NEWS

First Set of Moderators Announced for “BECOMING: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama” 2019 Tour Dates

Today, Crown Publishing and Live Nation announced the first set of moderators for the 2019 tour dates of “BECOMING: An Intimate Conversation with Michelle Obama.” Produced by Live Nation, the extension of the highly successful tour kicks off in Tacoma, WA, this Friday, February 8, at the Tacoma Dome with late-night TV show host Jimmy Kimmel. Additionally, Phoebe Robinson will join Mrs. Obama on stage once again as moderator at the Moda Center in Portland, OR, on February 9, with Valerie Jarrett moderating the February 12 event at the Comerica Theater in Phoenix, AZ.

“I’m thrilled to get back out on the road for this final round of events at home and around the world, and I can’t wait to continue these conversations in new cities and with such extraordinary moderators,” Mrs. Obama said. “For me, this tour isn’t just about discussing my memoir—it’s about all of us understanding ourselves and our stories, taking comfort in being together and celebrating our own becoming, no matter where in that process we might be.”

This 2019 extension of the tour will include 15 events in the United States and Canada, with Mrs. Obama making stops in previously unvisited cities, including Austin, Toronto, Atlanta, St. Paul, Cleveland, and Vancouver among others. The tour will also include 6 dates in Europe, including Amsterdam, Copenhagen, London, Paris, Oslo, and Stockholm. The final event will take place on May 12 in Nashville, TN, at the historic Ryman Auditorium concluding the Becoming book tour. Tickets and a limited number of VIP meet and greet packages with the former First Lady are on sale now at BecomingMichelleObama.com.

Since releasing her memoir last year, Mrs. Obama has been delighted to see the outpouring of support from readers across the country and around the world. One of her favorite parts of this experience has been hearing from book clubs who are reading BECOMING, and she released this video today, asking book clubs to share their conversations with her. As part of the ongoing promotion for BECOMING, Crown is sponsoring a sweepstakes for book clubs to win tickets to see Michelle Obama on tour this spring. Book clubs can enter the sweepstakes by going to BecomingMichelleObama.com. In select cities (Austin, TX, St. Paul, MN, Milwaukee, WI, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and Atlanta, GA), one book group per city will win 8 tickets to Mrs. Obama’s book tour (travel not included). See BecomingMichelleObama.com for details and official rules.

In keeping with her commitment to make her events accessible to as many people as possible, Mrs. Obama and Live Nation will donate a portion of ticket inventory in each market to various organizations, including, but not limited to, charities, schools, and community groups in each city the tour visits. Those fans will receive free admission to the tour stop in their city.

Attendees at Mrs. Obama’s events will hear her honest reflections on the experiences and events, both public and private, that have shaped her, from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her years spent at the most famous address in the world. Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States – the first African-American to serve in that role – she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world.

BECOMING was released on November 13, 2018, in the U.S. and Canada by Crown Publishing, a part of Penguin Random House, and is being published in 42 languages around the world. Since its publication, BECOMING became an instant #1 New York Times bestseller after one week of sales, and has sold more than 5.6 million units in all formats and editions in the U.S. and Canada. According to NDP BookScan data, the hardcover edition of Becoming has sold more copies than any other book published in the United States in 2018 and more copies than any other hardcover nonfiction book published since 2007.

After 21 printings, the hardcover edition of BECOMING will have 5.2 million copies in print in the U.S. and Canada and a total of 8 million copies in print worldwide. The book is also a #1 bestseller in 11 other countries around the world. An audio edition of the book, read by Mrs. Obama, is also available in digital and physical formats by Penguin Random House Audio.

“BECOMING: AN INTIMATE CONVERSATION WITH MICHELLE OBAMA” 2019 DATES: