Tickets for September and October events go on sale September 1 at 9am and can be purchased at kqed.org/live.
KQED Live Fall 2021 Season Overview
Screenings
KQED Live will give audiences the chance to see previews and meet the makers and talent featured in documentaries and dramatic series from KQED, PBS and other public media partners. The inaugural KQED Live season kicks off on September 25 with a free preview of Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It. This new documentary from PBS American Masters focuses on the life and legendary career of the actress, Oscar-winning star of West Side Story and one-time cast member of PBS’ The Electric Company. On September 30, we welcome Bay Area resident and best-selling author Kelly Corrigan to the stage to present a preview of a new season of her PBS interview series Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan. Corrigan will offer a sneak peek at new episodes featuring a pair of Bay Area luminaries, including comedian, author and CNN host W. Kamau Bell and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
Get in the Halloween spirit on October 27 for Creepy, Crawly Night with Deep Look. Audiences will experience an up-close look at some of the smallest, most elusive and unearthly creatures known with scientists and the producers of KQED’s Deep Look, a Webby award-winning YouTube wildlife series. Admission is free for children up to age 12. On November 9, science lovers can explore the cosmic wonders of space with a free preview screening of NOVA: The Universe from television’s most acclaimed and long-running science documentary series. And on November 10, we’ll offer up the The Commons’ screen and stage to the next generation of filmmakers and documentarians for I Made This: a Youth Media Celebration. This is a free youth-led showcase of original media pieces focusing on how young people see themselves and the world around them.
In Dialogue
Bringing diverse voices together to talk about the issues that affect us is at the heart of community building. KQED Live will connect newsmakers, politicians, entertainers and community members for lively discussions, reflections and problem solving. With voting rights at risk nationwide, communities are anxious to explore challenges to the integrity of our democracy. Shirley Weber and Jerry Brown on Securing the Vote will bring the California Secretary of State and former California Governor together on October 1 for a critical discussion about how to strengthen our electoral systems and achieve a more inclusive democracy. On October 13, we welcome one of the most powerful women in the United States government. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi joins Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos, hosts of KQED’s Political Breakdown, to reflect on her nearly 35 years representing San Francisco in Congress, her historic second tenure as Speaker of the House, her vision for the future of the Democratic Party and her hopes for American democracy.
KQED welcomes back former Forum host Michael Krasny on October 18 for an on-stage interview with iconic Bay Area author Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club) on how personal and cultural histories fuse with imagination in her writing. At a time when our environmental, political and social worlds seem to be in upheaval, multicultural perspectives can offer alternative approaches towards bringing our world back into balance. Join us on November 4 for a conversation with writer and political strategist Julian Brave NoiseCat to learn how Indigenous perspectives and experiences can help address the global environmental, public health and democratic crises we find ourselves in.
Podcasts and Radio Onstage
KQED has become the Bay Area’s most listened to and trusted radio station by delivering fact-based journalism and thoughtful and entertaining storytelling through popular flagship current affairs programs such as Forum and The California Report, as well as distributed content from NPR. In recent years, the station has also become a local podcast leader through programs such as Bay Curious; SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America; On Our Watch and others. KQED Live brings KQED’s audio to life by connecting producers, hosts and community voices together on stage.
Forum, the long-running public affairs program cohosted by Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal, will bring three conversations to the KQED Live stage. On October 8, we’ll present Forum Live: Children’s Author Joanna Ho, featuring the bestselling author of Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, who will discuss the importance of stories in which young readers can see themselves. Admission for children age 12 and under is free. Fresh off his third Grammy win, Oakland’s Fantastic Negrito comes to The Commons for a mix of music and conversation with the hosts of Forum on November 12. Meet the people who are diversifying the video game industry inside and out on December 10. Forum Live: Changing the Face of Gaming Culture is a discussion with Gameheads Co-founder and Executive Director Damon Packwood and others.
On Our Watch is a podcast from KQED and NPR that explores the system of police accountability, which often fails to bring justice. On October 20, Understanding Police Misconduct Records with On Our Watch will look into The California Reporting Project, a collaborative journalism project to help make police accountability records public, which led to the reporting for On Our Watch. At this free event, producers will discuss how journalists, activists and concerned citizens can access public records to uncover misconduct. KQED’s podcast SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing Facing Eviction is returning this fall for a second season of reporting and stories that get to the heart of the housing crisis in California. Facing Eviction with KQED’s SOLD OUT on November 13 is a free live taping of the podcast with Tim Thomas from the Urban Displacement Project.
Join us on November 6 for It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders Live. The popular NPR host takes the stage for a deep dive into current events, pop culture, and conversation with a whole lot of heart. And finally, on December 8, we’ll test your Bay Area knowledge at Bay Curious Trivia Night. Flex your understanding of Bay Area culture, history and sites while learning the fascinating stories behind them with Bay Curious host Olivia Allen-Price and the production team.
