MSNBC planning ticketed live event with top hosts

MSNBC is planning a first-of-its-kind live event this fall in New York that will allow fans of the left-leaning network to watch some of its top hosts talk about politics in person.

“MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024,” slated for Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, will feature two sessions: A seated dinner with MSNBC hosts, selected guests, and a screening of an upcoming MSNBC film.  

During the first session, top hosts like Jen Psaki, Chris Hayes, Joy Reid, Alex Wagner, Andrea Mitchell, Katy Tur and more will lead “deep-dive discussions on the issues that matter most to voters: the state of the 2024 presidential race, the changing electorate and the critical stretch of the campaign,” the network said.  

Numbers and polling guru Steve Kornacki will also break down the latest presidential and public opinion polls — at that point exactly two months from Election Day.  

During the second session, hosts Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Ari Melber, Stephanie Ruhle, Michael Steele, Alicia Menendez, Symone Sanders Townsend and more will take the stage for what the channel called “important discussions on where things stand as we approach Election Day.”  

“MSNBC has the most dedicated and loyal fanbase. It’s an honor to bring the best of the MSNBC portfolio to the most important part of our family – the viewers – in-person,” said Luke Russert, creative director of the network’s new “MSNBC Live” venture. “We hope to continue to foster unique connections and inspire our audience.” 

The network recently hired Russert, the son of the late longtime “Meet the Press” moderator Tim Russert, to host a series of live events focused on viewer engagement and retention.

Other cable news channels have dipped their toes in the live events game in recent years, with Fox News staging its “Patriot Awards” and CNN hosting “Citizen Events” with lawmakers and public figures.

Tickets to “MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024” will begin at $119 and the venue has a capacity of around 200.  

In a note to staff on Monday obtained by The Hill, MSNBC President Rashida Jones said the network is planning more live events as part of a push into non-linear programming.  

“We continue to meet our audiences where they are in innovative ways and “MSNBC Live” is a natural extension of that effort,” Jones wrote.  

Updated: 5:28 p.m.