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Thursday, May 28
 

3:00pm EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Early Badge Pickup
Thursday May 28, 2026 3:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Skip the lines and start your festival weekend smoothly with early badge pickup, available the day before the festivities begin. Stop by to check in, grab your badge, and get set, so when the festival kicks off, you can head straight to the sessions, performances, and experiences you’re most excited about.
Thursday May 28, 2026 3:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience
 
Friday, May 29
 

9:00am EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Live Screenprinting
Friday May 29, 2026 9:00am - 12:00pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Stop by the merch table in the Hub to grab your festival gear...and catch the action while it’s being made! Between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM we’re offering live screenprinting on tote bags featuring a limited-edition festival design, created right before your eyes. Each piece is printed on-site, so you can walk away with something truly one-of-a-kind (and maybe even still warm from the press)....
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Friday May 29, 2026 9:00am - 12:00pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

9:00am EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Pop-up Bookstore
Friday May 29, 2026 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Browse the ideas behind the voices at our pop-up bookstore from Porter Square Books. Featuring titles by this year’s festival speakers, the shop offers a chance to dive deeper into the conversations happening on stage. Pick up a copy from your favorite festival speaker before a session or discover something new to take home.
Friday May 29, 2026 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

9:00am EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Pop-up Merch Store
Friday May 29, 2026 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Take home a piece of the festival at our pop-up merch store, featuring a limited-edition screenprinted poster from local artist James Weinberg and festival tote bags designed just for this year. Bold, collectible, and only available on-site, each piece captures the spirit of the weekend. Quantities are limited so stop by early to snag yours before they’re gone.
Friday May 29, 2026 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

9:00am EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Check In & Badge Pickup
Friday May 29, 2026 9:00am - 5:30pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
All festival guests are required to check in and receive a badge before admission to any festival activities. Your badge is your ticket to entry for all sessions and events. We look forward to seeing you at the Festival Hub for the start of your festival experience!


Friday May 29, 2026 9:00am - 5:30pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

10:00am EDT

Punk for the People: A Conversation with Ken Casey
Friday May 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT
WBUR CitySpace @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The Dropkick Murphys frontman shares why he’s an outspoken critic of the Trump administration, channeling punk rock's protest roots to deliver a pro-democracy message.

Speakers
avatar for Robin Young

Robin Young

Co-Host, Here & Now, WBUR
Robin Young brings more than 25 years of broadcast experience to her role as host of Here & Now. She is a Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker who has also reported for NBC, CBS and ABC television and for several years was substitute host and correspondent for "The Today S... Read More →
avatar for Ken Casey

Ken Casey

Founder, Dropkick Murphys & Pro-Democracy Champion
Ken Casey is the founding member of Boston's Dropkick Murphys, who've generated half-a-billion streams and 8 million-plus album sales worldwide.

Perennially outspoken, the band’s music champions the working class and downtrodden, while carrying hope through powerful melodies and... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT
WBUR CitySpace
  Politics

10:30am EDT

How Deep Friendships Build Resilience: A Conversation with Demond Martin
Friday May 29, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
CFA Concert Hall @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The entrepreneur and social justice leader breaks down lessons from his new book “Friends of the Good” about how deep friendships boost our resilience in work and life. 

Sponsored by: 
Speakers
avatar for Martha Bebinger

Martha Bebinger

Correspondent, WBUR
Martha Bebinger is a correspondent for WBUR. She covers health care and other general assignments for the outlet.

avatar for Demond Martin

Demond Martin

Co-Founder & CEO, WellWithAll
Investor and philanthropist, Demond Martin is Co-Founder and CEO of WellWithAll, an innovative health and wellness company that pours 20% of its profits into health equity. Prior to becoming CEO of WellWithAll Demond was a senior partner at Adage Capital Management where he invested in the consumer sector for 21 years. Demo... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
CFA Concert Hall
  Health & Wellness (Sponsored by Takeda)

10:30am EDT

The Ultimate Insider: A Conversation with Rahm Emanuel
Friday May 29, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Tsai Performance Center @ 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The former White House chief of staff, Chicago mayor, and ambassador reflects on his journey to politics’ biggest stages. He’ll offer candid insights on the Democratic Party’s future and the stakes of the upcoming elections.
Speakers
avatar for Evan Smith

Evan Smith

Managing Director for Events, The Atlantic
Evan Smith is the former CEO of The Texas Tribune and host of the weekly interview program Overheard with Evan Smith. He is currently the Managing Director of Events for The Atlantic. 
avatar for Amb. Rahm Emanuel

Amb. Rahm Emanuel

Former Ambassador to Japan & Former Chief of Staff, Obama Administration
Rahm I. Emanuel most recently served as the United States Ambassador to Japan. Previously, he was the 55th Mayor of the City of Chicago, a position he held until May 2019. Prior to becoming Mayor, from November 2008 until October 2010, Emanuel served as President Barack Obama’s Chief of... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Tsai Performance Center
  Politics

11:15am EDT

Fantasy and Fact: Inside the Emotional Marketplace of OnlyFans
Friday May 29, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The creator of the podcasts Slow Burn and Fiasco dives into the making of OnlyFantasy, his new series on digital intimacy, along with the show’s co-host.
Speakers
avatar for Gracie Canaan

Gracie Canaan

Co-Host, Only Fantasy, Audible
Gracie Canaan is a writer and comedian based in New York. She is the writer and lead actor in the Oscar-qualifying short film BOOTIE'S. She is an alumnus of the NBC's Late Night Writer's Workshop and wrote for Season 1 of the talk show The Green Room with Nadia Brown on Ovation TV... Read More →
avatar for Amory Sivertson

Amory Sivertson

Host and Senior Producer, WBUR Podcasts
Amory Sivertson is the host/reporter of Beyond All Repair and the co-host and senior producer of Endless Thread. She's one of the founding producers of Modern Love: The Podcast and the former producer of Dear Sugar Radio (now called Dear Sugars).

Previously, Amory was the studio d... Read More →
avatar for Ben Brock Johnson

Ben Brock Johnson

Director, Digital Audio, WBUR
Ben Brock Johnson is the director of digital audio at WBUR, where he helps direct strategic and editorial initiatives involving digital audio across the organization. Ben also co-hosts the podcast Endless Thread, serves as a tech correspondent for Here & Now, and is a guest host for WBUR programs... Read More →
avatar for Leon Neyfakh

Leon Neyfakh

Co-founder, Prologue Projects & Co-host, OnlyFantasy
Leon Neyfakh is a journalist best known as the co-creator of Slow Burn, the host of Fiasco, and the co-host of Think Twice: Michael Jackson and Backfired. Before starting Prologue Projects, a podcast production company based in New York, he was a reporter for Slate, The Boston Globe, and The Ne... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace
  Media

11:15am EDT

Safety First: A Conversation with Jake Sullivan
Friday May 29, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm EDT
College of General Studies Auditorium @ 871 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The former national security advisor sits with a host of NPR’s All Things Considered to discuss conflicts in the Middle East, how technology is transforming warfare and the path to a more peaceful world.

Speakers
avatar for Mary Louise Kelly

Mary Louise Kelly

Host, NPR's All Things Considered & Sources & Methods
Mary Louise Kelly is host of NPR’s All Things Considered and the national security podcast Sources & Methods. Her assignments have included North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Israel, Iran and beyond. Kelly’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Str... Read More →
avatar for Jake Sullivan

Jake Sullivan

Professor, Harvard Kennedy School & Co-Host, The Long Game Podcast
Jake Sullivan is the Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Senior Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. He is also the co-host of The Long Game podcast. From January 2021 to January 2025... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm EDT
College of General Studies Auditorium
  Politics

11:30am EDT

Visioning a Better Climate: An Interactive Session with Grist
Friday May 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:15pm EDT
Student Lounge @ 855 US-20, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Leaders in climate journalism invite you to imagine a healthier and more equitable future for the planet — and to help map the paths to get there. 

In partnership with:

Sponsored by: 

Speakers
avatar for Lisa Jurras-Buchanan

Lisa Jurras-Buchanan

Director of Content Operations, Grist
Lisa Jurras-Buchanan is committed to imagining better worlds and building towards them. With Grist, she has worked to connect climate leaders, build community, and envision climate solutions that are possible both today and in the future. She also aims to distribute resources and wealth, and infuses jo... Read More →
avatar for Tory Stevens

Tory Stevens

Manager of Climate Fiction & Brand Partnerships, Grist
Tory Stephens is a storyteller, strategist, and climate justice advocate. At Grist, he co-founded Imagine 2200 and has produced two anthologies of climate fiction, Afterglow and Metamorphosis. He now focuses on publishing climate fiction year-round and building partnerships that connect culture, justice, and climate solutions, with a belief in imagination as a tool for collective power... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 11:30am - 12:15pm EDT
Student Lounge
  Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

11:45am EDT

Leading Through Crisis: A Conversation with Dr. Rochelle Walensky
Friday May 29, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center @ 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shares lessons learned from the COVID pandemic and discusses the future of public health.

Sponsored by: 
Speakers
avatar for Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky

Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky

Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School & 19th Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, is a physician-scientist, and public health leader who served as the 19th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021–2023), Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (2012–2021; 2025–present), and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts... Read More →
avatar for Tiziana Dearing

Tiziana Dearing

Host, Morning Edition, WBUR
Tiziana Dearing is the host of WBUR’s Morning Edition.

Prior to helping listeners start the morning with news from around the corner and around the world, Tiziana hosted Radio Boston, WBUR’s daily local magazine, for five years.

Tiziana came to journalism after a career that spanned academia, nonprofits and for-profit management consulting. She taught graduate students at the Boston College School of Social Work and chaired its program in Social Innovation and Leadership. Tiziana ran a start-up foundation... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center
  Health & Wellness (Sponsored by Takeda)

11:45am EDT

Blue and Red and What's Left Unsaid in a Polarized America
Friday May 29, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Is there anything we can do to bridge the gap between left and right America? Three social and political observers offer their ideas on how we all got so polarized, and what we can do to change things.
Speakers
avatar for Joshua Greene

Joshua Greene

Alfred and Rebecca Lin Professor of Civil Discourse, Harvard University
Joshua D. Greene is the Alfred and Rebecca Lin Professor of Civil Discourse, Professor of Psychology, and a member of the Center for Brain Science faculty at Harvard University. He’s the co-creator of Tango, a cooperative quiz game that builds trust respect across lines of division, and the co-fo... Read More →
avatar for Anthony Brooks

Anthony Brooks

Senior Political Reporter, WBUR
Anthony Brooks is WBUR's senior political reporter, who brings decades of experience as a broadcast producer, editor, reporter and host for WBUR and NPR.

