WIRED’s Big Interview 2025 Showcased What Experiential Events Look Like in San Francisco
San Francisco Event Space News | 12/10/2025
On December 4, 2025, WIRED brought its flagship event, The Big Interview, to The Midway, transforming the venue into a multi-room, experiential campus for a full day of future-shaping conversations.
The program gathered leaders across technology, culture, medicine, entertainment, and public policy, each tackling the big questions defining the world ahead. From discussions on AI safety and computing breakthroughs to civic engagement and creative storytelling, the event gave attendees a rare chance to see how these ideas connect in real time.
A Dynamic Speaker Lineup Driving Tomorrow’s Conversations
WIRED’s 2025 lineup included voices from across the innovation spectrum, such as:
- Dr. Lisa Su (AMD) — exploring the future of computing power and its role in AI innovation.
- Daniela Amodei (Anthropic) — explaining why ethical, safe AI is also good business and essential for long-term trust.
- Jon M. Chu — discussing creativity, world-building, and the cultural impact of Wicked.
- Matthew Prince (Cloudflare) — outlining how to protect the future of the open internet.
- Dr. Eric Topol — showing how AI is transforming healthspan, diagnostics, and human longevity.
- David Hogg — highlighting the next generation of civic leadership and democracy.
Each session brought new clarity to the intersections of technology and society, giving the audience a grounded yet forward-looking view of where we are headed.
For a full editorial recap, visit WIRED: The Big Interview 2025 Recap.
Explore editorial photography from the event on Getty Images: WIRED’s The Big Interview 2025.
All photography ©Gettyimages
A Multi-Room Experience at The Midway
What set this year’s Big Interview apart was how The Midway’s flexible event campus elevated the experience. Instead of a single room with a linear program, WIRED activated multiple spaces across the venue to create a true campus-style environment.
The Midway’s layout allowed WIRED to design an event that felt fluid, exploratory, and immersive, with guests naturally moving between conversations, experiences, and networking moments throughout the day.
The Main Stage
The centerpiece of the event was The Midway’s main stage, where marquee interviews and headline conversations took place. Built-in, high-quality audio and video support allowed WIRED to capture sessions with a broadcast-ready look and feel, while lighting and staging design gave the program a polished, editorial atmosphere.
Breakout and Interactive Rooms
Beyond the main stage, WIRED took advantage of The Midway’s additional rooms and flexible spaces to host:
- Hands-on science and technology activations.
- Interactive exhibits that allowed guests to experience emerging tools up close.
- More intimate areas for discussions, small-group exchanges, and networking.
This multi-room approach turned the event into a living ecosystem of ideas, where attendees could explore, discover, and engage at their own pace.
Flow, Layout, and Guest Experience
The Midway’s multi-entrance, multi-room architecture made it easy to design a day that felt both energetic and intuitive. Guests moved seamlessly between:
- The main interview program.
- Interactive exhibits and experiences.
- Lounge and networking areas.
The result was an event that felt more like an activated campus than a traditional press conference, encouraging serendipitous conversations and organic discovery.
Immersive Production Capabilities
To support WIRED’s editorial vision, The Midway’s production capabilities were put fully to work. Custom lighting, AV, staging, and experiential design elements brought each space to life with a unique but cohesive feel. The venue’s ability to support different environments under one roof helped WIRED create a day that felt rich, layered, and cinematic.
A Space Built for Big Ideas
Hosting WIRED’s Big Interview showcased what makes The Midway one of San Francisco’s most adaptive and forward-thinking venues for events at the intersection of technology, culture, and community.
Key advantages of The Midway’s campus-style environment include:
- Multiple flexible rooms that can be activated simultaneously for stages, activations, and lounges.
- Built-in, high-tech AV that supports live programming, recording, and hybrid experiences.
- Large-scale production capability for experiential installations, brand activations, and complex event builds.
- Flow-friendly layouts that encourage exploration, networking, and continuous engagement.
- A creative, cultural atmosphere that feels distinctly San Francisco and energizes both speakers and guests.
For an event centered on the future, The Midway provided exactly that: a modular, immersive backdrop where big ideas could unfold naturally across different spaces.
Looking for a San Francisco venue that can deliver on production capabilities?
Explore event spaces at The Midway | View our Event Video Gallery | Contact our event team
Select Video Highlights from Wired’s Big Interview 2025 at The Midway in San Francisco
Teaching AI to Think Responsibly with Daniela Amodei, cofounder, Anthropic
Making Blockbusters with Jon M. Chu, director, Wicked: For Good
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