Get started with town hall in Microsoft Teams

Make great presentations and host big events with town hall in Microsoft Teams. Town hall features are optimal for sharing content across large audiences. Host company-wide reviews, provide coverage for live events, and more. 

Screenshot of main presentation screen in town hall

What is a town hall?

A town hall is a type of meeting available in Microsoft Teams. Whether you’re celebrating milestone achievements with your org or covering an election, town hall features help you deliver high-quality production experiences to large audiences.

Town halls can host up to 10,000 attendees or up to 20,000 attendees with Teams Premium. 

When to schedule a town hall

Schedule a town hall if:

  • You’re hosting a large-scale event.

  • You need high-quality content sharing or streaming capabilities.

  • The experience is mostly consumption-based for attendees.

  • You’re providing extensive coverage of an event (up to 30 hours).

Attendee experience

Town halls are a one-to-many experience. The focus stays on the speakers and shared information while people watch.

Attendee cameras and mics will be turned off when they join a town hall. However, attendees can still engage through other apps and services, like Q&A. To learn more, see Attend a town hall in Microsoft Teams.

Screenshot of town hall attendee view showing presenters and Q&A

Town hall features

Presenter spotlight

Bring presenters to the forefront of the event with Manage what attendees see. Showcase up to seven presenters’ video feeds at once.

Screenshot of presenters during a town hall using manage mode

Translated captions 

Break down the language barrier during your town hall with live translated captions. Attendees with Teams Premium can choose from 10 language translations. Other attendees can choose from up to six.

Publish town hall recordings

After a town hall ends, you can download and publish the event recording to share with attendees. When you publish a recording, attendees will receive an email linking to it.

Screenshot of organizer view of publishing town hall recording

Attendee reports

Gain insights into your town hall with post-event attendee reports. See how many people attended, how long they attended, and other details.

What's next?

Schedule a town hall

Attend a town hall in Microsoft Teams

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