Before becoming WBUR’s senior political reporter, Brooks was co-host of Radio Boston, WBUR’s local news and talk show. For many years, Brooks worked as a Boston-based reporter for NPR, covering regional issues across New England, including politics, the economy, education, criminal... Read More →
avatar for Colin Woodard

Colin Woodard

Director, Nationhood Lab, Salve Regina University
Colin Woodard is director of Nationhood Lab at Salve Regina University, where he studies U.S. regionalism and nationhood. The author of seven books including American Nations and Nations Apart: How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America, as a journalist he won a George Polk Award and was a... Read More →
avatar for Lilliana Mason

Lilliana Mason

Professor of Political Science, Johns Hopkins University & SNF Agora Institute
Lilliana Mason is SNF Agora Institute Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University.

She is the author of Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity and co-author, with Nathan P. Kalmoe, of Radical American Partisanship: Mapping Violent Hostility, Its Causes... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall
  Politics

11:45am EDT

Work Rewired: How AI is Changing Jobs and Business
Friday May 29, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Enterprise AI leaders reveal how companies are deploying AI today, what roles will evolve or disappear and practical strategies for workers and managers to adapt — offering a roadmap for thriving in the AI-driven workplace of tomorrow. 
Speakers
avatar for Ashley Maceli

Ashley Maceli

VP of AI Solutions & Readiness, Eastern Bank
Ashley Maceli leads AI strategy at Eastern Bank, driving AI literacy and responsible adoption to support operations and improve customer experience. She joined the bank in 2017 as a Software Engineer and became Head of AI in 2025, where she oversees enterprise-wide AI strategy, governance, and i... Read More →
avatar for Jen Stave

Jen Stave

Executive Director, HBS AI Institute
Jen Stave is the Executive Director of Harvard Business School's AI institute and a Partner at Keystone's AI Navigator Practice.  

Dr. Stave’s work sits at the intersection of data, AI, change management, workforce transformation, and organizational effectiveness and her perspectives on the future of digital labor are featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. She has served on the st... Read More →
avatar for Andrew Hogue

Andrew Hogue

VP, Head of AI, Duolingo
Andrew Hogue is VP, Head of AI at Duolingo, responsible for building an AI-first product, team, and brand. Previously, he was Director of AI Engineering at Google Workspace, where he led the development of frontier AI features across the product and platform. He also led engineering at Blue Apro... Read More →
avatar for Scott Kirsner

Scott Kirsner

Columnist, MassLive & Tech Correspondent, WBUR Morning Edition
Scott Kirsner has spent more than 25 years working as a business journalist and contributing editor at the Boston Globe, Wired Magazine, Fast Company, The New York Times, Variety, and other publications. His books include Innovation Economy: True Stories of Startups, Flame-Outs, and Inventing the... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre
  Technology

12:00pm EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: La QChara Food Truck Pop-up
Friday May 29, 2026 12:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Grab a bite on us! La QCara is pulling up for a special festival pop-up with their Central and South American cuisine. Swing by the truck parked just outside the Hub to enjoy bold, flavorful dishes made with heart, all completely free for attendees (with a Festival badge). Come early, bring your appetite, and don’t miss the chance to taste one of the city’s standout food trucks before heading...
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Friday May 29, 2026 12:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

12:30pm EDT

After the NEA: Rethinking Public Support for the Arts
Friday May 29, 2026 12:30pm - 1:15pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Former National Endowment for the Arts leaders discuss the future of arts funding amid efforts to defund the agency, exploring bold new models to sustain artists and cultural institutions. The session will feature a performance from the Asian American Ballet Project, whose NEA support was recently revoked.

Sponsored by: 

Speakers
avatar for Asian American Ballet Project

Asian American Ballet Project

Ballet Company
Founded in 2022, the Asian American Ballet Project is the very first Asian American ballet company, ever. Our mission is to present Asian American dancers on stage together in all Asian American productions. We aim to tell stories from our unique perspectives and transform how audiences see Asian Americans in performance, from unexpected... Read More →
avatar for Jen Hughes

Jen Hughes

Harvard Loeb Fellow
Jen Hughes believes in the power of the arts to build thriving places, strengthen civic engagement, and foster meaningful connection; a topic she is exploring as a Harvard Loeb Fellow at the Graduate School of Design. Previously, she held multiple senior roles at the National Endowment for... Read More →
avatar for Jenn Chang

Jenn Chang

Program Director, Culture & Civil Society Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School
Jenn Chang directs the Culture and Civil Society Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School and teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. At the National Endowment for the Arts in the Biden administration, she helped design the agency's $135 million American Rescue Plan program and par... Read More →
avatar for Tania Ralli

Tania Ralli

Managing Editor, Arts & Culture
Tania Ralli is the managing editor of arts and culture at WBUR.

Friday May 29, 2026 12:30pm - 1:15pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace
  Arts & Culture (Sponsored by the BSO)

12:30pm EDT

Why Facts Matter: A Conversation with Yvonne Rolzhausen
Friday May 29, 2026 12:30pm - 1:15pm EDT
Marsh Chapel @ 735 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The Atlantic’s research chief discusses fact-checking, truth and fairness in an age of misinformation and disinformation.
Speakers
avatar for Lisa Mullins

Lisa Mullins

Host, All Things Considered, WBUR
Lisa Mullins is the voice of WBUR’s All Things Considered. She anchors the program, conducts interviews, and reports from the field. Mullins is also guest anchor of the WBUR and NPR midday show Here & Now.
From 1998 through 2012, Mullins was chief anchor of the daily international news program, “The World,” co-produced by the BBC, WGBH and PRI. Her foreign reporting has taken her to Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, Cuba, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Hong Kong, South and North Korea and... Read More →
avatar for Yvonne Rolzhausen

Yvonne Rolzhausen

Research Chief, The Atlantic
Yvonne Rolzhausen is the Research Chief at The Atlantic and the head of the fact-checking department. She started as an intern at the magazine while attending Tufts University and has been with Atlantic Media for over 30 years. Rolzhausen frequently lectures at various universities and overseas on... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 12:30pm - 1:15pm EDT
Marsh Chapel
  Media

12:30pm EDT

State Terror and Family Fear: A Conversation with M. Gessen
Friday May 29, 2026 12:30pm - 1:15pm EDT
College of General Studies Auditorium @ 871 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Join the New York Times opinion columnist, award-winning author and host of the new podcast “The Idiot” from Serial Productions for a wide-ranging conversation on Russia, Ukraine and the rise of global totalitarianism. Plus, what happens when a reporter turns the lens inward to confront family history and personal memory.
Speakers
avatar for Indira Lakshmanan

Indira Lakshmanan

Co-Host, Here & Now, WBUR
Indira Lakshmanan is a co-host of Here & Now.

avatar for M. Gessen

M. Gessen

Columnist, The New York Times & Author, The Idiot
M. Gessen is an opinion columnist at The New York Times and the author of Serial's 2026 show "The Idiot," which marked a departure from writing about autocracy and wars.
Friday May 29, 2026 12:30pm - 1:15pm EDT
College of General Studies Auditorium
  Politics

1:00pm EDT

Performance by Nadia Washington
Friday May 29, 2026 1:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Vivo Performing Arts presents a lunchtime performance by a jazz trio led by Nadia Washington, an award-winning singer-songwriter and Berklee College of Music professor.

Sponsored by: 
Speakers
avatar for Nadia Washington

Nadia Washington

Award-winning Artist & Faculty Member, Berklee College of Music
Nadia Washington is a faculty member in the Ear Training and Voice department at Berklee College of Music and a prolific, award-winning multi-genre artist.
Friday May 29, 2026 1:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

1:00pm EDT

Mission, Margin, Momentum: A Conversation with Neil Blumenthal
Friday May 29, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The Warby Parker co-founder and co-CEO talks about leadership, disrupting retail and scaling mission-driven businesses.
Speakers
avatar for Zeninjor Enwemeka

Zeninjor Enwemeka

Senior Business Reporter, WBUR
Zeninjor Enwemeka is a senior business reporter at WBUR. She covers how businesses and the economy are shaping Greater Boston and people's everyday lives. She also previously covered transportation and the city of Boston at WBUR. Her reporting on mortgage lending disparities, the future of work and... Read More →
avatar for Neil Blumenthal

Neil Blumenthal

Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Warby Parker
Neil Blumenthal is a co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, a transformative lifestyle brand that offers designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses. In 2015, Fast Company named Warby Parker the most innovative company in the... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall
  Business

1:00pm EDT

From the Lab to Low-Carbon: Is Climate Tech the Next Mass. Boom?
Friday May 29, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Massachusetts wants to recreate its biotech boom with “climate tech” — innovations that decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Entrepreneurs and a state expert look at whether climate tech can maintain momentum against a hostile federal administration, and what sustained innovation means for the state and the planet.

Sponsored by: 

Speakers
avatar for Barbara Moran

Barbara Moran

Correspondent, Climate and Environment, WBUR
Barbara Moran is a correspondent on WBUR’s climate and environmental team.

Moran grew up in Hudson, Mass., attended the University of Notre Dame, then got her master's in science journalism from BU. For 25 years, she has worked as a science journalist covering public health, environmental justice and the intersection of science and society. She has written... Read More →
avatar for Joey Fiore

Joey Fiore

Founder & CEO, PowerLabs
Joey Fiore founded PowerLabs mid-Covid lockdown, on the belief that energy security isn't a trend, it's an inevitability. The startup’s Roav solar generator enables control over your energy destiny, for the U.S. Navy, corporations, & homeowners alike. Prior to PL, Joey helped pioneer the So... Read More →
avatar for Ted Wiley

Ted Wiley

Co-founder, President & COO, Form Energy
Ted Wiley is the President and Chief Operating Officer at Form Energy. As one of the five co-founders of the company, Ted has played a pivotal role in developing its core business functions, including Finance, HR, Facilities, Business Development, and Policy. Today, he oversees Manufacturing... Read More →
avatar for Ben Downing

Ben Downing

CEO, Mass Clean Energy Center
Ben Downing is the CEO of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. He brings to the role more than two decades of leadership experience at the nexus of technology, economic development and policy.

Before his appointment, Ben served as the Chief Growth Officer at The Engine, an incubator and accelerator supporting early-stage academic spinouts in climate, biotech and advanced systems. At The Engine, he supported resident teams’ growth in Massachusetts, their engagement with... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
Booth Theatre
  Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

1:45pm EDT

Craft, Commerce and Community: A Conversation with Tristan Walker
Friday May 29, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm EDT
Marsh Chapel @ 735 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The founder of Walker & Company talks about being an entrepreneur, building his men’s grooming brand, and how his latest venture lets him focus on education and craft.
Speakers
avatar for Shirley Leung

Shirley Leung

Columnist, The Boston Globe & Co-author, Power Play
Shirley Leung is an award-winning columnist for The Boston Globe covering the intersection of business and politics. She co-authors the Globe’s new Power Play newsletter, co-hosts the Globe Opinion podcast “Say More,” and contributes regularly to GBH’s Boston Public Radio. A former Globe b... Read More →
avatar for Tristan Walker

Tristan Walker

Founder, Heirloom Craft
Tristan Walker is the the founder of Heirloom Craft, Inc. and serves on the Shake Shack, Inc. and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Board of Directors. Fortune Magazine named him as one out of 50 of the “World’s Greatest Leaders.” His first company, Walker & Co., was acquired by Procter... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm EDT
Marsh Chapel
  Business

1:45pm EDT

Creative Climate: Art That Makes the Crisis Visible
Friday May 29, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Artists and storytellers share inventive ways to render climate change tangible and cut through despair, spark empathy and inspire action for the planet’s future.

Sponsored by: 


Speakers
avatar for Ryan Edwards

Ryan Edwards

Principal & Co-Founder, MASARY Studios
Ryan Edwards is a Boston-based sound and installation artist and co-founder of MASARY Studios. MASARY is a Boston-based collective founded in 2015 exercising a collaborative studio practice reimagining environments through sound, light and the built world, blurring the lines between habitat an... Read More →
avatar for Erin Genia

Erin Genia

Artist
Erin Genia is a citizen of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and a multidisciplinary artist, educator and cultural organizer working at the intersection of public service and creative practice. She is a former Boston AIR, and is a lecturer at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. She currently s... Read More →
avatar for Lani Asunción

Lani Asunción

Artist
Lani Asunción has a working studio at Midway Artist Studios in the Fort Point Arts Neighborhood in Boston. They were the Curator & Public Art Manager of the 2024-2025 Un-monument initiative for Pao Arts Center (Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center) in partnership with the City of Boston Mayor... Read More →
avatar for Arielle Gray

Arielle Gray

Reporter, WBUR
Arielle Gray is a storyteller and artist currently based in Boston. She is a reporter at WBUR, where she reports on Black and brown communities through the lens of art and culture. She joined WBUR in 2018 as a reporting fellow before being hired full-time. Her work examines the liminal spaces... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace
  Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

1:45pm EDT

Reimagining Public Media’s Future: A Conversation with Katherine Maher
Friday May 29, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm EDT
College of General Studies Auditorium @ 871 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
NPR’s president & CEO discusses the future without federal funding.
Speakers
avatar for Evan Smith

Evan Smith

Managing Director for Events, The Atlantic
Evan Smith is the former CEO of The Texas Tribune and host of the weekly interview program Overheard with Evan Smith. He is currently the Managing Director of Events for The Atlantic. 
avatar for Katherine Maher

Katherine Maher

CEO, NPR
Katherine Maher is the President and CEO of NPR, with deep experience leading public interest institutions through technological disruption and strategic transformation. Her areas of expertise include information and media, good governance and democracy, civil and human rights, international development... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm EDT
College of General Studies Auditorium
  Media

2:15pm EDT

Dr. Vivek Murthy’s Staying Human - Live Taping
Friday May 29, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Join the former surgeon general and the author of “Bowling Alone” for a live podcast taping exploring the future of community in America and the importance of connection in our lives.

Sponsored by: 
Speakers
avatar for Robert D. Putnam

Robert D. Putnam

Emeritus Professor, Harvard University
Robert D. Putnam is the Malkin Research Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the British Academy, and past president of the American Political Science Association, in 2006 he received the Skytte Prize, the world's highest accol... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Vivek Murthy

Dr. Vivek Murthy

19th & 21st U.S. Surgeon General
Dr. Vivek Murthy served as the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States. As Vice Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, he commanded a uniformed service of 6,000 public health officers.
Dr. Murthy’s service as the “Nation’s Doctor” has widened the lens through which we understand the forces shaping our health and well-being, particularly the epidemic of loneliness, mental well-being among youth, parents, and in workplaces, and the impact of social media on... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall
  Health & Wellness (Sponsored by Takeda), Live podcast taping

2:15pm EDT

Foreign Policy and the Use of Force: A Conversation with John Bolton
Friday May 29, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center @ 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and national security advisor in the first Trump administration opines on foreign policy.
Speakers
avatar for Amb. John Bolton

Amb. John Bolton

Former US National Security Advisor & Former US Ambassador to the U.N.
John R. Bolton served as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs from April 8, 2018 until his resignation on September 10, 2019. From January 2007 until April 2018, he served as a Senior Fellow at American Enterprise Institute in Washington. John R. Bolton was appointed as United... Read More →
avatar for Meghna Chakrabarti

Meghna Chakrabarti

Host, On Point, WBUR
Meghna Chakrabarti is the award-winning host and editor of On Point. Based in Boston, she is on the air Monday through Friday.

On Point has been frequently recognized for excellence in journalism under Meghna's leadership. Chakrabarti is the former host of Radio Boston, WBUR’s acclaimed weekday local show. She's the former host of Modern Love: The Podcast, a collaboration of WBUR and The New York Times... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center
  Politics

2:15pm EDT

Powering A.I.: The True Cost of the Data Center Boom
Friday May 29, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Policymakers, industry experts and journalists explore how the surge in AI infrastructure translates into jobs and investment. Their conversation also  confronts why some state and local leaders are pushing back on proposed data centers among concerns including  accompanying environmental challenges.
Speakers
avatar for Daniel Goetzel

Daniel Goetzel

Harvard Fellow & President, Chalant Strategies
Daniel Goetzel is a Fellow at Harvard and the president of a boutique innovation and economic development consulting firm that advises AI infrastructure companies, venture funds, universities and governments on economic development and innovation strategy. He has published extensively on how cities... Read More →
avatar for Ari Peskoe

Ari Peskoe

Director, Harvard Electricity Law Initiative
Ari Peskoe is the Director of the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard Law School. He writes and teaches about the regulation of companies that generate, deliver, and sell electric power. With Eliza Martin, he co-wrote a report entitled Extracting Profits from the Public: How Utility Ratepa... Read More →
avatar for Ella Nilsen

Ella Nilsen

Climate Reporter, CNN
Ella Nilsen covers climate-related policy from the White House, Congress, and agencies.

She joined CNN from Vox where she covered the White House and the Biden administration’s climate and infrastructure plan.

She also covered Congress and the 2018 and 2020 elections. Prior to Vox, she reported on Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump in the 2016 primary at the Concord Monitor... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
Booth Theatre
  Technology

2:30pm EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Have a Beer with Mary Louise Kelly
Friday May 29, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Bring your questions, grab a beer and join the All Things Considered co-host and former NPR national security correspondent as she shares frontline stories and reporting lessons from covering conflict zones like North Korea and the West Bank.

Sponsored by: 
Speakers
avatar for Mary Louise Kelly

Mary Louise Kelly

Host, NPR's All Things Considered & Sources & Methods
Mary Louise Kelly is host of NPR’s All Things Considered and the national security podcast Sources & Methods. Her assignments have included North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Israel, Iran and beyond. Kelly’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Str... Read More →
avatar for Indira Lakshmanan

Indira Lakshmanan

Co-Host, Here & Now, WBUR
Indira Lakshmanan is a co-host of Here & Now.

Friday May 29, 2026 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

3:00pm EDT

Sweet Success: How Jeni Britton Built a Food Empire
Friday May 29, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm EDT
Marsh Chapel @ 735 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The founder of Jeni’s Ice Creams traces her entrepreneurial journey – from artisanal ice cream to fiber bars – and shares her recipe for success.
Speakers
avatar for Meagan McGinnes-Bessey

Meagan McGinnes-Bessey

Managing Editor, Digital Audience & Community Engagement, WBUR
Meagan McGinnes-Bessey is the managing editor of digital audience & community engagement at WBUR, Boston's largest NPR newsroom. She oversees the newsletter and social media teams.

Her mouthful of a title really means thinking about the ways and places WBUR can bring its local journalism to more communities — and then how to better connect while there. That could be through newsletters, on our website, on Instagram, YouTube, in person at WBUR CitySpace or... Read More →
avatar for Jeni Britton

Jeni Britton

Founder, Jeni's Ice Creams & Floura Fiber
Jeni Britton is the founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, renowned for reinventing artisanal ice cream nationwide. Named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People and an Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow, Jeni has spent recent years pioneering a new fiber revolution. As the founder of Floura, sh... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm EDT
Marsh Chapel
  Business

3:00pm EDT

Left, Right & Center - Live
Friday May 29, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Left, Right & Center is where listeners come to understand people on the other side of the political divide. The show host will be joined by political commentators on the right and left to look at the debates driving the midterm elections and how each side sees them shaping up.
Speakers
avatar for Sarah Isgur

Sarah Isgur

Editor, SCOTUSblog, Host, Advisory Opinions & Legal Analyst, ABC News
Sarah Isgur is the editor of SCOTUSblog, host of the legal podcast Advisory Opinions, and a legal analyst for ABC News. Isgur has previously worked on multiple presidential campaigns and in all three branches of the federal government. During the first Trump administration, she served in the Departmen... Read More →
avatar for Mo Elleithee

Mo Elleithee

Executive Director, Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service
Mo Elleithee is a dynamic force in politics, higher education, and media, with a career spanning over three decades of shaping political discourse and inspiring future leaders. As the founding Executive Director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service since 2015, h... Read More →
avatar for David Greene

David Greene

Host, Left, Right & Center, KCRW
David Greene is the host of KCRW's Left, Right & Center, as well as Sports in America from PRX and WHYY and the podcast David Greene is Obsessed. Greene hosted NPR's Morning Edition for more than a decade and helped launch the popular morning news podcast UpFirst. He's a New York Times best-s... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace
  Politics

3:00pm EDT

Networking Reception Presented by Takeda
Friday May 29, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Student Lounge @ 855 US-20, Boston, MA 02215, USA
OPEN TO ALL ATTENDEES

Join a networking reception and engaging discussion as part of the Health & Wellness track, hosted by Takeda. Light bites and refreshments will be provided. More details to come.

Sponsored by:


Friday May 29, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Student Lounge
  Health & Wellness (Sponsored by Takeda)

3:30pm EDT

It’s the Economy, Stupid: How Seismic Shifts Hit Wallets
Friday May 29, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center @ 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers breaks down how tariffs, geopolitical conflict and AI are reshaping the global economy — and what persistent inflation and market uncertainty mean for everyday Americans.
Speakers
avatar for Jason Furman

Jason Furman

Professor of Practice, Harvard University
Jason Furman is the Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy jointly at HarvardKennedy School (HKS) and the Department of Economics at Harvard University. Furmanengages in public policy through research, writing and teaching in a wide range of areasincluding U.S. and international macro... Read More →
avatar for Tiziana Dearing

Tiziana Dearing

Host, Morning Edition, WBUR
Tiziana Dearing is the host of WBUR’s Morning Edition.

Prior to helping listeners start the morning with news from around the corner and around the world, Tiziana hosted Radio Boston, WBUR’s daily local magazine, for five years.

