On Air Fest unveiled a new wave of talent and programming for its 2026 flagship festival, set to take place Feb. 23–26 across Williamsburg.
The annual gathering, known for spotlighting podcasting, storytelling and creator culture, returns with a packed schedule that includes awards, industry programming and two days of public events.
Newly announced participants include award-winning musician and producer Wyclef Jean in conversation with Justin Richmond for the music interview podcast Broken Record; journalist and former All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro; 10% Happier creator Dan Harris; The Sam Sanders Show host Sam Sanders; Up and Vanished creator Payne Lindsey; and filmmaker Andrew Jarecki joining Malcolm Gladwell for a Revisionist History conversation.
Additional names added to the lineup include Vibe Check co-hosts Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford, Another Round co-host Tracy Clayton, commentator Beth Karas, rapper and author Dessa, Heavyweight producers Stevie Lane and Kalila Holt, Bloomberg Businessweek’s Brad Stone, Business History hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith, Stars and Stars with Isa host Isa Nakazawa, Bone Valley host Gilbert King and several industry leaders and creators from across the podcast ecosystem.
Previously announced public programming features Roxane Gay, Don Lemon, Alec Baldwin, Malcolm Gladwell, Radiolab hosts Latif Nasser and Lulu Miller, Audie Cornish, Jonathan Goldstein, NPR’s Code Switch, Hrishikesh Hirway and Jody Avirgan, The Kid Mero, comedian Stef Dag and a wide range of live shows, panels and performances.
Sessions will span storytelling, culture and media through live podcast tapings, interactive events and creative experiments hosted at the Wythe Hotel, Arlo Williamsburg and The XX Venue.
The festival opens Feb. 23 with a reimagined presentation of The Ambies, the Podcast Academy’s annual awards recognizing excellence in audio, produced this year by the On Air Fest creative team.
On Feb. 24, the Bloomberg Podcast Business Summit returns as an invite-only industry gathering led by Bloomberg’s Ashley Carman, featuring speakers including Kara Swisher, Adam Friedland, Pablo Torre, Jenna Weiss-Berman, Ky Dickens, Megan Lightcap and Jack Davenport.
For tickets and more information, click here.
