WHAT IS THE TEXAS TRIBUNE FESTIVAL? 

The Texas Tribune Festival is a multiday celebration of big, bold ideas about politics, public policy and the day’s news, headlined by names you already know alongside those you should. Each fall, the Festival engages, challenges and surprises attendees with thoughtful panel discussions, unexpected talent mashups, must-see interviews and provocative programming curated by the award-winning journalists at The Texas Tribune.

WHO IS IT FOR? 

TribFest is for big thinkers who are personally interested in (or professionally connected to) politics, public policy or current events. Knowing your way around politics or its players is not a requirement for enjoying the Festival. If you want to hear from, and converse with, powerful people who have influence over your life and the things you care most about, TribFest is for you. We welcome students, educators, lobbyists, engaged Texans, CEOs, veterans, concerned parents and the like to our annual celebration of big, bold ideas.

WHEN IS IT? 
Join us Sept. 22-24 for the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival.

WHERE WILL IT TAKE PLACE? 

The 2022 Texas Tribune Festival is taking place Sept. 22-24 in downtown Austin. Join us in person to discover exciting ideas and hear from interesting people shaping the future of Texas.

As part of the Festival, we’ll welcome the public on Saturday, Sept. 24, to join us for Open Congress, a free event taking place along Austin’s iconic Congress Avenue, bringing TribFest to downtown Austin’s main thoroughfare for all to enjoy.

5 REASONS TO ATTEND 

1. PROGRAMMING 
Attendees flock to TribFest because they value the event’s thoughtful programming, surprising one-on-one interviews and nuanced discussions with household names you can’t find elsewhere.

The Festival’s programming quality doesn’t just come from the panels that The Texas Tribune puts onstage. Our media partners and sponsors also create space in the Festival to delight audiences with podcast recordings, exclusive meet-and-greets, sneak peaks at cutting-edge technologies, musical performances and more.

Attendees curate a personalized schedule from more than 100 Festival sessions and partner events to create an experience that is as unique as you are. There’s something for everyone.

If you enjoy TribFest as much as we do, then you’ll want us to save you a seat at one (or both!) of the Festival’s premier ticketed events.

On Wednesday, Sept. 21, we’ll welcome a small number of guests to a Franklin Barbecue kickoff event featuring award-winning barbecue and one of the biggest headliners from the TribFest speaker lineup. This event sells out fast! 

Tickets are also available for a very special edition of TribFeast, our annual dinner to support nonprofit journalism, which will take place on Friday, Sept. 23, in celebration of CEO and co-founder Evan Smith as he winds down his time leading the Tribune.

Email development@texastribune.org to learn more about either of these special events.

2. ACCESS 
People across Texas and beyond choose to attend the Texas Tribune Festival because they want to gain access to and hear from people who have influence and authority on things that they care about.

Our speaker lineup includes the people whose names you regularly see splashed across headlines, right alongside names of local officials you may or may not have heard of. Festival speakers are chosen from Texas Tribune editors’ and reporters’ contacts, meaning audiences hear directly from the best and most authoritative sources.

That’s the richness of the Festival speaker lineup: Diverse opinions, a range of subject matter expertise and rich life experiences bring depth to a program that you won’t find elsewhere.

3. FUN
The Festival is designed to inspire attendees and offer a little fun along the way.

TribFest offers a chance to connect with a community of people as engaged and high-minded as you are. Our attendees come to the Festival to discover exciting new ideas and network with interesting people shaping the future of Texas. Moreover, the unique partnerships forged to bring attendees moments of surprise and delight are part of what makes The Texas Tribune Festival a standout event.

Stay tuned for what we have in store for you this year!

4. CONVENIENCE 
We’re taking what we’ve learned from two pandemic years of virtual Festivals and offering a small portion of our 2022 TribFest programming online for folks on the go.

Festival programming will be presented in person in Austin, with a small percentage offered online as a bonus perk for Festival ticket holders. Enjoy the convenience of virtual access to some of our top must-see sessions.

In pursuit of The Texas Tribune’s mission to educate and engage all Texans, a portion of The Texas Tribune Festival will remain free, as it has for many years. Sign up to get information on programming and schedules for TribFest delivered straight to your inbox.

5. GET AHEAD PROFESSIONALLY 
If you work in or around politics or public policy in Texas, The Texas Tribune Festival is where you need to be to get a jump on your competitors and the 2023 legislative session. At TribFest, you’ll hear directly from elected officials, decision-makers and industry leaders on what they’re solving today and what they’re watching out for in the future.

When you pair the insights (and access) that you gain at TribFest with a subscription to The Blast, the Tribune’s premier politics newsletter, you’ll be that much further ahead of the pack.

LOOKING FOR AN EXCLUSIVE EXPERIENCE? The best way to Fest is as a Texas Tribune member.

Members at TribFest get it all — a registration discount, access to members-only experiences, priority seating at select venues, invites to exclusive programming and events, premium seating at opening and closing keynotes and so much more. Donate and become a member today.