Tiziana came to journalism after a career that spanned academia, nonprofits and for-profit management consulting. She taught graduate students at the Boston College School of Social Work and chaired its program in Social Innovation and Leadership. Tiziana ran a start-up foundation... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center
  Business

3:30pm EDT

Next Stop: The Future of the T
Friday May 29, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Transit leaders and advocates take stock of the MBTA’s recent struggles and map out the investments, policies and innovations needed to build a more reliable, equitable future for the Boston area’s public transit system.
Speakers
avatar for Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez

Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez

Transportation Reporter, WBUR
Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez is a transportation reporter for WBUR.

Previously, she was a freelance producer for WBUR’s Radio Boston.

Perdomo-Hernandez is from South Florida, where she was a reporter for public radio stations in Miami and Fort Myers. She also produced for regional and statewide public affairs programs. She has won regional and national awards for her reporting on the environment and migrant commun... Read More →
avatar for Lynsey M. Heffernan

Lynsey M. Heffernan

Chief of Policy and Strategic Planning, MBTA
As an unabashed change agent, Lynsey Heffernan has spent her career working to improve life outcomes for people of the Massachusetts. Lynsey is the Chief of Policy and Strategic Planning for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) working to help the agency create a plan forward after years of crisis and decades... Read More →
avatar for Brian Kane

Brian Kane

Executive Director, MBTA Advisory Board
Brian Kane is the Executive Director of the MBTA Advisory Board, a Massachusetts quasi-state agency representing the 178 cities and towns comprising the MBTA service district. In this role, he provides municipal oversight of the MBTA’s capital, operating, and policy decisions on behalf of... Read More →
avatar for Kate Dineen

Kate Dineen

President & CEO, A Better City
Kate Dineen is President & CEO of A Better City, a nonprofit organization convening business and civic leaders to advance transportation, land use, and climate solutions. She previously held several roles in the New York State Governor’s Office and served as Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s Polic... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall
  Politics

3:30pm EDT

Spark or Slowdown?: Creativity in the Age of AI
Friday May 29, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Writers and teachers explore how AI tools are reshaping creative work and deep thinking – but does our increased use of AI amplify human imagination or risk dulling our capacity for original thought?
Speakers
avatar for Sasha Stiles

Sasha Stiles

Poet & Artist
Sasha Stiles is a Kalmyk-American poet and artist whose work uses language to explore what it means to be human in a more-than-human age. A pioneering voice of the generative era, she advances poetic intelligence – the synthesis of emotion and algorithm – as a vital artistic medium of our... Read More →
avatar for Cloe Axelson

Cloe Axelson

Senior Editor, Cognoscenti
Cloe Axelson is the senior editor of WBUR’s opinion page, Cognoscenti.

Cloe first came to WBUR in 2015, as a contributor — her very first piece for Cog was an essay about women’s soccer. Two years later, in 2017, she joined Cog’s staff as an editor. Since then, she’s worked with hundreds of writers, produced dozens of pieces for radio, and written... Read More →
avatar for Jane Rosenzweig

Jane Rosenzweig

Director, Harvard College Writing Center
Jane Rosenzweig is the director of the Harvard College Writing Center. She writes the newsletter Writing Hacks and publishes the newsletter The Important Work, which features reflections by educators about teaching in the era of generative AI. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Los... Read More →
avatar for Ann Handley

Ann Handley

Bestselling Author & Entrepreneur
Ann Handley is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author of 3 books, including the forthcoming ASAP: As Slow As Possible. A writer, speaker, and entrepreneur, she explores creativity, communication, and human judgment in a culture obsessed with speed.
Friday May 29, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Booth Theatre
  Technology

4:00pm EDT

The Buzz About NA Beer
Friday May 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Join for a session that brings all of the flavor and none of the booze. Hear what’s on the horizon for the growing low-/no-ABV beverage industry over drinks from a leading non-alcoholic brewery.

Sponsored by: 
Speakers
avatar for Chris Furnari

Chris Furnari

Sr. Communications Manager, Athletic Brewing Company
Chris Furnari leads communications at Athletic Brewing Company, America's largest dedicated non-alcoholic brewer. Prior to joining Athletic Brewing, Furnari spent more than a decade as a business writer covering complex, highly regulated industries. He helped launch THCnet, a cannabis industry n... Read More →
avatar for Andrea Shea

Andrea Shea

Correspondent, Arts & Culture, WBUR
Andrea Shea started listening to NPR on WEOS, her college radio station, during the Gulf War. She didn’t have a TV, so it was her primary broadcast news source. Her attraction to public radio and the human voice continued into grad school. Andrea got a MA in media studies at the New School... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
The Hub
  Health & Wellness (Sponsored by Takeda)

4:00pm EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Mix & Mingle
Friday May 29, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Unwind, connect and spark new conversations at this relaxed networking happy hour. Whether you’re catching up with colleagues or meeting someone new, this mini party invites you to spend quality time with fellow festival-goers over complimentary snacks and drinks.
 
Sponsored by: 
Friday May 29, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

4:15pm EDT

Reverse Course! Solutions for the Climate Crisis
Friday May 29, 2026 4:15pm - 5:00pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Here & Now has been traveling the country to meet people trying to reverse the impacts of climate change. The show’s host and correspondent will take a closer look at innovative solutions and explore how individuals are making a difference in their communities.

Sponsored by: 



In partnership with: 

Speakers
avatar for Tik Root

Tik Root

Staff Writer, Grist
Tik Root covers the economics of climate change at Grist. He started his career as a freelance journalist in Yemen, and has since covered everything from Al Qaeda to the Olympics for outlets such as National Geographic, The New York Times, and The Atlantic, among others. He previously wor... Read More →
avatar for Leah Bamberger

Leah Bamberger

Senior Sustainability Manager, Textron
Leah Bamberger is a global sustainability leader with over 15 years of experience driving impact across government, higher education, and the corporate sector. Currently serving as Senior Sustainability Manager at Textron, she leads sustainability strategy, performance, and ESG integration. Leah’s c... Read More →
avatar for Chris Bentley

Chris Bentley

Podcast Host, Producer, Reporter, Here & Now, WBUR
Chris Bentley has been producing and reporting for Here & Now since 2015. He hosts the daily podcast Here & Now Anytime and covers climate change and the environment for Here & Now’s series Reverse Course. He has a masters degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a bachelors deg... Read More →
avatar for Peter O'Dowd

Peter O'Dowd

Host-correspondent, Here & Now, WBUR
Peter O'Dowd is Here & Now’s host-correspondent. When the full-time hosts are off air, Peter steps in to cover the day’s most important stories.

Otherwise, from his base in Arizona, Peter is out covering issues critical to the Southwestern United States. His environmental reporting includes the ongoing drought on the Colorado River and the impact of rising temperatures in the region. He also covers the battle over immigration... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 4:15pm - 5:00pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace
  Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

4:15pm EDT

Growing Up Underground: A Conversation with Zayd Ayers Dohrn
Friday May 29, 2026 4:15pm - 5:00pm EDT
Marsh Chapel @ 735 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The son of Weather Underground leaders and author of the new memoir “Dangerous, Dirty, Violent & Young” recounts his childhood on the run in the radical ’60s and ’70s, tracing how secrecy, extremist ideology and trauma shaped his family life.
Speakers
avatar for Robin Young

Robin Young

Co-Host, Here & Now, WBUR
Robin Young brings more than 25 years of broadcast experience to her role as host of Here & Now. She is a Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker who has also reported for NBC, CBS and ABC television and for several years was substitute host and correspondent for "The Today S... Read More →
avatar for Zayd Ayers Dohrn

Zayd Ayers Dohrn

Author, Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young
Zayd Ayers Dohrn was born underground and raised in New York City. He is the author of the book Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young; creator of the hit Crooked Media podcast Mother Country Radicals, and writer (with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Tom Morello) of the punk rock protest musical Revolut... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 4:15pm - 5:00pm EDT
Marsh Chapel
  Politics

4:45pm EDT

Spain José’s Way: A Culinary Conversation with José Andrés
Friday May 29, 2026 4:45pm - 5:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center @ 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Join the acclaimed chef and humanitarian for a spirited conversation about his new cookbook “Spain My Way: Eat, Drink, and Cook Like a Spaniard” — celebrating Spanish flavors, cooking techniques and the stories behind the dishes. Bring your party hats: There may be a surprise or two on the menu for this session! The first 200 attendees to arrive will receive a copy of "Spain My Way". ...
See More →
Speakers
avatar for Sam Sanders

Sam Sanders

Host & Executive Producer, The Sam Sanders Show
Sam Sanders is an award-winning reporter, radio host and podcaster. He currently hosts and is executive producer of the The Sam Sanders Show, made in conjunction with KCRW and distributed nationally by PRX. Sanders has been named podcaster of the year by both The Ambies and The iHeart Podca... Read More →
avatar for José Andrés

José Andrés

Chef, Restaurateur, Author, & Founder, World Central Kitchen
José Andrés is a Michelin-starred chef, an Emmy Award–winning TV host and producer, and The New York Times bestselling author of Change the Recipe, Zaytinya,Vegetables Unleashed, and The World Central Kitchen Cookbook. A pioneer of Spanish tapas in America and a celebrated ambassador of Spanish... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 4:45pm - 5:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center
  Arts & Culture (Sponsored by the BSO)

4:45pm EDT

Profit & Planet: Making Green and Going Greener
Friday May 29, 2026 4:45pm - 5:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Corporate and environmental leaders discuss the bold investments companies must consider to align profit with true sustainability.

Sponsored by: 

Speakers
avatar for Stephen Lease

Stephen Lease

Co-founder & CEO, goodr
Stephen Lease is an entrepreneur, explorer, and professional disruptor. After playing it safe—and failing at his first five companies—he decided to change things up and has been challenging the status quo ever since.

As the CEO and co-founder of goodr, he has built the company into one of the world’s largest independent eyewear brands. goodr is anchored in fun, authenticity and accessibility, delivering classic, high-performance, and fashionable products at unapologetically affordable prices... Read More →
avatar for Kate Williams

Kate Williams

CEO, 1% for the Planet
Kate Williams is CEO of 1% for the Planet, a global movement of companies choosing environmental commitment so that our planet and future generations thrive. In more than a decade of leadership at the organization, Kate has scaled 1% for the Planet’s network to span 100+ countries and 65 ind... Read More →
avatar for Miriam Wasser

Miriam Wasser

Senior Reporter, Climate and Environment, WBUR
Miriam Wasser is a senior reporter with WBUR's climate and environment team.

Before coming to WBUR, she was a staff writer for the Phoenix New Times in Arizona. Her work has also appeared in Boston Magazine, The Atlantic, Narratively, DigBoston and The Big Roundtable.

