Lovett or Leave It Live Taping: Free Tickets in LA

Lovett or Leave It is a political comedy podcast, and it tapes in front of a live crowd in Hollywood twice a week. Seats are free. 1iota, the audience service handling the show, lists tapings every Tuesday and Thursday at 6:00 PM from September 29 through October 29, 2026. If you're scanning for things to do in Los Angeles on a weeknight that cost nothing, this is an easy one to put on the calendar.

The show

Jon Lovett used to write speeches for President Obama. Now he hosts a panel of comedians, actors and journalists, plus whichever famous friends of the pod turn up that week, and they pick apart the biggest news of the past few days. 1iota's own listing puts it more bluntly than we would: the goal is to make fun of whatever came out of "our insane political nightmare factory."

A podcast taping isn't like a sitcom taping. Nobody resets scenes or runs a joke three times. It's closer to a live comedy show that happens to have microphones in front of everyone, and the audience's laughs end up in the episode.

Taping dates and listed guests

Every taping starts at 6:00 PM. 1iota has already posted guests for some nights:

• Tue, Sept 29: Heather Dubrow, Dr. Terry Dubrow, Laura Benanti
• Thu, Oct 1: Barry Diller
• Tue, Oct 6: Michelle Khare, Adam Kinzinger
• Thu, Oct 8: Rep. Derek Tran, Rep. Sarah McBride, Tig Notaro
• Tue, Oct 13: no guests listed yet
• Thu, Oct 15: Danny Olivas
• Tue, Oct 20: Phoebe Robinson
• Thu, Oct 22: Jay Duplass
• Tue, Oct 27: no guests listed yet
• Thu, Oct 29: no guests listed yet

Guest lineups on shows like this can change right up to the day, so pick a night you'd enjoy even if the booking falls through.

How tickets work

Requests go through 1iota, the official ticketing service for these tapings. Make a free account, open the Lovett or Leave It page and pick a date. 1iota caps each request at two tickets, and the form asks you to write a short note about why you want to go, so don't leave that box blank. The listing doesn't allow minors. Plan on everyone in your party being an adult.

Audience services overbook on purpose, because a lot of people request tickets and never show up. So a confirmed ticket gets you priority in line, not a guaranteed seat. When the room fills, the rest of the line goes home. Get there early.

Where it is

1iota lists the location only as Hollywood, CA. The exact check-in spot normally arrives with your confirmation email, so hold off on parking plans until you have it. A 6 PM start on a weekday puts you right in rush hour, and Hollywood traffic around then is slow. Metro's B Line has stops along Hollywood Boulevard if the address lands nearby.

Practical info

• Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, Sept 29 to Oct 29, 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM
• Price: Free
• Tickets: up to two per request through 1iota
• Ages: no minors

Bring a photo ID. Eat beforehand, since tapings can run long and there's rarely food inside.

The live audience section tracks more free tapings around town, and the Los Angeles page covers the rest of the upcoming events Los Angeles has on the calendar. For more Things Happening In Los Angeles, start there. Ten tapings sounds like plenty, but the nights with big-name guests go first.