Laura Gibson is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose music blends literary folk with experimental instincts. Her most recent album Goners is a meditation on grief and empathy—both raw and incessantly beautiful, tracing the tension between longing and instinct.
ESPN icon Kenny Mayne on Seattle's NBA dream and a media industry he barely recognizes anymore—where algorithms and hot takes have replaced storytelling. Characteristically sharp, sardonic, and unfiltered.
Kendi discusses Chain of Ideas, his new history of how "great replacement theory" became the engine of our authoritarian age. He argues that fear of being replaced—racially, culturally, electorally—is what powers strongmen worldwide, and that naming the playbook is a first step toward defeating it.
Cascade PBS’s Knute Berger and Nick Zentner explore how geology and history have shaped the Pacific Northwest—from ancient floods, earthquakes, and eruptions to the region’s enduring mysteries. What remains unknown, and what can we expect from the future?
Renowned foreign policy voices Danielle Pletka and Julia Ioffe offer competing vision on the Iran war, other global hotspots, and the world order under President Trump. They discuss of U.S. foreign policy, the war’s impact on U.S.-Russia relations, and much more.
Tonya Mosley speaks with Eddie S. Glaude Jr. about race, democracy, and the moral tensions shaping America. They examine history's echoes in today's politics, and how honest storytelling can illuminate injustice while opening paths toward accountability and renewal.
Senator Adam Schiff on Iran, AI, and the DOJ's drift toward political weaponization. He warns of efforts to suppress voters in 2026 and what it will take for Democrats to defend America's democratic institutions.
Robby Hoffman on growing up Hasidic, leaving it all behind, and building a comedy career from queer identity and outsider life. From her Netflix special to her Emmy-nominated turn on Hacks—bracingly honest about belonging and why the best jokes still sting.
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay on his first months in office—blocking ICE from county property, tackling homelessness and addiction, restructuring county government for accountability, and what it takes to lead in an era of upheaval and uncertainty.
Rebecca Nagle and Daisy Hernandez examine how citizenship has been granted, denied, and weaponized—and how both the Cherokee and Mexican American experience reveal the contradictions at the heart of who this country says belongs here.
Nancy Pelosi speaks with Hanna Rosin about power, leadership, and women in politics. Reflecting on decades in public life, she offers insight into governing in a polarized era and the challenges shaping America's democratic future.
From traditional sounds to contemporary voices reshaping the Pacific Northwest scene, this conversation traces how Native artists are reclaiming, reimagining, and amplifying their cultural voices in unexpected ways — with a preview of the 'Khu.éex': Magic of Noise' film.
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein on dark matter, the nature of the universe, and who gets to ask the biggest questions in science. She challenges assumptions about objectivity and identity—making the case that who does science shapes the science we get.
Monica Lewinsky and Laverne Cox on identity, resilience, and reclaiming their own narratives. They reflect on public scrutiny, the evolution of media, and how to challenge stigmas and build empathy in a polarized world.
KEXP DJ, Kevin Sur, hosts a closing capstone where attendees can mix, mingle, debrief and decompress from a day that will surely leave us all with a lot to talk about. Enjoy libations and gyrations (if you're so inclined). Presented by Edward Jones
Grab a speaker's book at Elliott Bay Book Company, get a personalized poem written, screen print a tote with the Vera Project, fill your belly at a food truck, enjoy food and drink specials at Fremont Social, and caffeinate at the Lighthouse coffee booth.
The Cascade PBS Ideas Festival is a full-day exploration of bold ideas. Hosted in Seattle's historic Fremont neighborhood, the event brings together live podcast recordings and television tapings from major media outlets across the country, regional artists, makers, and musicians. Thousands of attendees and viewers have enjoyed hundreds of engaging sessions featuring thought-leaders, politicians, authors, and iconic figures. Now in its ninth year, the festival has become a can't-miss annual event in the region.
Podcasts & Television
Each year, celebrated voices in podcasting and media make their way to Seattle to record live at the festival — including productions from The Atlantic, The New Yorker, NPR, PBS, CNN, Vox, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Pushkin, Spotify, and beyond. The festival has welcomed Fresh Air, Radiolab, Revisionist History, Criminal, On the Media, The Political Scene, What a Day, The Gist, Amicus, The Weeds, Open to Debate, Decoder, Radio Atlantic, One Thing, Text Me Back, The Journal, Critics at Large, A Word, Good on Paper, Seattle Now, Your Last Meal, What Next, and more.
The Cascade PBS Ideas Festival has hosted hundreds of speakers such as Dr. Jane Goodall, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Malcolm Gladwell, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Macklemore, Judy Woodruff, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Sen. Jeff Flake, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Monica Lewinsky, Robby Hoffman, Ross Douthat, Eddie Glaude Jr., Matt Damon, Jamelle Bouie, Sen. Chris Murphy, Laverne Cox, Sen. Adam Schiff, Sen. Jon Tester, Jake Tapper, Sen. Al Franken, Rick Wilson, Tonya Mosley, Attorney General Eric Holder, Michael Barbaro, Carl Bernstein, Ezra Klein, Amanda Knox, Rep. Will Hurd, Oren Cass, Dahlia Lithwick, Heather Cox Richardson, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Andrew Yang, Michael Cohen, Governor Jay Inslee, and EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman.
Beyond the stage, the festival offers a full day of discovery. Elliott Bay Book Company sets up a pop-up bookstore stocked with titles from every speaker, and a dedicated Q&A Corner gives attendees the chance to continue the conversation with the speakers, one-on-one after each session. Community Meetups invite guests to connect and share their thoughts with fellow attendees. Food trucks, interactive installations, local craft makers, live music, a happy hour, and a live DJ round out the experience.