Miriam holds... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 4:45pm - 5:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre
  Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

5:30pm EDT

The Game Show (Members & VIPs Only)
Friday May 29, 2026 5:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
George Sherman Union - Metcalf Ballroom @ 775 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
WBUR fans face off against noteworthy Bostonians in this interactive, high-energy game show. Test your knowledge, have some hearty laughs, and be in community with other WBUR Members for a night of fun-meets-facts-meets-shenanigans. You'll leave feeling even more excited for day two of the WBUR Festival! TIMING DETAILSReception 5:30 - 7:00 PMShow: 7:00 PM - 7:45 PMPlease note that you must have a...
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Speakers
avatar for Meredith Goldstein

Meredith Goldstein

Boston Advice Columnist & Host, Love Leters Podcast
Meredith Goldstein is an associate editor at The Boston Globe, where she writes arts stories, an advice column, and hosts the Love Letters narrative relationship podcast. She is also the author of the young adult novels Things That Grow and Chemistry Lessons; the memoir Can’t Help Myself: Lesson... Read More →
avatar for Laurence Louie

Laurence Louie

Chef & Owner, Rubato
Born and raised in Boston, Laurence Louie found his way to cooking through his Chinese-American upbringing. After completing his masters in Asian-American studies and working as a community organizer in Boston’s Chinatown, Laurence took an extended trip China where he studied Mandarin, joined the university basketball... Read More →
avatar for Dart Adams

Dart Adams

Journalist, Historian & Author
Dart Adams is a native Bostonian journalist, historian, lecturer, researcher, and author. His work has appeared in various online and print publications including Complex, NPR, Mass Appeal, Rock The Bells, Okayplayer, ESPN's Andscape, The Emancipator, The Bay State Banner, Boston Globe, Bost... Read More →
avatar for Candice Springer

Candice Springer

Associate Director, WBUR CitySpace
Candice Springer is associate director of WBUR CitySpace. She works with the director to plan content, develop strategy and oversee logistics for the venue. She is also responsible for executing strategic marketing and public relations campaigns that drive audiences and increase WBUR’s engagement... Read More →
avatar for Ally Jarmanning

Ally Jarmanning

Senior Reporter, WBUR
Ally Jarmanning is a senior reporter focused on criminal justice and police accountability.  She champions data and public records in the WBUR newsroom, reporting her own stories and working with fellow reporters on projects and daily news. She started at WBUR writing for Morning Edition and later... Read More →
Friday May 29, 2026 5:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
George Sherman Union - Metcalf Ballroom
  Member and VIP Pass Holders Only
 
Saturday, May 30
 

9:00am EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Union Square Donuts Pop-up
Saturday May 30, 2026 9:00am - 11:00am EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Treat yourself to a fan-favorite pop-up from Union Square Donuts, serving up their famously indulgent, made-from-scratch donuts. Come early: these go fast, and once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Sponsored by: 
Saturday May 30, 2026 9:00am - 11:00am EDT
The Hub
  Experience

9:00am EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Live Screenprinting
Saturday May 30, 2026 9:00am - 12:00pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Stop by the merch table in the Hub to grab your festival gear...and catch the action while it’s being made! Between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM we’re offering live screenprinting on tote bags featuring a limited-edition festival design, created right before your eyes. Each piece is printed on-site, so you can walk away with something truly one-of-a-kind (and maybe even still warm from the press)....
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Saturday May 30, 2026 9:00am - 12:00pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

9:00am EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Pop-up Bookstore
Saturday May 30, 2026 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Browse the ideas behind the voices at our pop-up bookstore from Porter Square Books. Featuring titles by this year’s festival speakers, the shop offers a chance to dive deeper into the conversations happening on stage. Pick up a copy from your favorite festival speaker before a session or discover something new to take home.
Saturday May 30, 2026 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

9:00am EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Pop-up Merch Store
Saturday May 30, 2026 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Take home a piece of the festival at our pop-up merch store, featuring a limited-edition screenprinted poster from local artist James Weinberg and festival tote bags designed just for this year. Bold, collectible, and only available on-site, each piece captures the spirit of the weekend. Quantities are limited so stop by early to snag yours before they’re gone.
Saturday May 30, 2026 9:00am - 5:00pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

9:00am EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Check In & Badge Pickup
Saturday May 30, 2026 9:00am - 6:00pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
All festival guests are required to check in and receive a badge before admission to any festival activities. Your badge is your ticket to entry for all sessions and events. We look forward to seeing you at the Festival Hub for the start of your festival experience!


Saturday May 30, 2026 9:00am - 6:00pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

10:30am EDT

Leading in an Unstable World: A Conversation with Samantha Power
Saturday May 30, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Tsai Performance Center @ 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and USAID Administrator reflects on the changing role of the United States in the world..
Speakers
avatar for Indira Lakshmanan

Indira Lakshmanan

Co-Host, Here & Now, WBUR
Indira Lakshmanan is a co-host of Here & Now.

avatar for Amb. Samantha Power

Amb. Samantha Power

Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Samantha Power is an Irish-American journalist, diplomat, and government official. She was the United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2013 to 2017, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development from 2021 to 2025.
Saturday May 30, 2026 10:30am - 11:15am EDT
Tsai Performance Center
  Politics

11:00am EDT

Is Business Broken? Live Podcast Taping on the Innovation Economy
Saturday May 30, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
WBUR CitySpace @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
What transforms a scientific idea into a technology, a company, a job or even an entire economy?  A century and a half after Boston University Professor Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone, that question is more urgent than ever. Join us as we dig into the forces driving innovation today — and what's at stake if they falter.

Sponsored by: 
Speakers
avatar for Kendalle Burlin O'Connell

Kendalle Burlin O'Connell

CEO & President, MassBio
Kendalle Burlin O'Connell is CEO and President of MassBio, the world's largest and oldest biopharma membership organization, representing 1,700+ companies advancing breakthrough science. A leading voice on healthcare innovation and a champion for the biotech founders and emerging companies driving it, she adv... Read More →
avatar for Curt Nickisch

Curt Nickisch

Host, Is Business Broken?
Curt Nickisch is the host of the Is Business Broken? podcast which features conversations with academics, industry leaders, and politicians that ask the thorny questions necessary for this moment, and help us navigate real world solutions.

avatar for Dr. Melissa Gilliam

Dr. Melissa Gilliam

President, Boston University
Dr. Melissa L. Gilliam became Boston University’s eleventh president on July 1, 2024. Dr. Gilliam is an esteemed and award-winning interdisciplinary researcher in medicine, public health, and the humanities. Dr. Gilliam joined Boston University from The Ohio State University, where she held the Engie-A... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
WBUR CitySpace
  Business, Live podcast taping

11:00am EDT

The Price of Power: Why Your Energy Bills Keep Rising
Saturday May 30, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
CFA Concert Hall @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Energy experts unpack the market and policy drivers behind the skyrocketing electric and gas bills across New England – and what practical steps consumers can take to ease the burden.

Sponsored by: 

Speakers
avatar for Matthew Nelson

Matthew Nelson

Principal, Apex Analytics & Former Chair, MA Department of Public Utilities
Matthew Nelson is Principal of Regulatory Strategy at Apex Analytics LLC, where he advises utilities, government agencies, and energy-sector organizations on complex regulatory and policy matters across all six New England states.From 2019 to 2023, Matt served as Chair of the Massachusetts Dep... Read More →
avatar for Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven

Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven

MA State Representative, 27th Middlesex Disctrict
Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven is a 3-term MA State Representative serving the 27th Middlesex district and running for State Senate. She fights for tax fairness to fund public schools and transportation, government transparency, and the rights of workers and unions. She is a leading voice on energy affordabilit... Read More →
avatar for Mary Wambui

Mary Wambui

Co-Chair, Energy Equity Working Group
Mary Wambui is the Director of Asset Management, Residents and Energy for the Planning Office for Urban Affairs (POUA), a non-profit social justice ministry of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. She is also a Senior Greg Torres Fellow at MassINC. In addition to these roles, she serves... Read More →
avatar for Miriam Wasser

Miriam Wasser

Senior Reporter, Climate and Environment, WBUR
Miriam Wasser is a senior reporter with WBUR's climate and environment team.

Before coming to WBUR, she was a staff writer for the Phoenix New Times in Arizona. Her work has also appeared in Boston Magazine, The Atlantic, Narratively, DigBoston and The Big Roundtable.

Miriam holds... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
CFA Concert Hall
  Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

11:15am EDT

BOOK SIGNING: Amb. Samantha Power
Saturday May 30, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am EDT
Tsai Performance Center @ 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Join us for a special book signing with Amb. Samantha Power featuring her memoir "The Education of an Idealist". Meet the author, have your book signed, and continue the conversation after her talk. A limited number of copies will be available on site while supplies last.
Speakers
avatar for Amb. Samantha Power

Amb. Samantha Power

Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Samantha Power is an Irish-American journalist, diplomat, and government official. She was the United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2013 to 2017, and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development from 2021 to 2025.
Saturday May 30, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am EDT
Tsai Performance Center
  Experience

11:45am EDT

The New American Dream: Is Upward Mobility Still Possible?
Saturday May 30, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Marsh Chapel @ 735 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Economists and social innovators examine why fewer Americans now earn more than their parents. The consequences are particularly devastating for lower-income households, but research has identified powerful ways to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

In partnership with: 
Speakers
avatar for Raj Chetty

Raj Chetty

Director of Opportunity Insights & Professor of Economics, Harvard University
Raj Chetty is the William A. Ackman Professor of Economics at Harvard University and the Director of Opportunity Insights, which uses big data to study the science of economic opportunity: how we can give children from all backgrounds better chances of succeeding?  Chetty’s work has been... Read More →
avatar for Michael Jonas

Michael Jonas

Executive Editor, CommonWealth Beacon
Michael Jonas is the executive editor of CommonWealth Beacon, a nonprofit publication covering Massachusetts politics and public policy. An award-winning journalist with a particular focus on education, criminal justice reform, and health care, he previously wrote a weekly column on politics f... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Marsh Chapel
  Business

11:45am EDT

Joy, Creativity and New Beginnings in Midlife: A Conversation with Allison Aubrey
Saturday May 30, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
NPR’s health and science correspondent talks about her forthcoming book “Your Turn: How to Create a Midlife You Love."

Sponsored by:
Speakers
avatar for Melissa Block

Melissa Block

Former Host & Correspondent, NPR
Melissa Block is one of NPR’s most familiar voices. For more than a decade, she anchored the network's flagship afternoon newsmagazine, “All Things Considered,” and she spent many years as a roving NPR correspondent. Her reporting took her from China during a massive earthquake, to the O... Read More →
avatar for Allison Aubrey

Allison Aubrey

Health & Science Correspondent, NPR
Allison Aubrey is Health & Science Correspondent for NPR News focused on healthy aging and longevity and a contributor to CBS Sunday Morning. She is the recipient of several awards, including a Washington Press Club award for consumer reporting, two James Beard awards, and a New York Press Club... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Booth Theatre
  Health & Wellness (Sponsored by Takeda)

12:00pm EDT

STREET FAIR STAGE: Jake Blount
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm EDT
BU Beach @ 270 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA 02215
Join us at the street fair for a performance by Jake Blount. 

