HowTheLightGetsIn London 2018 is over!
Over 50 debates & talks and 40 music & comedy acts across 8 stages
We want to say a special thank you to all those who have made the festival's debut in London so spectacular.
Over 50 debates & talks and 40 music & comedy acts across 8 stages
We want to say a special thank you to all those who have made the festival's debut in London so spectacular.
There are only a limited number of Festival Day Tickets remaining. Our Festival Day Tickets grant you access to the entire programme of events on either Saturday 22nd or Sunday 23rd September.
Just two weeks to go until HowTheLightGetsIn London, and we've got a whole lot of brand new experiences coming your way...
We're delighted to reveal final additions to the Festival Programme. On the music front, newly announced 5-piece band Afroquoi bring their uniquely brilliant fusion of afro/jazz music to get the party started.
There's also a host of brand new festival events, including Hat Sessions with speakers including Peter Tatchell, Tariq Ali and Margaret Heffernan, this year's IAI Academy courses, as well as unique workshops such as Philosophy and the Senses for a multi-sensory journey of culinary delight.
Last - but most certainly not least - is our spectacular new Kenwood House festival site stretched along the gardens of the glorious stately home on Hampstead Heath. With views across the London skyline, amongst a haven of natural beauty, it's sure to be breathtaking.
Might the Big Bang theory be a mistake?
Is there more to life than being good?
Should we constrain democracy and champion expertise?
From Trump's foreign policy to our tribal ethics and the dangers of the tech giants, we're putting the spotlight on the biggest issues of our time, in a packed two day festival programme...
Check out the Debates and Talks Programme here, with more than 50 debates & talks featuring the world's most renowned thought-leaders and experts.
Tier Four tickets are now on sale!
Grab your thinking caps....
Our music programme is what makes HowTheLightGetsIn unique ...
We carefully hand-pick our Music & Performance events to mix old favourites with the cutting edge. With a sensational line-up of homegrown and international talent, HowTheLightGetsIn London looks set to be special. From exhilarating dance music to intimate gigs from enchanting singer-songwriters - every taste is well and truly catered for.
"The art and soul of the party"- Harper's Bazaar
You may come for our debates, talks and music, but HowTheLightGetsIn London will have so much more to try.
Open Platform
Open Platform is your chance to have your say on the day's topics over a drink and a meal.
These unique events sit you shoulder to shoulder with some of the world's great thinkers. If there's a question you've always wanted to ask a speaker, if you think they got it wrong in a debate, or if you just want to continue the conversation, here’s your chance. You might not get one anywhere else.
Long Table Banquets
It's not just minds that can feast at HowTheLightGetsIn. Every lunch and evening, our resident chefs lay out a sumptuous four-course meal, ready for you to enter a world of spectacle and sensual delight.
Whether you're after a decadent long table banquet or a quick snack between debates; innovative street food, local London craft beers or a slice of homemade cake, you'll find a whole range of exceptional eateries across our festival site.
Set on the grounds of Kenwood House at the top of London's famed Hampstead Heath, HowTheLightGetsIn has a magical location. But that is the backdrop for the real magic to come.
"There is a crack in everything...that's how the light gets in" goes the Leonard Cohen song from which the festival gets its name. And HowTheLightGetsIn brings its own special form of magic to everyone. There is no other place on the planet where you can meet as many of the world's leading thinkers, discover the most cutting-edge ideas, and party and dance late into the night.
At HowTheLightGetsIn London you can join a debate about the nature of the universe with the world's top scientists, laugh until your sides hurt with the UK's best comedians, dance to the freshest musical talent, dine with our speakers in Open Platform events or indulge yourself with four course long table banquets.
HowTheLightGetsIn is not just another festival. There's something special in the air. It's alive with ideas in every field of endeavour. Our programme has many names you will recognise but HowTheLightGetsIn is not about status or celebrity. We are about ideas and wonder and creating a space where everyone's imagination can flourish. Find the bands you've never heard of, discover ground-breaking ideas that have yet to make their mark, contribute yourself and your thoughts, and magic will come your way.
Set on the edge of Hampstead Heath with unrivalled views of the City, Kenwood House is an oasis in the capital and the magical location of HowTheLightGetsIn. HowTheLightGetsIn London keeps the intimate scale of our world-renowned Hay festival and blends it with the pomp and swagger of the capital.
Our venues are small enough to encourage real conversation, electric enough to make the dancing spin. If you've been to HowTheLightGetsIn, you'll know why this festival draws award-winning musicians and Nobel prize-winners, critics and intellectuals alike into its orbit. If you haven't, it's time to see what all the fuss is about!
Our postcode: NW3 7JR.
The site address is: Kenwood House, Hampstead Ln, Highgate, London NW3 7JR
By Train / Underground: The nearest stations are Gospel Oak and Hampstead Heath. If travelling by underground, disembark at Golders Green or Archway before taking bus 210
By Bus: TfL 210 (also bus H3 passes within a short walk)
Parking Limited parking for cars only is available in the West Lodge CP Plus pay and display car park. Prices: Up to 2 hrs £3.00. Up to 4 hrs £5.00. Each additional hour £3.50. Disabled Blue Badge holders may park in any bay free of charge. There is a transfer service upon request for those with difficulty walking from the car park to the House and Restaurant. Free car parking is available on Hampstead Lane.
1. ACCESS. In return for their short daily shifts (typically between 5-6 hours), Festival Stewards get a staff wristband giving them access to a whole range of debates, live music, film & comedy - not to mention insane discounts on the festival eateries and some of the visiting stall holders!
2. SKILLS & EXPERIENCE. Stewarding looks great on your CV and all stewards can request a reference at the end of the festival for future employment. You'll get to network with festival organisers and gain an insight into the behind-the-scenes running of a large-scale event.
3. FUN. The team is always diverse, welcoming and up for having a lot of laughs, as well as working well together to keep the festival ticking. A lot of our stewards come back year after year to have reunions and see the same friendly faces they got to know their first year stewarding.
Click here to find out more and apply!
"a UK first. Back to big thinking" - Guardian
"a rare combination of fascination and fun" - Independent
"Europe's answer to TED" - Total Politics
"a world-leading forum for ideas" - former Culture Minister Ed Vaizey
"the friendly, informal atmosphere really helps cultivate debate" - former Leader of the Conservatives Michael Howard
"not to be missed" - New Statesman
"innovative and inspirational" - Aesthetica
"a storming success" - NewScientist
A Truly Unique Offering
The Independent
Press
