Today Show Fan Festival: Fall Events & Details
- NBC's "Today" show is expanding its reach beyond the studio with a series of live events planned for this fall.
- The "Today" show fan festival will bring signature segments to life, featuring Jenna Bush Hager's book club, willie Geist's celebrity interviews, and Hoda Kotb's wellness discussions.
- Leist emphasized the importance of live experiences in today's fragmented media landscape.
Get ready to experience the magic of the “Today” show live! NBC is bringing the Today Show Fan Festival to cities across the U.S. this fall, offering fans an up-close and personal experience with their favorite anchors and segments. Attendees can anticipate engaging events highlighting book recommendations, celebrity interviews, and wellness discussions from the comfort of a live venue.
This exciting initiative reflects NBCUniversal’s commitment to engaging audiences, inspired by other successful live events. The move aims to strengthen the bond between the “Today” show brand and its dedicated viewers. News Directory 3, among other news outlets, is keeping tabs on this story. Don’t miss out on the chance to connect with the “Today” show family in a whole new way. Discover what’s next as NBC evaluates and plans for future fan festivals!
‘Today’ Show Plans Fan Festival Tour Across U.S.
Updated June 18, 2025
NBC’s “Today” show is expanding its reach beyond the studio with a series of live events planned for this fall. The morning show’s anchors, who regularly greet fans outside their Manhattan studio, will soon have a larger stage to connect with their audience.
The ”Today” show fan festival will bring signature segments to life, featuring Jenna Bush Hager’s book club, willie Geist’s celebrity interviews, and Hoda Kotb’s wellness discussions. Libby Leist, NBC News executive vice president, said the events, possibly ticketed, will take place in New York City and other U.S. locations between October and early November.
Leist emphasized the importance of live experiences in today’s fragmented media landscape. “There is so much fragmentation out there, and our thought is we have this trusted brand in ‘Today,’ and an ability to energize our fandom in real life,” Leist said. She added that NBC aims to make the events accessible to a wide range of attendees.
NBCUniversal is increasingly focusing on live audience engagement. bravo has seen success with “BravoCon,” and MSNBC held a conference last year featuring its anchors and hosts. “Today” has previously sent Bush Hager to book events and featured Geist interviewing figures like ina Garten and Nate Bargatze before live audiences. These events generate revenue through ticket sales and advertising partnerships.
The NBC broadcast network is also prioritizing live programming, dedicating two nights of its schedule to NBA telecasts next year and broadcasting the Winter Olympics in 2026.
Leist noted that the absence of major events like the Olympics or elections this year allows for greater focus on the “Today” fan festival.”The more we do it, the more we hope to generate interest,” she said.
Anchors Savannah Guthrie and Craig melvin are expected to promote the festival on air and may participate in food-related events, according to Leist.
Other news organizations have also experimented with live events. CNN previously hosted “Citizen” events with newsmakers and anchors, while Fox News Channel organizes the “Patriot Awards,” including meet-and-greets and whiskey tastings.
Leist believes the “Today” show’s approach is unique for a broadcast morning program, aiming to strengthen its connection with viewers. while ABC’s “Good morning America” leads in overall viewership, “Today” remains dominant among the 25-54 demographic favored by advertisers.
What’s next
NBC plans to evaluate the success of the initial “Today” show fan festival to determine future events and locations, with the goal of establishing an annual tradition.