diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "witchsky-app",
-  "version": "1.115.0",
+  "version": "1.116.0",
   "private": true,
   "engines": {
     "node": ">=18"
diff --git a/src/analytics/metrics/client.ts b/src/analytics/metrics/client.ts
--- a/src/analytics/metrics/client.ts
+++ b/src/analytics/metrics/client.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ metadata,
     }
     this.queue.push(e)
 
-    logger.info(`event: ${e.event as string}`, e)
+    logger.debug(`event: ${e.event as string}`, e)
 
     if (this.queue.length > this.maxBatchSize) {
       this.flush()
diff --git a/src/features/liveEvents/components/SidebarLiveEventFeedsBanner.tsx b/src/features/liveEvents/components/SidebarLiveEventFeedsBanner.tsx
--- a/src/features/liveEvents/components/SidebarLiveEventFeedsBanner.tsx
+++ b/src/features/liveEvents/components/SidebarLiveEventFeedsBanner.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,90 @@
+import {View} from 'react-native'
+import {msg, Trans} from '@lingui/macro'
+import {useLingui} from '@lingui/react'
+
+import {atoms as a} from '#/alf'
+import {Button} from '#/components/Button'
+import {TimesLarge_Stroke2_Corner0_Rounded as CloseIcon} from '#/components/icons/Times'
+import * as Toast from '#/components/Toast'
 import {LiveEventFeedCardCompact} from '#/features/liveEvents/components/LiveEventFeedCardCompact'
-import {useLiveEvents} from '#/features/liveEvents/context'
+import {useUserPreferencedLiveEvents} from '#/features/liveEvents/context'
+import {useUpdateLiveEventPreferences} from '#/features/liveEvents/preferences'
+import {type LiveEventFeed} from '#/features/liveEvents/types'
 
 export function SidebarLiveEventFeedsBanner() {
-  const events = useLiveEvents()
-  return events.feeds.map(feed => (
-    <LiveEventFeedCardCompact
-      key={feed.id}
-      feed={feed}
-      metricContext="sidebar"
-    />
-  ))
+  const events = useUserPreferencedLiveEvents()
+  return events.feeds.map(feed => <Inner key={feed.id} feed={feed} />)
+}
+
+function Inner({feed}: {feed: LiveEventFeed}) {
+  const {_} = useLingui()
+  const layout = feed.layouts.wide
+
+  const {mutate: update, variables} = useUpdateLiveEventPreferences({
+    feed,
+    metricContext: 'sidebar',
+    onUpdateSuccess({undoAction}) {
+      Toast.show(
+        <Toast.Outer>
+          <Toast.Icon />
+          <Toast.Text>
+            {undoAction ? (
+              <Trans>Live event hidden</Trans>
+            ) : (
+              <Trans>Live event unhidden</Trans>
+            )}
+          </Toast.Text>
+          {undoAction && (
+            <Toast.Action
+              label={_(msg`Undo`)}
+              onPress={() => {
+                if (undoAction) {
+                  update(undoAction)
+                }
+              }}>
+              <Trans>Undo</Trans>
+            </Toast.Action>
+          )}
+        </Toast.Outer>,
+        {type: 'success'},
+      )
+    },
+  })
+
+  if (variables) return null
+
+  return (
+    <View style={[a.relative]}>
+      <LiveEventFeedCardCompact feed={feed} metricContext="sidebar" />
+
+      <View
+        style={[a.justify_center, a.absolute, {top: 0, right: 6, bottom: 0}]}>
+        <Button
+          label={_(msg`Dismiss live event banner`)}
+          size="tiny"
+          shape="round"
+          style={[a.z_10]}
+          onPress={() => {
+            update({type: 'hideFeed', id: feed.id})
+          }}>
+          {({hovered, pressed}) => (
+            <>
+              <View
+                style={[
+                  a.absolute,
+                  a.inset_0,
+                  a.rounded_full,
+                  {
+                    backgroundColor: layout.overlayColor,
+                    opacity: hovered || pressed ? 0.8 : 0.6,
+                  },
+                ]}
+              />
+              <CloseIcon size="xs" fill={layout.textColor} style={[a.z_20]} />
+            </>
+          )}
+        </Button>
+      </View>
+    </View>
+  )
 }
diff --git a/src/features/liveEvents/context.tsx b/src/features/liveEvents/context.tsx
--- a/src/features/liveEvents/context.tsx
+++ b/src/features/liveEvents/context.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import {createContext, useContext, useMemo} from 'react'
 import {QueryClient, useQuery} from '@tanstack/react-query'
 
+import {useOnAppStateChange} from '#/lib/appState'
 import {useIsBskyTeam} from '#/lib/hooks/useIsBskyTeam'
 import {
   convertBskyAppUrlIfNeeded,
@@ -35,18 +36,22 @@
 export function Provider({children}: React.PropsWithChildren<{}>) {
   const [isDevMode] = useDevMode()
   const isBskyTeam = useIsBskyTeam()
-  const {data} = useQuery(
+  const {data, refetch} = useQuery(
     {
       // keep this, prefectching handles initial load
       staleTime: 1000 * 15,
       queryKey: liveEventsQueryKey,
-      refetchInterval: 1000 * 60 * 5,
+      refetchInterval: 1000 * 60 * 5, // refetch every 5 minutes
       async queryFn() {
         return fetchLiveEvents()
       },
     },
     qc,
   )
+
+  useOnAppStateChange(state => {
+    if (state === 'active') refetch()
+  })
 
   const ctx = useMemo(() => {
     if (!data) return DEFAULT_LIVE_EVENTS
diff --git a/src/lib/appState.ts b/src/lib/appState.ts
--- a/src/lib/appState.ts
+++ b/src/lib/appState.ts
@@ -12,15 +12,15 @@ cb(next)
   })
 }
 
-export function useAppState() {
-  const [state, setState] = useState(AppState.currentState)
-
+export function useOnAppStateChange(cb: (state: AppStateStatus) => void) {
   useEffect(() => {
-    const sub = onAppStateChange(next => {
-      setState(next)
-    })
+    const sub = onAppStateChange(next => cb(next))
     return () => sub.remove()
-  }, [])
+  }, [cb])
+}
 
+export function useAppState() {
+  const [state, setState] = useState(AppState.currentState)
+  useOnAppStateChange(setState)
   return state
 }