Sponsored by: 
Speakers
avatar for Jake Blount

Jake Blount

Musician & Scholar
A powerfully gifted musician and a scholar of Black American music, Jake Blount speaks ardently about the African roots of the banjo and the subtle, yet profound ways African Americans have shaped and defined the amorphous categories of roots music and Americana. His 2020 album Spider Tales (named one of the year’s best albums by NPR and The New Yorker, earned... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:00pm - 12:30pm EDT
BU Beach
  Street fair stage (Sponsored by The Huntington), Live performance

12:00pm EDT

STREET FAIR: Ask a Scientist with The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
BU Beach @ 270 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA 02215
Want to know more about our ocean planet? Just Ask a Scientist or Engineer from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution! We'll have hands-on chemistry demos, the chance to touch a robot, watch cool videos from our research around the world, and plenty of fun give-aways.

Sponsored by: 
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
BU Beach
  Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

12:00pm EDT

Street Fair
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
BU Beach @ 270 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA 02215
Join us at The WBUR Festival Street Fair! Catch live performances on the music stage, join a lively salsa dance class, and browse FOUND Market featuring 60 unique vendors. With a dedicated Kids Zone and activities around every corner, it’s a vibrant, all-ages experience that brings the community together.

Thank you to our street fair stage sponsor: 




Saturday May 30, 2026 12:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
BU Beach
  Experience

12:00pm EDT

STREET FAIR: FOUND Market Pop-up
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
BU Beach @ 270 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA 02215
Step into a curated vintage pop-up from FOUND Market, where every rack tells a story. Sourced from across eras and styles, the collection features one-of-a-kind pieces, timeless staples, and standout finds you won’t see anywhere else. Whether you’re hunting for the perfect worn-in denim, a statement jacket, or an unexpected gem, FOUND Market brings the thrill of the search, and the...
See More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
BU Beach
  Experience

12:00pm EDT

STREET FAIR: The WBUR Festival Community Mural
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
BU Beach @ 270 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA 02215
Be a part of WBUR history! Bullseye Mural Co. and WBUR invite you to join us at the Street Fair to help create The WBUR Festival Community Mural. 

Grab some paint pens (we'll provide them!) and help bring this collaborative work of art to life. Together, we’ll make a vibrant, lasting piece that celebrates the Fetsival and the voices of the community. No experience needed!
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
BU Beach
  Experience

12:15pm EDT

Judges, Law and the New Era of Immigration Enforcement
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:15pm - 1:00pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Two former immigration judges dissect recent shifts — from the Supreme Court case over birthright citizenship to the large-scale firings of judges — and debate whether we’re witnessing lawlessness or a controversial interpretation and enforcement of existing laws.
Speakers
avatar for Simón Rios

Simón Rios

Reporter, WBUR
Simón Rios is an award-winning reporter, covering immigration, politics and local enterprise stories for WBUR.
He joined the station in 2015 after two years at The Standard-Times in New Bedford. His first assignment at WBUR was to cover “Snowmaggedon,” the blizzards that led to the snowiest winter in Boston’s history. More recently he has covered the impact of immigration enforcement... Read More →
avatar for Art Arthur

Art Arthur

Fellow in Law and Policy, The Center for Immigration Studies
Art Arthur is a graduate of the University of Virginia and GW Law School, former trial attorney and associate general counsel for the Immigration and Naturalization Service. He is also former oversight counsel for immigration for the House Judiciary Committee, former staff director... Read More →
avatar for George D. Pappas

George D. Pappas

Former Immigration Judge
Born in Charlotte, NC to Greek immigrant parents, but raised in New York City, George Pappas, the Principal Owner of Pappas Legal, PLLC in Asheville, NC representing clients in Western North Carolina and nationwide in U.S. immigration law.

Most recently, Dr. Pappas was appointed by US Attorney General Merrick Garland as Federal Immigration Judge at the Boston and Chelmsford, MA immigration courts between 2023-2025.Between 2003 and 2023, Dr. Pappas represented clients nationwide and internationally in immigration... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:15pm - 1:00pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall
  Politics

12:15pm EDT

The Room Where It Happens: Covering the White House in Real Time
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:15pm - 1:00pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center @ 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Three White House journalists pull back the curtain and share the tactics, pressures and ethical dilemmas of reporting from the epicenter of power.
Speakers
avatar for Lisa Mullins

Lisa Mullins

Host, All Things Considered, WBUR
Lisa Mullins is the voice of WBUR’s All Things Considered. She anchors the program, conducts interviews, and reports from the field. Mullins is also guest anchor of the WBUR and NPR midday show Here & Now.
From 1998 through 2012, Mullins was chief anchor of the daily international news program, “The World,” co-produced by the BBC, WGBH and PRI. Her foreign reporting has taken her to Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, Cuba, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Hong Kong, South and North Korea and... Read More →
avatar for Zolan Kanno-Youngs

Zolan Kanno-Youngs

White House Correspondent, The New York Times
Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a White House Correspondent for The New York Times. He is on a team of reporters covering President Trump and his agenda. While he covers domestic and foreign policy broadly, his work focuses on immigration, homeland security, race and inequality. Based in the Washington bureau... Read More →
avatar for Tom Nichols

Tom Nichols

Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Tom Nichols is a staff writer at The Atlantic. An expert on international security issues, he taught national security affairs for 25 years at the U.S. Naval War College. He is the author of several books on international politics and democracy in America.
... Read More →
avatar for Jasmine Wright

Jasmine Wright

Jasmine Wright, White House Correspondent & Co-author, NOTUS Morning Newsletter
Jasmine Wright covers the Trump White House and co-authors NOTUS’ Morning newsletter.

At NOTUS, she has covered the second Trump administration and Kamala Harris’ presidential run. She was a finalist for the Livingston Award for her incisive reporting on what went wrong inside the Harris campaign. She regularly appears on CNN, MSNBC, CBS and CSPAN to offer political... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:15pm - 1:00pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center
  Politics

12:30pm EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Otto Pizza Pop-Up
Saturday May 30, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Join us in the Howard Thurman Center from 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM (or while supplies last!) for a complimentary pizza party, provided by our sponsor Otto Pizza.

Sponsored by: 

Saturday May 30, 2026 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

1:00pm EDT

STREET FAIR STAGE: Line Dancing Queens
Saturday May 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
BU Beach @ 270 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA 02215
Kick up your heels with Line Dancing Queens in this high-energy 30-minute lesson at the street fair. You’ll learn fun, easy routines...no experience necessary! Come solo or with friends, just be ready to move and have a blast!

Sponsored by:
Speakers
avatar for Line Dancing Queens

Line Dancing Queens

Line Dancing Lessons
Line Dancing Queens (LDQ) is a women-led Boston dance community bringing welcoming, all-levels line dancing online and in person. With social media videos, weekly and monthly events, and bar nights around Boston, LDQ inspires confidence, fun, and friendship, bringing people together through dance... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
BU Beach
  Street fair stage (Sponsored by The Huntington), Live performance

1:00pm EDT

Driving Herself Sane: A Conversation with Lindy West
Saturday May 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
Marsh Chapel @ 735 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The culture critic, comedian, activist and bestselling author of “Shrill” reflects on her new memoir “Adult Braces” and the intense discourse it’s generated around millennial feminism, body positivity and polyamory.

Sponsored by: 
Speakers
avatar for Lindy West

Lindy West

New York Times Bestselling Author & Comedian
Lindy West is the author of three books: the New York Times bestselling memoir Shrill as well as the essay collections The Witches Are Coming and Shit, Actually. Lindy is a former contributing opinion writer for the New York Times and her work has appeared in This American Life, The Guardian... Read More →
avatar for Ally Jarmanning

Ally Jarmanning

Senior Reporter, WBUR
Ally Jarmanning is a senior reporter focused on criminal justice and police accountability.  She champions data and public records in the WBUR newsroom, reporting her own stories and working with fellow reporters on projects and daily news. She started at WBUR writing for Morning Edition and later... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
Marsh Chapel
  Arts & Culture (Sponsored by the BSO)

1:00pm EDT

Sound as Catalyst: A Conversation with Jad Abumrad
Saturday May 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The Radiolab creator on the art of sonic storytelling, science of wonder and the creative rules that turn complex ideas into unforgettable audio experiences. 

Sponsored by:

Speakers
avatar for Sam Sanders

Sam Sanders

Host & Executive Producer, The Sam Sanders Show
Sam Sanders is an award-winning reporter, radio host and podcaster. He currently hosts and is executive producer of the The Sam Sanders Show, made in conjunction with KCRW and distributed nationally by PRX. Sanders has been named podcaster of the year by both The Ambies and The iHeart Podca... Read More →
avatar for Jad Abumrad

Jad Abumrad

Creator of Radiolab, Dolly Parton's America & Fela Kuti: Fear No Man
Jad Abumrad is a composer, artist and journalist and the creator of Radiolab (http://radiolab.org), Dolly Parton’s America (http://dollypartonsamerica.org), Fela Kuti: Fear No Man (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fela-kuti-fear-no-man/id1835735529) and many other podcasts which collectively... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace
  Arts & Culture (Sponsored by the BSO)

1:30pm EDT

Meating Demand: The Future of Protein
Saturday May 30, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Hear from a chef, a scientist and an industry leader about today's alternatives to meat — from plant-based foods on the market, to meat grown in labs using animal cells. What will it take to make meat alternatives accessible, and appetizing, to everyone?

Sponsored by: 

Speakers
avatar for Nicole Tichenor Blackstone

Nicole Tichenor Blackstone

Associate Professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University
Nicole Tichenor Blackstone is a tenured Associate Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, where she leads research at the intersection of food systems sustainability, environmental impacts, and evidence‑based strategies for transforming modern food systems. Her w... Read More →
avatar for Joanne Molinaro

Joanne Molinaro

Founder, The Korean Vegan
With over 6 million fans spread across her social media platforms, New York Times best-selling author and James Beard Award winner Joanne Molinaro, a.k.a The Korean Vegan, has appeared on The Food Network, CBS Saturday Morning, ABC’s Live with Kelly and Ryan, The Today Show, NPR, PBS, CNN, and The Rich Roll Podcast. She’s been featured in the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Food and Wine, and The Atlantic; and he... Read More →
avatar for Amory Sivertson

Amory Sivertson

Host and Senior Producer, WBUR Podcasts
Amory Sivertson is the host/reporter of Beyond All Repair and the co-host and senior producer of Endless Thread. She's one of the founding producers of Modern Love: The Podcast and the former producer of Dear Sugar Radio (now called Dear Sugars).

Previously, Amory was the studio d... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Booth Theatre
  Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

1:30pm EDT

Rising Tides, Changing Seas: Oceans in a Warming World
Saturday May 30, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
As the planet warms, our oceans suffer. From hurricanes to coral reefs, hear about the prognosis for them — and how their future affects life on land.

