In just a few hours, thousands of you will be joining us at Church House in Westminster for a weekend of free speech and open debate at the Battle of Ideas festival.
Thank you to everyone who has booked their ticket – there are still tickets available to buy on the door. That’s due to the fact that we’ve expanded, with sessions on Saturday also taking place at The Abbey Centre, across the road from Church House on Great Smith Street. You can check out our programme here, and read our festival brochure with the full timetable and information on special events.
There are tickets to suit everyone, with substantial discounts for students, school pupils and concessions.
There is so much to talk about – from the state of Britain’s politics to the looming threat of a debt crisis, from chaos in France to what (or who) comes after Trump, plus debates on what’s going on in schools, the arts, technology, science and more.
Come along, say hello and get stuck in. A reminder: the festival’s unique selling point is that we hand over half the time of every session to attendees: to ask questions, voice their concerns or raise issues. And it’s a chance to meet others who are open-minded enough to engage with ideas. Even when we don’t all agree on specifics, we can agree that debating issues face to face is crucial, and more satisfying than shouting at the telly or posting angry memes.
You can learn more about the philosophy behind this year’s festival by reading my article for spiked: Why the Battle of Ideas matters in our age of censorship.
We are proud to be the home for freedom fighters, with conversations for the public, with the public, in public. See you in the morning.
Claire
The Battle of Ideas festival has 400 speakers on 100+ debates over two days, with 3,000+ attendees.
Check out our Keynote debates that tackle many of the biggest issues of our time:
Controlling the narrative? The politics of misinformation and truth · Will Reform be allowed to rule? Taking on The Blob with Danny Kruger · We don’t ‘do God’: have we lost faith in secular liberalism? · Should we tolerate the intolerant? · Is the Social Contract broken? The fight for the soul of democracy · Free speech for me and not for thee? The red lines in free expression · Do we know our enemy? Untangling terrorism and extremism · Suicidal empathy: is the West killing itself with kindness?
Explore the debates in our numerous festival strands, including:
Battle for the Economy · International Affairs · The State of Welfare · (Un)Free Society · Lifestyle Matters · Tech Futures · Ideological Capture? · The State of Britain · Ethical Dilemmas · Culture Wars · Go on, Convince Me · Future Britain
We also have a host of Podcasts Live
