Strategic Priority: Events & Experiences

As our daily lives become increasingly digital and fragmented, KQED offers meaningful, in-person and virtual experiences that connect people to one another and to the Bay Area. By expanding our event series KQED Live and experiential programming in both volume and capacity, we can meet growing demand for in-person connections and engage with younger and more diverse community members seeking shared, memorable experiences.

KQED’s strategy is to become the essential resource for information, content, and programming that roots community in real-life Bay Area experiences. By growing annual event attendance, expanding programming to more areas within the nine-county Bay Area, increasing repeat attendance, and raising the share of attendees who donate, KQED strengthens both audience engagement and community impact.

KQED will expand headliner programs in large-capacity venues and launch a new experiential series that includes food festivals, live music events, marketplaces, and site-specific programming with dedicated sponsorship opportunities. We will establish comprehensive event-to-donation tracking and use these insights to design programs that maximize participation and support. Complementing these in-person experiences, KQED will build and manage an online hub for Bay Area experience-seekers, featuring curated content, programming highlights, and partner promotions to further engage communities.

By integrating in-person experiences with complementary digital content, KQED Live will grow into a revenue-generating, community-building pillar—offering audiences memorable experiences while deepening connections to the people, stories, and culture of the Bay Area.

KQED is 100% community-fueled, independent media serving the Bay Area. Together, we can build a strong, resilient public media institution for today and the future. Explore ways to support this plan through membership, major giving, legacy giving, and volunteering opportunities.