Speakers
avatar for Peter de Menocal

Peter de Menocal

President & Director, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Peter B. de Menocal is the president and director of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the world’s largest independent organization dedicated to ocean research, engineering, and education. He joined WHOI in 2020 to lead the institution to advance breakthrough ocean science and technology to protect... Read More →
avatar for Peter O'Dowd

Peter O'Dowd

Host-correspondent, Here & Now, WBUR
Peter O'Dowd is Here & Now’s host-correspondent. When the full-time hosts are off air, Peter steps in to cover the day’s most important stories.

Otherwise, from his base in Arizona, Peter is out covering issues critical to the Southwestern United States. His environmental reporting includes the ongoing drought on the Colorado River and the impact of rising temperatures in the region. He also covers the battle over immigration... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall
  Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

1:30pm EDT

Truth Across Borders
Saturday May 30, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center @ 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Three media leaders convene for a multigenerational, bilingual Spanish-English conversation on the challenges and future of journalism around the globe.
Speakers
avatar for Marty Baron

Marty Baron

Former Editor, Boston Globe & Washington Post
Martin Baron is an American journalist who was editor of The Washington Post from December 31, 2012, until his retirement on February 28, 2021. He was previously editor of The Boston Globe from 2001 to 2012; during that period, the Globe's coverage of the Boston Catholic sexual abuse scandal earned... Read More →
avatar for Paola Ramos

Paola Ramos

Contributor, MS Now/ Telemundo & Host, The Moment with Jorge Ramos and Paola Ramos
Paola Ramos is an author and Emmy-Award winning journalist. Ramos is a contributor for Telemundo News and MSNBC/MS NOW. She is also the co-host of iHeartMedia’s “The Moment with Jorge Ramos and Paola Ramos” Ramos is a former Corresponded for Vice News. Her reporting has taken her along... Read More →
avatar for Javier Marin

Javier Marin

Media Entrepreneur, Founder of Tiempo & El Planeta
Javier Marín is a media entrepreneur and author of Live from America: How Latino TV Conquered the U.S. Founder of Tiempo Company, publisher of El Planeta and El Tiempo Latino. A Harvard Business School alum, he explores media, identity, and the growing power of Spanish in shaping America’s... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center
  Media

2:00pm EDT

STREET FAIR STAGE: Kimaya Diggs
Saturday May 30, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm EDT
BU Beach @ 270 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA 02215
Join us at the street fair for a performance by Kimaya Diggs. 

Sponsored by:
Speakers
avatar for Kimaya Diggs

Kimaya Diggs

Musician & Songwriter
Kimaya Diggs is a musician residing in Western Massachusetts. Her new album "Quincy" explores Diggs' unique style of Soul, Folk, and R&B. She has opened for Mavis Staples, Trombone Shorty, Emily King, and more. The Boston Globe says: “Expressive, smooth vocals…she’s kind of an unstoppable force... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm EDT
BU Beach
  Street fair stage (Sponsored by The Huntington), Live performance

2:15pm EDT

Life Kit - Live Taping
Saturday May 30, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
This edition of the NPR podcast will focus on what it takes to lead a good life.

Sponsored by:
Speakers
avatar for Marielle Segarra

Marielle Segarra

Host, Life Kit, NPR
Marielle Segarra is the host of NPR's Life Kit, the award-winning podcast and radio show that shares trustworthy, nonjudgmental tips that help listeners navigate their lives. She's guided listeners on how to: do CPR, start a new habit, get out of credit card debt, build a village, support a loved... Read More →
avatar for Rachel Wilkerson Miller

Rachel Wilkerson Miller

​Author of The Art of Showing Up: How to Be There for Yourself and Your People & The Nice Life: How to Elevate the Everyday and Find Joy in What You Have
Rachel Wilkerson Miller is the author of The Art of Showing Up: How to Be There for Yourself and Your People and Dot Journaling—A Practical Guide. Her third book, The Nice Life: How to Elevate the Everyday and Find Joy in What You Have comes out in October. Rachel is the former editor-in-chief of SELF M... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace
  Health & Wellness (Sponsored by Takeda), Live podcast taping

2:15pm EDT

Bloodlines & Bylines: Robin Young & Zolan Kanno-Youngs in Conversation
Saturday May 30, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
Marsh Chapel @ 735 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The longtime Here & Now host and her nephew, a New York Times White House correspondent, trade personal newsroom anecdotes and discuss how family, trust and ethics can shape journalism in today’s turbulent political moment.
Speakers
avatar for Zolan Kanno-Youngs

Zolan Kanno-Youngs

White House Correspondent, The New York Times
Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a White House Correspondent for The New York Times. He is on a team of reporters covering President Trump and his agenda. While he covers domestic and foreign policy broadly, his work focuses on immigration, homeland security, race and inequality. Based in the Washington bureau... Read More →
avatar for Robin Young

Robin Young

Co-Host, Here & Now, WBUR
Robin Young brings more than 25 years of broadcast experience to her role as host of Here & Now. She is a Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker who has also reported for NBC, CBS and ABC television and for several years was substitute host and correspondent for "The Today S... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
Marsh Chapel
  Media

2:15pm EDT

Stories of Justice: A Conversation with Bryan Stevenson
Saturday May 30, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
College of General Studies Auditorium @ 871 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The civil rights lawyer, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of “Just Mercy” reflects on the legal system, racial justice and the stories we tell about our nation’s history. 
Speakers
avatar for Tiziana Dearing

Tiziana Dearing

Host, Morning Edition, WBUR
Tiziana Dearing is the host of WBUR’s Morning Edition.

Prior to helping listeners start the morning with news from around the corner and around the world, Tiziana hosted Radio Boston, WBUR’s daily local magazine, for five years.

Tiziana came to journalism after a career that spanned academia, nonprofits and for-profit management consulting. She taught graduate students at the Boston College School of Social Work and chaired its program in Social Innovation and Leadership. Tiziana ran a start-up foundation... Read More →
avatar for Bryan Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson

Civil Rights Attorney & Author, Just Mercy
Bryan Stevenson is the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization in Montgomery, Alabama. Under his leadership, EJI has won major legal challenges eliminating excessive and unfair sentencing, exonerating innocent death row prisoners, confronting abuse... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
College of General Studies Auditorium
  Politics

2:45pm EDT

No Laughing Matter: Satire in the Age of the Political Absurd
Saturday May 30, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center @ 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Satirists from The Onion and The Atlantic reveal how parody, sharp humor and viral comedy cut through today’s news cycle — exploring the importance of humor when reality can feel like a bad internet meme.
Speakers
avatar for Mike Gillis

Mike Gillis

Head Writer, The Onion
Mike Gillis is head writer for The Onion. He's also written for The New Yorker, The Atlantic, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Tricycle, ClickHole, and the Supreme Court (in the form of a recent amicus brief in defense of parody and free speech).
avatar for Ally Jarmanning

Ally Jarmanning

Senior Reporter, WBUR
Ally Jarmanning is a senior reporter focused on criminal justice and police accountability.  She champions data and public records in the WBUR newsroom, reporting her own stories and working with fellow reporters on projects and daily news. She started at WBUR writing for Morning Edition and later... Read More →
avatar for Alexandra Petri

Alexandra Petri

Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Alexandra Petri is a staff writer at The Atlantic. Before joining The Atlantic in 2025, she wrote a humor column for the Washington Post. She won the 2025 Thurber Prize for American Humor for her book AP’s US History: Important American Documents (I Made Up). She is the author of two other books... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center
  Politics

3:00pm EDT

STREET FAIR STAGE: Jonathan Suazo
Saturday May 30, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
BU Beach @ 270 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA 02215
Join us at the street fair stage for a performance by Jonathan Suazo. 

Sponsored by: 
Speakers
avatar for Jonathan Suazo Trio

Jonathan Suazo Trio

Saxophonist, Composer & Educator
Jonathan Suazo is an award-winning Puerto Rican saxophonist, composer, and educator whose work bridges Afro-Caribbean traditions and contemporary jazz through a powerful cross-cultural lens. Grounded in heritage and driven by emotional storytelling, Suazo uses music as a vehicle to share the rhythms... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
BU Beach
  Street fair stage (Sponsored by The Huntington), Live performance

3:00pm EDT

Cheese and Wine, Considered: A Guided Tasting (VIP Pass Holders Only)
Saturday May 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Indulge in a curated tasting experience with experts from Formaggio Kitchen and Dave's Fresh Pasta.

Please note that you must have a VIP badge to attend this special event. 

Space is limited to 75 people for this session. First come, first served. 

Sponsored by:

Saturday May 30, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
The Hub
  VIP Pass Holders Only

3:30pm EDT

Solitary Confinement on Film: A Conversation with David Oyelowo
Saturday May 30, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The award-winning actor discusses his starring role in the film “Newborn,” which explores the devastating impacts of solitary confinement.

Sponsored by:
Speakers
avatar for David Oyelowo

David Oyelowo

Actor, Producer & Director
David Oyelowo is a multiple Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Emmy-nominated actor and producer. Oyelowo made his directorial debut with the critically-acclaimed film, THE WATER MAN, which he produced under his Yoruba Saxon production banner.  Current and upcoming film and television projects include BA... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace
  Arts & Culture (Sponsored by the BSO)

3:30pm EDT

Stories That Stay: A Conversation with Celeste Ng
Saturday May 30, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
College of General Studies Auditorium @ 871 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The bestselling novelist of “Everything I Never Told You,” “Little Fires Everywhere” and “Our Missing Hearts” reflects on the power of fiction to illuminate family, identity and belonging.

Sponsored by:

Speakers
avatar for Robin Young

Robin Young

Co-Host, Here & Now, WBUR
Robin Young brings more than 25 years of broadcast experience to her role as host of Here & Now. She is a Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker who has also reported for NBC, CBS and ABC television and for several years was substitute host and correspondent for "The Today S... Read More →
avatar for Celeste Ng

Celeste Ng

Author, Little Fires Everywhere
Celeste Ng is the number one New York Times bestselling author of the novels Everything I Never Told You, Little Fires Everywhere, and Our Missing Hearts. Ng is the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation, and her work has been publishe... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
College of General Studies Auditorium
  Arts & Culture (Sponsored by the BSO)

3:30pm EDT

How to be Healthier: A Conversation with Dr. John Whyte
Saturday May 30, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Marsh Chapel @ 735 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Join the American Medical Association CEO for insights on the real value of medical interventions like full-body scans and fitness trackers, and how to find health information you can trust.

Sponsored by:
Speakers
avatar for Deb Becker

Deb Becker

Senior Correspondent & Host, WBUR
Deborah Becker is a senior correspondent and host at WBUR.  Her reporting focuses on mental health, criminal justice and education.

