes to do a show like "Wait Wait," his favorite guests, how they keep it funny every week, and more. Plus, you'll have the chance to ask Peter questions during this livestream event.
