By Mark Mwachiro

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MSNBC is in the final stages of preparation for its upcoming live community event, MSNBCLive ’25: This Is Who We Are, and TVNewser is getting an inside look.

Taking place on Saturday, October 11, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, MSNBCLive ’25 will feature in-depth and interactive discussions and interviews, connecting attendees with the network’s experts and voices.

Featuring MSNBC talent, including anchor Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, and correspondent Jacob Soboroff, the network is anticipating long lines, ​​packed panels, boisterous meet-and-greets, and high fan enthusiasm for its upcoming one-day event.

Ensuring all of this flows according to plan is Lauren Peikoff, MSNBC’s executive producer for events.

TVNewser previously spoke with Peikoff in 2024 ahead of the network’s first-ever live event. Now, the producer is back to talk about MSNBCLive ’25, which takes on even more significance as it’s the final event for MSNBC as part of the NBCUniversal family.

Reflecting on the move from NBCU to Versant, which is entering its final stages in October, Peikoff said that the transition presents a fresh “opportunity to build something.”

TVNewser: How are preparations for this year’s MSNBC Live going?

Peikoff: We have been working around the clock to perfect this year’s event. We’re very excited to once again be meeting our audience in real life, at a moment that we know is very important to us and them. More than ever, community is critical, and we know MSNBCLive ‘25 will give our audience a space to connect.

For those unfamiliar with the event, what can attendees expect?

The day is broken up into two sessions: a morning session and an evening session. The morning session will feature on-stage discussions driven by Nicolle Wallace, who’s talking to Martin Sheen for a recording of her #1 hit podcast, The Best People; The Weeknight trio of Alicia Menendez, Symone Sanders Townsend, and Michael Steele; Chris Hayes; [and] Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for a special weekend edition of Morning Joe.

Following the morning session, there’s an option for a capstone lunch that will feature some of the folks from the morning session, plus Jacob Soboroff and Katy Tur. The evening session includes Stephanie Ruhle, Ali Velshi, Ari Melber, Andrew Weissmann, Jen Psaki, Rachel Maddow, and Lawrence O’Donnell.

Plus, there’s an exciting opportunity for a capstone dinner featuring our MSNBC hosts. The entirety of the day is focused on our MSNBC viewers, our community, with all of the sessions incorporating an opportunity for audience questions.

What makes this year’s event unique from previous editions?

So much news has happened in the last year, so we’re catering the program to meet this particular moment that we’re in. What remains the same, however, is the importance of community and building that for our audience.

As the executive producer of live events, what will be your role at this year’s MSNBC Live?

It’s a team effort, but my role is to ensure the train is on the tracks and we’re delivering the very best of MSNBC to our loyal audience. That includes handling all of the editorial and the entire flow of the event.

This will be MSNBC’s final live event as part of the NBC News Group. Are you excited for the future as part of the Versant family?

I am so excited. It’s rare to get a chance in this business to already have an established, trusted brand and also get this kind of opportunity to build something, and I feel very grateful that we’re going into this with that foundation.