Starting May 17, tickets will be needed to attend The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square’s weekly “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast.
The tickets are free and up to 10 can be reserved per person. Tickets can be reserved on TempleSquare.org or in the Temple Square app under the Explore option at the top of the page. Click on Events and scroll down to “Music & the Spoken Word.” Click on “Music & the Spoken Word,” and a page will come up with a green “Reserve Tickets” button. Those reserving tickets will need to log in to manage their events.
Reservations are currently available for Sundays from May 17 to June 21.
While the 30-minute “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast begins at 9:30 a.m., those attending in-person are asked to be in their seats by 9:10 a.m., when a short welcome and pre-show begins. Doors to the Salt Lake Tabernacle open at 8:15 a.m. A standby line will also be available, according to the Tabernacle Choir’s April 20 social post on Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
The broadcasts are recommended for guests 8 years old and older. For those with younger children, a designated viewing area is available, according to TempleSquare.org.
Mid-May is typically when the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square move from the Salt Lake Tabernacle, which seats about 2,900 people, to the Conference Center, which seats about 21,000 people, for Utah’s busier summer months until September.
The Conference Center closed March 30 as workers prepare it for the Salt Lake Temple open house celebration in 2027.
How to watch
The “Music & Spoken Word” broadcast is also streamed on the choir’s YouTube channel and broadcast on several television and radio stations. In Utah, those include KSL-TV, KSL News Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirecTV, SiriusXM (Ch. 143). It is also available on Amazon Alexa (must enable skill).
Look up broadcast information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedules.
About the ‘Music & the Spoken Word’
The 360-voice Tabernacle Choir and 85-musician orchestra — from a roster of 200 — all of whom are volunteers, present the weekly 30-minute “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast.
The program typically includes several songs performed by the choir and orchestra, an organ solo and a short spoken message. Derrick Porter has been the producer, principal writer and presenter of “Music & the Spoken Word” since June 2024.
The all-volunteer choir and orchestra’s Thursday evening rehearsals are also open to the public and tickets aren’t required. See TheTabernacleChoir.org for information about attending.
The “Music & the Spoken Word” first aired on July 15, 1929, and the 5,000th episode aired in July 2025.
On April 19, the choir and orchestra celebrated African culture in a special episode of “Music & the Spoken Word.” Read about the episode and watch it here.
On July 5, Andy Reid, the Kansas City Chiefs head coach, will join the show as a guest narrator during a special broadcast to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States’ Declaration of Independence.
“Music & the Spoken Word” will be presented live twice on Sunday, July 5 — the Sunday after the United States’ Independence Day on July 4 — at 9:30 a.m. MDT and again at 11 a.m. MDT. Free tickets will be required for both times. Release dates for the tickets haven’t been announced yet.
Read more about the July 5 events here.