Food
From Julia Child and Jacques Pépin to Martin Yan and Check, Please! Bay Area, food has been a consistent theme in KQED’s programming since the station’s beginnings. KQED Live will bring forward a host of local chefs to share the stories, traditions and techniques behind culinary creations that help to place the Bay Area as a center of the food universe. On October 15, Chef Bryant Terry talks food justice, shifts in culinary media and his philosophy as a vegan chef, and will offer up a tasting. Chef Reem Assil discusses her work to reform the restaurant industry for a sustainable and community-rooted food culture and offers an interactive tasting lesson on November 5. And on December 1, young gourmet entrepreneur Chef Victor Aguilera shares his love of cycling and Venezuelan food with stories and savory tastes from his Arepas en Bici delivery service.
Music, Storytelling and Arts
Several events on the KQED Live calendar showcase the incredibly diverse community of artists, musicians, performers and storytellers that make the Bay Area one of the most uniquely influential cultural centers in the world. On October 15, singer Diana Gameros, subject of the KQED documentary Dear Homeland, screens the film and shares her story as a formerly undocumented artist on a journey home through live music. Chilling Histories of California offers a night of haunting and curious tales from forgotten corners of California history so get ready to be spooked on October 28. Baruch Porras-Hernandez hosts a dynamic cabaret of performances by Latinx artists featuring Dorian Wood, Roberto F. Santiago, Dizzy Jenkins and Amanda Muñiz as part of ¿Donde Esta Mi Gente? on November 3. Weaving a mix of Latin folk traditions, reggaeton, hip-hop and conversation about the influence of family histories and San Francisco roots in her songs, La Doña will grace the KQED Live stage on November 17 for a live performance and conversation about the influence of family traditions and San Francisco roots in her songs.
December 4 is PBS Kids Day with the Bay Area Children’s Theatre, a family-friendly day with live entertainment, learning activities and episodes of PBS Kids favorites Alma’s Way, Daniel Tiger and Donkey Hodie. Admission for children up to age 12 is free. An output of a project pairing artists with elders to counter isolation, The Welcoming [Parts I-III] on December 12 is a presentation of performed artistic works featuring Erika Chong Shuch, Rowena Richie and Ryan Tacata. And on December 13, KQED’s Chloe Veltman gathers together the Kronos Quartet, singer Meklit Hadero and others for When Words Fail, Music Speaks, a night of story and song about moments when the spoken word just isn’t enough.
KQED Live Fall 2021 Schedule
Tickets for September and October events on sale September 1. Visit kqed.org/live to purchase.
SEPTEMBER
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
September 25 | 7 PM | Free
Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan
September 30 | 7 PM | $10
OCTOBER
Shirley Weber & Jerry Brown on Securing the Vote
October 1 | 7 PM | $10
Forum Live: Children’s Author Joanna Ho
October 8 | 7 PM | $10 / Kids free
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
October 13 | 7 PM | $20
Dear Homeland with Diana Gameros
October 15 | 7 PM | $15
Amy Tan & Michael Krasny
October 18 | 7 PM | $10
Understanding Police Misconduct Records with On Our Watch
October 20 | 7 PM | Free
Chef Bryant Terry
October 21 | 7 PM | $15
Creepy, Crawly Night with Deep Look
October 27 | 7 PM | $10 / Kids free
Chilling Histories of California
October 28 | 7 PM | $10
NOVEMBER
¿Donde Esta Mi Gente?
November 3 | 7 PM | $15
Julian Brave NoiseCat on Indigenous Peoples vs. Apocalypse
November 4 | 7 PM | $10
Chef Reem Assil
November 5 | 7 PM | $15
It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders Live
November 6 | 7 PM | $20
NOVA: The Universe
November 9 | 7 PM | Free
I Made This: A Youth Media Celebration
November 10 | 7 PM | Free
Forum Live with Fantastic Negrito
November 12 | 7 PM | $15
Facing Eviction with KQED’s SOLD OUT
November 13 | 4 PM | Free
La Doña
November 17 | 7 PM | $20
DECEMBER
Chef Victor Aguilera
December 1 | 7 PM | $15
PBS Kids Day with the Bay Area Children’s Theatre
December 4 | 10 AM | $10 / Kids free
Bay Curious Trivia Night
December 8 | 7 PM | $10
Forum Live: Changing the Face of Gaming Culture
December 10 | 7 PM | $10
The Welcoming [Parts I-III]
December 12 | 7 PM | $10
When Words Fail, Music Speaks
December 13 | 7 PM | $15
Ticket Information
Tickets for KQED Live will be available on September 1.
How to Order
Online: kqed.org/live
In-person: Box Office opens 60 minutes prior to events.
Become a KQED member for special event access and benefits. Visit kqed.org/donate.
*Programs and prices subject to change. Tickets are nonrefundable except if events are canceled.
Accessibility, Safety and COVID-19 Protocols
KQED wants everyone’s experience to be as safe and enjoyable as possible. If you have specific access requirements, please include them in your registration or contact us directly at live@kqed.org.
To ensure the safety and wellbeing of our audiences, KQED Live events this fall will require proof of full COVID-19 vaccination for entry. Children 12 and under must have a negative COVID-19 test result within 72 hours prior to the event. Attendees must wear face masks in compliance with local public health guidelines at the time of the event.
KQED Live Sponsors