Deb is also a substitute host on several WBUR programs and helps produce and report for various WBUR special projects. Deb also worked on the launch... Read More →
avatar for Dr. John Whyte

Dr. John Whyte

CEO, American Medical Association
John Whyte, MD, MPH, is chief executive officer of the American Medical Association. A board-certified internist, Dr. Whyte previously served as the chief medical officer at WebMD, leading initiatives that expanded strategic partnerships, created new business opportunities, and positioned WebMD at the forefro... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Marsh Chapel
  Health & Wellness (Sponsored by Takeda)

4:00pm EDT

STREET FAIR STAGE: Salsa y Control
Saturday May 30, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
BU Beach @ 270 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA 02215
Turn up the rhythm with Salsa y Control in this lively 30-minute salsa lesson at the street fair. Learn the basics or sharpen your moves with expert instructors who make it fun and approachable for all levels. No partner needed, just bring your energy and get ready to dance!

Sponsored by:
Speakers
avatar for Salsa y Control

Salsa y Control

Salsa Lessons
Johnny Giraldo, a Colombian-born salsa dancer, has taught and performed since 1998. Inspired by music from his childhood, he co-founded Salsa y Control Dance Company in 2003 with his brother, Andres Giraldo and now wife, Felicita Giraldo-Rosado. He gained national and international recognition... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 4:00pm - 4:30pm EDT
BU Beach
  Street fair stage (Sponsored by The Huntington), Live performance

4:00pm EDT

Hope Takes Flight: Saving Birds and Ourselves
Saturday May 30, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT
Booth Theatre @ 820 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
The author of “The Return of the Oystercatcher” shares inspiring stories of how devoted scientists and bird lovers are restoring threatened avian populations — and how those efforts ripple outward to protect ecosystems and human communities.

Sponsored by: 

Speakers
avatar for Tiziana Dearing

Tiziana Dearing

Host, Morning Edition, WBUR
Tiziana Dearing is the host of WBUR’s Morning Edition.

Prior to helping listeners start the morning with news from around the corner and around the world, Tiziana hosted Radio Boston, WBUR’s daily local magazine, for five years.

Tiziana came to journalism after a career that spanned academia, nonprofits and for-profit management consulting. She taught graduate students at the Boston College School of Social Work and chaired its program in Social Innovation and Leadership. Tiziana ran a start-up foundation... Read More →
avatar for Scott Weidensaul

Scott Weidensaul

Author, The Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet
Scott Weidensaul is the author of nearly thirty books, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist Living on the Wind and the New York Times bestseller A World on the Wing. A writer and researcher specializing in birds and bird migration, he is a native of Pennsylvania now living in New Hampshire... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 4:00pm - 4:45pm EDT
Booth Theatre
  Climate & Environment (Sponsored by WHOI)

4:00pm EDT

Iron Songwriter with Wolves of Glendale
Saturday May 30, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Get ready for a wildly fun, one-of-a-kind show with the band Wolves of Glendale as they bring their live “Iron Songwriter” challenge to the stage. Using a beloved Boston movie as inspiration, they’ll create an original song on the spot in a session that’s part concert, part comedy, and completely unpredictable.

Sponsored by:

Speakers
avatar for Wolves of Glendale

Wolves of Glendale

Comedy Band
Zooming in on the absurdity of daily life through their original music and pointed parodies, the Wolves have gained a significant social media following and dedicated fanbase in the mere year and a half they’ve been a band. They’ve performed at the Netflix is a Joke Festival... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall
  Arts & Culture (Sponsored by the BSO), Live performance

4:00pm EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Last Call
Saturday May 30, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Wrap up The WBUR Festival in style at our closing happy hour. A lively, feel-good gathering to celebrate a weekend of big ideas and new connections. Come raise a glass, swap stories and close out the festival on a high note.

Sponsored by: 
Saturday May 30, 2026 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

4:45pm EDT

Longevity Myths and Medicine: A Conversation with Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel
Saturday May 30, 2026 4:45pm - 5:30pm EDT
Marsh Chapel @ 735 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The author of “Eat Your Ice Cream” separates interventions that improve longevity and quality of life from those that don’t. 

Sponsored by: 

Speakers
avatar for Deb Becker

Deb Becker

Senior Correspondent & Host, WBUR
Deborah Becker is a senior correspondent and host at WBUR.  Her reporting focuses on mental health, criminal justice and education.

Deb is also a substitute host on several WBUR programs and helps produce and report for various WBUR special projects. Deb also worked on the launch... Read More →
avatar for Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel

Former Health Policy Advisory, Obama Administration & Member COVID-19 Advisory Board, Biden Administration
Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD, is Vice Provost for Global Initiatives and the Diane v.S. Levy and Robert M. Levy University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds appointments in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy in the Perelman School of Medicine and the Department of Health Care... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 4:45pm - 5:30pm EDT
Marsh Chapel
  Health & Wellness (Sponsored by Takeda)

5:00pm EDT

Spring Green: A Better World is Possible
Saturday May 30, 2026 5:00pm - 5:45pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace @ 890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Join a beloved local songwriter and an award-winning environmental journalist for a performance, reading and conversation on how music and storytelling help us slow down and reconnect with ourselves and the natural world.

Sponsored by: 

Speakers
avatar for Dianna Bell

Dianna Bell

Senior Editor, Arts & Culture, WBUR
Dianna Bell is senior editor of arts and culture for WBUR.

She graduated from High Point University with a bachelor's degree in media and pop culture studies, and with a master's in arts journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University... Read More →
avatar for Mark Erelli

Mark Erelli

Musician & Songwriter
Mark Erelli is a critically acclaimed American singer-songwriter, producer, and guitarist known for his distinctive blend of rock, folk, and Americana. His music is known for its lyrical depth and intricate instrumentation, drawing influence from classic rock icons. Mark has collaborated with a... Read More →
avatar for Meera Subramanian

Meera Subramanian

Author & Journalist
Meera Subramanian is a journalist whose award-winning work has appeared in Nature, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Orion and beyond. A National Geographic Explorer, she is the author of two books, the latest A Better World Is Possible: Global Youth Confront the Climate Crisis, a graphic novel about you... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 5:00pm - 5:45pm EDT
WBUR CitySpace
  Arts & Culture (Sponsored by the BSO)

5:00pm EDT

FESTIVAL HUB: Word Play: Scrabble Frenzy
Saturday May 30, 2026 5:00pm - 5:45pm EDT
The Hub @ 808 Commonwealth Avenue, 808 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
Grab a beer and join the author of “Unabridged” and “Word Freak” for a lively celebration of words and the people who love them. Then, watch as he faces off against five challengers in simultaneous Scrabble matches that put wordplay in the spotlight.

Sponsored by: 
Speakers
avatar for Eve Zuckoff

Eve Zuckoff

City Reporter, WBUR
Eve Zuckoff is WBUR's city reporter, covering Boston politics, breaking news, and enterprise stories. She’s covering City Hall and the mayoral race, and keeping an eye on all things Boston, from neighborhood issues to the cost of living and policies that affect the lives of res... Read More →
avatar for Stefan Fatsis

Stefan Fatsis

Author, Unabridged & Word Freak
Stefan Fatsis is the author of Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary (October 2025) and three previous books: A Few Seconds of Panic, about life in the NFL (2008); Word Freak, about the world of competitive Scrabble (2001); and Wild and Outside, about minor league baseball (1... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 5:00pm - 5:45pm EDT
The Hub
  Experience

5:15pm EDT

The Uncensored Mic: A Conversation with David Cross
Saturday May 30, 2026 5:15pm - 6:00pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center @ 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
The comedian, actor and Emmy Award-winning writer takes the stage for an unfiltered conversation that blends comedy, culture and the issues shaping the moment.

Sponsored by:
Speakers
avatar for Meghna Chakrabarti

Meghna Chakrabarti

Host, On Point, WBUR
Meghna Chakrabarti is the award-winning host and editor of On Point. Based in Boston, she is on the air Monday through Friday.

On Point has been frequently recognized for excellence in journalism under Meghna's leadership. Chakrabarti is the former host of Radio Boston, WBUR’s acclaimed weekday local show. She's the former host of Modern Love: The Podcast, a collaboration of WBUR and The New York Times... Read More →
avatar for David Cross

David Cross

Emmy-winning Actor & Comedian & Two-Time Grammy Nominee
Emmy winner and two-time Grammy nominee David Cross is a comedian, actor, writer, and producer widely known for co-creating Mr. Show with Bob and David and playing Tobias Fünke on Arrested Development. A stand-up veteran of over four decades, he has released acclaimed specials, albums, and has toured globally, earning the reputation as... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 5:15pm - 6:00pm EDT
Tsai Performance Center
  Arts & Culture (Sponsored by the BSO)

5:15pm EDT

On the Front Lines: Covering Mass Deportations
Saturday May 30, 2026 5:15pm - 6:00pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall @ 855B Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Three journalists share firsthand accounts of covering the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown — from congressional hearings to detention facilities and embedding with ICE agents and ICE watchers. Learn about the challenges, risks and ethical choices that come with documenting mass deportations in real-time.
Speakers
avatar for Tim Dunn

Tim Dunn

Lead Political Reporter, Boston Herald
Tim Dunn is a Political Reporter for the Boston Herald. He has over 10 years of experience as a journalist, covering local and regional news for various outlets across Massachusetts to national headlines during his time at Fox News.
avatar for Simón Rios

Simón Rios

Reporter, WBUR
Simón Rios is an award-winning reporter, covering immigration, politics and local enterprise stories for WBUR.
He joined the station in 2015 after two years at The Standard-Times in New Bedford. His first assignment at WBUR was to cover “Snowmaggedon,” the blizzards that led to the snowiest winter in Boston’s history. More recently he has covered the impact of immigration enforcement... Read More →
avatar for Pablo Manríquez

Pablo Manríquez

Editor, Migrant Insider
Pablo Manriquez edits Migrant Insider and reports for MeidasTouch. He lives with his dog Roxy in Washington, D.C., where he covers Congress, The White House, and the courts. Pablo is Chile-born, Missouri-raised, and Notre Dame educated. He is also a semi-famous oil painter... Read More →
avatar for Allison McCann

Allison McCann

Data reporter, The New York Times
Allison McCann is a data reporter at The New York Times who covers immigration. Her stories often involve collecting and analyzing data to better understand the topics she covers. She also works across a variety of visual formats — charts, maps, photos, videos — in addition to... Read More →
Saturday May 30, 2026 5:15pm - 6:00pm EDT
CFA Concert Hall
  Politics

5:30pm EDT

After Party at Sunset Cantina
Saturday May 30, 2026 5:30pm - 7:00pm EDT
Sunset Cantina @ 916 Commonwealth Ave, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
After Hours at Sunset Cantina – Drinks, bites, and live music as the sun sets. Mingle, unwind, and keep the festival vibes going!
Saturday May 30, 2026 5:30pm - 7:00pm EDT
Sunset Cantina
  Experience
 

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