Debates

Harari, Dawkins, Penrose, Elliott and Žižek lead a programme of more than 300 events across the bank holiday weekend.

Weekend Tickets have now sold out! Limited Day Tickets and Flexi Day Passes available. 

Explore the full festival programme here

Three 19th-century soldiers in ornate uniforms, featuring plumed helmets and decorative epaulettes, converse in a military setting, with additional soldiers visible in the background.

Sins of the Past, Visions of the Future

Calvin Robinson, Kehinde Andrews and Myriam Francois
A collection of one-dollar bills arranged haphazardly, showcasing the detailed design and portrait of George Washington.

Predicting the Future

Vince Cable, Izabella Kaminska and Juan Castaneda
A red, stylized head with a brain exposed on top, set against a bright yellow background, emphasizing themes of thought and consciousness.

The Future of Freedom

Sarah Garfinkel, Julian Baggini and Peter Godfrey-Smith
A pair of round, transparent sunglasses with vibrant green and purple geometric patterns reflected in the lenses, set against a two-toned purple and orange background.

The Strangeness of the Universe

Bjorn Ekeberg, Sabine Hossenfelder, and Rupert Sheldrake
A scattered collection of "I VOTED" stickers featuring red and blue stripes and stars, symbolizing voter participation in elections.

The Democracy Illusion

Tulip Siddiq, Aaron Bastani and Calvin Robinson
Portraits of Franz Kafka, a notable writer known for his existential themes, and Albert Camus, a prominent philosopher and author associated with absurdism.

Camus vs Kafka

Andrea Elliott, Paul Muldoon and Emma Sulkowicz
A vibrant mural featuring stylized hands in various colors against a geometric background, symbolizing unity and connection.

Infinity in the palm of your hand

James Tartaglia, Isy Suttie
Afghan flag fluttering on a flagpole with a mountainous landscape and blue sky in the background.

The Lessons of Failure

Shabnam Nasimi, Ezgi Basaran and Stefan Dercon
A vintage turquoise typewriter with a sheet of paper partially inserted, showcasing the keys and classic design elements.

The Obscure, The Banal, and the Magical

Frank Turner, Hannah Sullivan, Janne Teller
A yellow directional sign with arrows pointing left and right stands in a barren landscape, with mountains in the background and rocky terrain.

Moral Facts and Moral Fantasy

Slavoj Zizek, Simon Blackburn and Joanna Kavenna
A hooded figure surrounded by swirling green binary code, representing themes of hacking, cybersecurity, and digital anonymity.

Anonymity: The Dream and the Nightmare

Stephen Kinsella, Victoria Baines and Hugh Tomlinson. Manveen Rana hosts.
Illustration of a coronavirus particle surrounded by smaller virus spheres, set against a turquoise background with abstract patterns representing a cell structure.

Beyond the Self and the Non-Self

Johnjoe McFadden, Ellen Clarke
A colorful display of electric plasma swirling around a central glowing orb, showcasing vibrant pink and blue hues in a dynamic light pattern.

What the world is made of

Katie Robertson, Paul Davies, Rupert Sheldrake, Hilary Lawson
A glowing neon sign depicting a hand making a peace sign, with crossed fingers symbolizing hope or good luck.

Necessity and Lies

Simon Baron-Cohen, Rebecca Roache and Hilary Lawson
A wooden gavel rests on a circular base, casting a shadow on a light-colored surface, symbolizing justice and legal proceedings.

The Good and The Evil

Tommy Curry, Rebecca Roache and Massimo Pigliucci
A stylized pop art graphic of a woman with red hair, deep in thought, set against an orange dotted background with an empty speech bubble.

Lost in Language

Hilary Lawson, Timothy Williamson and Maria Balaska
A large warehouse filled with neatly stacked boxes on towering shelves, with a person standing beside them for scale.

Society 2.0

Rory Sutherland, Thangam Debbonaire and Nemone Metaxas
A visual representation of sound waves created with red arrows, arranged in increasing size, set against a dark background.

The Search for Certainty

Simon Blackburn, Ruth Chang and Hilary Lawson
A large group of diverse people arranged to form a world map, illustrating global unity and diversity.

World History and The Baby Bust

Thangam Debbonaire, Tim Palmer, and Aveek Bhattacharya
A surreal image depicting a face with an open top, revealing a starry night sky and light rays emanating from within.

Beyond the Darkness

Lisa Randall, Bjorn Ekeberg and Pavel Kroupka
An elaborate 17th-century world map featuring two hemispheres, decorated with celestial motifs, sea monsters, and illustrations of continents.

This Land is My Land

Zoe Strimpel, Minna Salami and Rana Mitter
A colorful collection of Instagram logos featuring various shades of pink, orange, and purple arranged in overlapping layers.

The Web Corporation

Tulip Siddiq, Luke Johnson, and Ben Tarnoff
A silhouetted person wearing a virtual reality headset stands against a vibrant, illuminated background with red and orange hues.

Getting Everything, Losing Everything

Massimo Pigliucci, Anders Sandberg and Mazviita Chirimuuta
A graphic of a hand holding a blue megaphone on a pink background, with a large red speech bubble suggesting communication or announcement.

Truth, Prejudice and the University

Aaron Bastani, Tommy Curry, Kathleen Stock
A chaotic arrangement of orange prescription pill bottles scattered across a surface, showcasing various labels and sizes.

Overcoming Trauma

Ian Parker, Sarah Garfinkel and Joanna Kavenna
The national flag of China, featuring a red field with five yellow stars, waving against a blue sky dotted with clouds.

China and the Art of Peace

Nigel Inkster, Cindy Yu and Chris Parry
A person holds a pen, their head replaced by a stack of open and closed books, surrounded by glowing arrows on a dark background.

The Ignorance of Experts

Julian Baggini, Ellen Clarke and Ben Burgis
A chaotic scene of silhouetted figures in a fiery atmosphere, wielding weapons and raising their arms amid smoke and orange lighting, suggesting a protest or conflict.

Overcoming Tribal Division

Paul Dolan, Ella Whelan, and Myriam Francois
A heart shape made of various pills and tablets, surrounded by scattered white capsules and colorful medication, symbolizing health and wellness.

Love and Other Drugs

Anders Sandberg, Ella Whelan, Keith Ward
Silhouettes of industrial smokestacks emit thick smoke against a vibrant yellow-orange sunset, highlighting environmental pollution and industrial activity.

In Search of a Cleaner World

Chris Huhne
Pills and capsules of various colors scattered over a background featuring a close-up of Benjamin Franklin's face on a dollar bill.

Life, Death, and Money

David Healey, Linda Bauld, Susan Michie
A fiery rose composed of flames and smoke against a dark background, showcasing vibrant orange and red hues with delicate petals and an elegant stem.

Desire and Being Desired

Catherine Hakim, Katherine Angel, and Peter Tatchell
Illustration contrasting blue male figures on one side and pink female figures on the other, separated by a jagged line, symbolizing gender distinction.

The Weaker Sex?

Mary-Ann Sieghart, Minna Salami, Zoe Strimpel