A Microsoft Teams town hall is now a Teams event with the Optimize for large audience setting switched on, run from the Events app every Teams user already has. Up to 1,000 attendees you choose whether to turn it on; above 1,000 it's on and locked.
Here's the catch. Town hall isn't a separate product you pick any more. It's a switch, and when it's on, attendees can't use their mic or camera on demand. If you want people talking, keep the event under 1,000 and leave it off. Here's how it works as of October 2026.
Attendee tiers at a glance
With Teams Enterprise, these are the sizes Microsoft lists:
| Event size | What attendees get |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,000 | Mic, camera, chat, reactions, raise hand, polls and Q&A |
| Up to 3,000 | Meeting chat for large events, reactions, raise hand, polls and Q&A |
| Up to 10,000 | View-only, with Q&A |
| Up to 100,000 | With the Attendee Capacity Pack add-on licence |
| Over 20,000 | Microsoft recommends Teams Events Services |
Most small businesses will never get near the top rows. The line that matters is 1,000, because that's where the event stops being interactive by default.
What Optimize for large audience changes
When the switch is on, the event behaves like a broadcast:
- Attendees can't turn on their mic and camera on demand.
- They watch at a slight delay.
- They can pause and rewind the live video.
- Delivery may use an eCDN.
The pause and rewind part is handy for anyone who joins late, since they can go back over what they missed while the event's still live.
For an all-hands announcement or a product launch, that's what you want. People can catch up on what they missed and nobody's camera wobbles onto the main screen. For a workshop or a client Q&A where you want hands up and voices in the room, it's the wrong setting.
Town hall and webinar templates
The Events app, which used to be called the Meet app, gives organisers one creation flow rather than a fixed event type. You pick a template, and the switch decides which policy settings apply. Start from the template that matches how you want people to take part, then check the switch before you publish.
- Interactive events up to 1,000 attendees use webinar policy settings.
- Events optimised for large audiences use town hall policy settings.
- The town hall template uses town hall settings unless you turn Optimize for large audience off.
- The webinar template uses webinar settings unless you turn it on.
Existing webinar and town hall policies still apply, so if your admin set them up earlier, nothing's lost. If you're planning a smaller, interactive session, my guide on how to run a webinar in Microsoft Teams covers the webinar side.
Which size should you plan for?
- If you want attendees to speak or come on camera, stay at 1,000 or under with Optimize for large audience off.
- If chat, reactions, polls and Q&A are enough, an event of up to 3,000 still lets people take part.
- If people only need to watch and send questions, the view-only tier goes up to 10,000.
- Past that, you're into the add-on licence, and past 20,000 Microsoft points you to Teams Events Services.
You don't need to install anything to start. The Events app is preinstalled for every Teams user.
In-org or public
Every event is one of two kinds. In-org events are open only to people in your organisation. Public events are open to anyone with the registration link. An internal all-hands should be in-org; a customer launch or a lead-generation session needs to be public.
Set up a town hall in Teams
- Open the Events app in Teams.
- Choose the town hall or webinar template.
- Set the event to in-org or public, and set up registration.
- Turn on Optimize for large audience if you want a broadcast-style event. Above 1,000 attendees it's switched on for you.
If you just need a regular call on the calendar instead, here's how to schedule a Teams meeting.
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What changed on 1 April 2026
As of 1 April 2026, some features that used to be only in Teams Premium are included with Teams Enterprise. That's why the tiers above are listed against Teams Enterprise. One regional limit to know: customers in China can't create events optimised for large audiences, but they can join one hosted in a tenant outside China, as a guest or anonymously, if the organiser allows it.
My verdict on Teams town halls
I'd use the town hall setting for announcements, launches and all-hands where people are there to watch and ask questions in Q&A. Keep anything you want to feel like a conversation under 1,000 people with the switch off, so mics and cameras still work. And decide in-org or public before you send a single invite.
If you're running events to train your team or win clients, the format matters more than the platform. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement, AI automation and GEO, which is about getting your business seen and cited in AI answers. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams, telecom companies and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.
Frequently asked questions
How many people can attend a Microsoft Teams town hall?
With Teams Enterprise, up to 10,000 in a view-only experience with Q&A, as of October 2026. The Attendee Capacity Pack add-on licence scales events to 100,000.
Can attendees use their camera in a Teams town hall?
Not when Optimize for large audience is on. Attendees can't turn on mic and camera on demand, but they can pause and rewind the live video.
When is Optimize for large audience turned on?
It's off by default up to 1,000 attendees, where the organiser can turn it on, and on and locked above 1,000.
Can people outside my company join a Teams town hall?
Yes, if it's a public event. Anyone with the registration link can join, while in-org events are limited to your organisation.
Where do I create a town hall in Teams?
In the Events app, formerly the Meet app, which is preinstalled for all Teams users. You pick the town hall or webinar template in one creation flow.
Is a Teams town hall the same as a webinar?
Not quite. Interactive events up to 1,000 attendees use webinar policy settings, and events optimised for large audiences use town hall policy settings.
