In 2025 media personality Megyn Kelly took her successful “Megyn Kelly Show” out of the studio and across the nation with a highly anticipated live tour. Having secured tickets to witness the show firsthand at the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia, here is my honest and candid reaction to seeing the political commentator bring her distinct brand of discourse and entertainment to a live audience.
You can also listen to the audio/visual version of this review on X.
Megyn Kelly’s rise continues
As an admitted political media junkie who devours audio and video content with unbridled gusto, I’ve observed Megyn Kelly through her wild ride of networks and formats—from her powerhouse days at Fox News to her bold forays into what we now call the legacy media. Is it a real good bet that the best is yet to come? These modern times shout “yes,” without a moment of hesitation.
The Megyn Kelly Show is a juggernaut. She’s gained more than four million subscribers on YouTube, and likely many more listening on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the other platforms. Unlike most of her peers, Megyn also broadcasts her content live on Sirius XM. It creates a different feeling that clearly resonates with audiences.
Megyn Kelly doesn’t really compete with the rest of the conservative media world; she’s a force that goes head-to-head with the mainstream. And, her star doesn’t seem finished rising. Howard Stern has all, but faded from the collection conversation. Meanwhile, Megyn Kelly is increasingly everywhere.
She’s no longer just another show on satellite radio — she now has an entire channel. The Triumph channel changed to channel 123. You’ll find our beloved Dr. Laura there. You see, channel 111 is now The Megyn Kelly Channel. Yes, these are good times for M.K. and her crew.
Scott Adams describes Megyn Kelly’s success
I had the opportunity to ask the venerable Scott Adams, host of Coffee with Scott Adams, about her. He put it like this:
Paul Leslie: What do you think makes her so effective?
SCOTT ADAMS: Doing everything better than everybody else.
Paul Leslie: That’ll do it!
SCOTT ADAMS: No, obviously she has, I mean, I can’t know this because I’m not close enough to it, but she must have some business sense, even if it’s just making sure that the right business people are working with her because everything looks like the right move. She’s got the right, just her talent stack is from top to bottom.
She never repeats a word. She doesn’t, she never bores. She makes every topic sound interesting, which is really hard. She’s got the look. She’s got the production crew. What doesn’t she have? She’s got the full clip, clip factory. That stuff doesn’t happen by itself. That’s all her.
Winning tickets to see Megyn Kelly
With her popping up everywhere these days, imagine my amusement when—as luck would have it, I scored tickets to catch Megyn Kelly Live at the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia.
The burning question on my mind: How does Megyn Kelly fare live on stage?
I saw the late Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point event at the very same venue. I also went toTucker Carlson’s live event last year in Jacksonville, Florida. I’d at least have something to compare this to. I remain, always curious.
The crowd and the openers
The mostly older crowd arrived early. There was also some younger folks in the mix. The evening began with Jason Hewlett, a one-man-show kinda guy. I recall him as the opener for Tucker Carlson. He’s one of those all-arounders: comedian, singer, raconteur. If you had to pick a word—“talented” would likely be the one.
Another comedian followed who was admittedly a bit bland. Maybe just not my cup of tea.
Megyn Kelly’s communication masterclass
After a word from the sponsor, it was time for the featured guests.
Charles C.W. Cooke and Rich Lowry from The National Review offered stimulating discourse, just as they do on Megyn’s show.
Then came Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who seems to be reinventing herself—although she may take issue with this statement. One cannot deny her raw persuasion talent. Having seen her speak live several times, she is clearly preparing for a new phase, which I suppose is the norm.
I took note of Megyn Kelly’s communication skills. She only makes it look easy. Kelly perfectly calibrates her approach with each person she speaks with.
The big name performers
Country star John Rich was next, and Megyn Kelly mostly leaned back to allow him to use his storytelling prowess unfettered. One a cappella story-song impressed the audience, and it’s not just anyone who can create a stirring performance without an instrument. Then he closed with an acoustic rendition of the Big & Rich song “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy).”
Apparently, she saved the best for last. Comedian Adam Carolla, no stranger to a microphone, brought the evening to a more late-night show vibe. It was good hearing a mix of dialogue and comedy. They riffed well together.
Carolla gave a solid explanation of his enduring friendship with Jimmy Kimmel. He exclaimed it came down to loyalty. That may be the only excuse anyone could ever have for defending Kimmel.
The evening ended kind of abruptly. Maybe it was a contract thing? It was suddenly over and the veteran journalist said her farewell to the crowd.
Does she deliver live?
It felt like the Megyn Kelly Live is a combination of Tucker Carlson’s touring chats and Turning Point’s events.
It’s not easy to entertain a live crowd.
Are you wondering if she delivers?
Can she add entertaining a live crowd to her talent stack? Yes. She can.
Megyn Kelly will likely do this again. That’s my prediction, anyway. I could see myself going again. I’d like to see her sit down in-depth with Walter Kirn, which will be on November 22nd in Glendale, Arizona.
Why she matters
Conservative political junkies all have their favorites. But Megyn Kelly fills an important need. In spite of her fame and wealth, swarms of people can relate to her.
Females tend to feel less connected to Joe Rogan and the rest of the podcast bros. Kelly’s communication ability and her relaxed, yet energetic presentation is precisely why a mainstream star like Matthew McConaughey wants to be interviewed by her.
It seems likely that for a lot of women, they not only admire Megyn Kelly—they may even want to be like her.
When you look at mainstream media personalities, Megyn doesn’t fit the mold. But it’s important to remember how traditional network and cable broadcasters have faded away. For people born in the ’80s and beyond, television is insignificant.
In the genre of news and political commentary, the legacy media has been brought to its knees. Megyn Kelly wields one of the biggest swords that leveled that beast. Live events like this one only help her show’s growth. By continuously challenging established narratives, Kelly has not just reported the news; she has fundamentally disrupted its delivery system. As her audience continues to rally around her distinct voice, her growth and expanding influence will become an even more prominent force.
Kelly’s influence will continue. I predict a high-profile debate between Ben Shapiro and Tucker Carlson is now a completely inevitable event in the new media space, with nothing to stop it.
If I were to place a bet on the moderator of that conversation, it would unequivocally be Megyn Kelly. And this scenario will likely boost her platform even more. You certainly would never see anything like that on Fox News. Come on, be real.
What first-timers thought
The best endorsement, however, came from the audience itself. I spoke to three attendees completely new to this kind of political event, and their positive takeaways confirmed the unique breadth of Kelly’s appeal. She has created an accessible forum for political thought that many aren’t exposed to.
If Megyn Kelly brings her show to your city, my advice is simple and firm: Go. It is a worthwhile and entertaining experience for anyone trying to understand the modes and conversations in the political and media world.
Has anyone else gone to see The Megyn Kelly Show live this year? What did you think? I want to hear what you thought.
Until next time.
