Michelle Obama to speak in Oakland

Michelle Obama returns to the Bay Area next month for an event expected to be a hot ticket.

The former first lady will appear at Oracle Arena for a moderated conversation at 8 p.m. March 28, according to an announcement Thursday.

Advance access to tickets sales begins at 10 a.m. Friday on Ticketmaster, and the general public will have a chance to snag seats starting 10 a.m. Monday. Prices range from $93.50 for general admission to $524 for a VIP package.

The moderator for the event, which will use a question-and-answer format, has not been announced.

Obama last appeared in the Bay Area on Nov. 7, when she was a keynote speaker at Dreamforce, the huge annual technology conference run by Salesforce in San Francisco. People attending the conference lined up before dawn for a chance to hear her speak.

Since leaving the White House, Obama’s speaking engagements have largely followed the conversation format rather than a more formal speech. As the first lady, she made healthy eating, exercise and education her top priorities. Obama’s most notable initiative, Let’s Move, addressed childhood obesity, and she also spearheaded efforts to support veterans, service members and their families. Other programs she led include Reach Higher, which supported the pursuit of higher education, and the global education effort Let Girls Learn.