Don Lemon Confirmed to Speak at On Air Fest Podcast Conference After His Recent Arrest

Don Lemon confirmed that he will appear the 2026 On Air Fest podcast conference later this month in Brooklyn, the event’s organizers said.

His appearance at the festival will come just weeks after Lemon, the former CNN anchor who is now host of the independent “The Don Lemon Show,” was arrested Jan. 29 in L.A. by federal agents and charged with interfering with a religious service during an ICE protest in Minnesota. Lemon said “I will not be silenced” and said “I look forward to my day in court”; he was ordered to make his next appearance in court in Minneapolis on Feb. 9.

The On Air Fest is being held in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, at three locations: the Wythe Hotel, Arlo Williamsburg hotel and the XX Venue.

Lemon’s session is scheduled for Feb. 25 12-12:45 p.m. in the Arlo Williamsburg ballroom. He will lead “a no-nonsense conversation on the shifting media landscape and the rise of independent media,” alongside comedian Gianmarco Soresi, according to conference organizer On Air Presents.

Others scheduled to appear at this year’s On Air Fest in Brooklyn include Wyclef Jean, Malcolm Gladwell, Alec Baldwin, Roxane Gay, Pablo Torre, Eric Andre, Sydnee Washington and Marie Faustin of “Mess,” Seth Meyers and Josh Meyers, “Song Exploder” creator and host Hrishikesh Hirway, head of ESPN’s 30 for 30 Audio Preeti Varathan, CNN’s Audie Cornish and former NPR host Ari Shapiro.

On Air Fest 2026 will kick off with the Ambies podcast awards ceremony on Feb. 23. The Bloomberg Podcast Business Summit is on Feb. 24. The programming Feb. 25-26 will feature talks and performances, exhibitions, panels, interactive events, creative experiments and live podcast tapings; tickets start at $260.05 for a one-day pass. More info is available at this link.

The conference is organized by On Air Presents, a creative studio and events company. On Air Fest debuted in 2018, and produces festivals in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.