Manhattan will be the location for the second annual Now Hear This podcast festival, which debuted last year in Anaheim, California.
The multi-genre podcast event, geared toward fans, returns Sept. 8-10 with a lineup featuring today’s most popular podcasts including comedy favorites “Comedy Bang! Bang!” and “How Did This Get Made?”
After a successful inaugural event in Anaheim, California, the festival moves to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in the heart of Manhattan.
Now Hear This brings together podcasting’s top shows for a weekend of live performances, meet- and-greet opportunities and immersive fan experiences. Some of the podcast community’s most beloved shows are among the headline acts:
• “Comedy Bang! Bang!” — Host Scott Aukerman (“Comedy Bang! Bang!” on IFC, “Mr. Show”) blends conversation and character work from today’s funniest comedians. (Earwolf)
• “How Did This Get Made?” — Have you ever seen a movie so bad that it’s amazing? In this long- running and top-rated podcast, Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas watch movies and report back with the results. (Earwolf)
• “Lovett or Leave It” — Jon Lovett, former Obama speechwriter and co-host of top podcast “Pod Save America,” is joined by comedians, actors, journalists and others for a roundup of the week’s top news. (Crooked Media)
• “Criminal” — A podcast about crime and people who’ve done wrong, been wronged or gotten caught somewhere in the middle. (Radiotopia)
• “Politically Re-active” — Hosts, comedians and longtime friends W. Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu, answer questions and separate fact from fake news as they navigate the US political landscape. (First Look Media’s Topic & Earwolf)
• “The Nod” — One of the newest shows from the Gimlet Media network, home of hit shows including “StartUp” and “Reply All.” (Gimlet)
• “The Cracked Podcast” — Top editors from popular humor website Cracked.com dissect pop culture tropes and debunk myths, along with an impressive roster of guests. (Earwolf)
• “Who Charted?” — Hosts Howard Kremer and Kulap Vilaysack look at the week’s music and movie charts with your favorite comedian guests. (Earwolf)
• “Found” — Host Davy Rothbart explores personal stories of love, loss, hope, transformation and aspiration through the lens of lost and found notes with the power of humor and music. (Wondery)
• “Pitch Black Story Telling” — Put eye masks on. Turn the lights off. Let your imagination run. The hosts of Wondery’s most popular storytelling podcasts including “Secrets,” “Crimes & Audiotape,” “Inside Psycho,” “Terms” and others will get you immersed in an experience you’ll never forget: your imagination, powered by sound. The oldest and purest form of virtual reality. (Wondery)
• “StarTalk All-Stars” — The first spin-off space and science podcast and radio show of the popular “StarTalk Radio” podcast from host Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
“We’re so excited to come back to Now Hear This, as a fan of these amazing podcasts and as a performer,” said Paul Scheer, actor, comedian and host of hit comedy podcast “How Did This Get Made?”. “It’s truly Comic Con of podcasts and not some elaborate chance to get the podcast community in one city to pull off the heist of the century.”
Additional headliners and guests, including hosts from top-rated podcasts from public radio and other networks, will be announced in coming weeks at nowhearthisfest.com. Early-bird tickets are on sale now, with prices increasing on May 29.
EVENT DETAILS
WHAT: Now Hear This podcast festival
WHEN: Friday-Sunday, Sept. 8-10, 2017
WHERE: Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 W. 34th St., New York City
COST: Super early-bird tickets are now on sale for $110 for general admission and $260 for VIP. Prices increase May 29
MORE INFORMATION: Visit nowhearthisfest.com. For questions about booking or sponsorships, email nowhearthis@midroll.com.
Editor's note: The Now Hear This podcast festival is presented by Midroll, an E.W. Scripps Company product. Scripps also owns this station.
