(Photo Credit: MS NOW)
MS NOW is ready to party.
The recently-rechristened left-leaning cable channel is set to host its splashy inaugural bash following the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday night — and Mediaite has a sneak peek.
MS NOW has dubbed the much-anticipated party “Democracy After Hours — The Underground After Party.” And as the name suggests, democracy — and the role journalism plays in maintaining it — is being emphasized.
Here is what the party’s RSVP page said:
Over the past year, as MS NOW built and launched a standalone, independent newsroom, one core belief has guided our mission: a free press and the journalists who power it are essential to the future of democracy. Following this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, we invite you to step just beyond the expected and into something entirely new — an undiscovered experience just moments away from the Washington Hilton.
There will also be a huge sign that reads “We are all on the same side of the First Amendment.”
Attendees are expected to include Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D), who was thrust into the national spotlight earlier this year for battling President Donald Trump on his crackdown on illegal immigration, and Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin.
As for MS NOW, plenty of the channel’s stars will be there, including: Jen Psaki, Katy Tur, Ali Vitali, Vaughn Hillyard, Michael Steele, Stephanie Ruhle, Symone Sanders-Townsend, and Carol Leonnig.
And Bravo fans in the building will be stoked to know The Real Housewives of New York City alums like Lunna De Lesseps and Dorinda Medley are showing up.
The event stands out, considering it is MS NOW’s first WHCD afterparty since its split with NBC News in November 2025. MSNBC rebranded to MS NOW at the same time, in a move that was spearheaded by outlet President Rebecca Kutler.
More recently, the channel has enjoyed a ratings jolt over the last few months, thanks in large part to viewers looking for news on the Iran war.
MSNBC started the afterparty decades ago, but the divorce between MS NOW and NBC News has led to the two channels hosting rival parties on Saturday night.
A person familiar with the event said MS NOW is going for a grittier and less corporate feel than other parties being thrown. MS NOW’s bash is going down at Dupont Underground, a 15,000 square-foot arts and music venue that was at one time a busy trolley car tunnel, while NBC News is hosting its party at the French ambassador’s residence.
MS NOW is leaning into the location’s history and transforming it into an underground speakeasy. Guests will walk a blue carpet before descending down a stairway receiving a custom flask that says “Democracy After Hours” on it; they’ll have the chance to get their names engraved on it, too.
There will be a custom built trolley with four bartenders making drinks, as well as a DJ booth and live entertainment pop ups throughout the night.
And now for the pics.
Here’s the “We the People” signage that attendees can’t miss when they arrive:
And below is a 10′ x 40′ mural from local artist Jay Coleman; MS NOW commissioned the art installation, which “celebrates the free press and role of journalists in democracy,” as a company spokesperson put it:
Some of that classy, old school vibe MS NOW is going for:
The MS NOW logo on display:
And some more of Coleman’s work:
“Years ago, what was then MSNBC put the after-party on the map. This weekend marks MS NOW’s first White House Correspondents’ Dinner as a standalone, independent news organization. Democracy After Hours — The Underground After Party is both a return and a statement, reaffirming the organization’s mission,” MS NOW’s SVP of comms Richard Hudock said. “It puts our momentum, strength, and reach on display in an important market and underscores that MS NOW is stronger than ever, while honoring the essential role journalists play in a democracy.”
The party will follow Trump attending his first WHC Dinner since he was elected president. You can watch the event tonight by clicking here.
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