Why the Battle of Ideas festival matters
With free speech under attack – quite literally in the case of Charlie Kirk – the festival is a vital space for free and frank debate. EARLY-BIRD DISCOUNTS END TODAY.
Since 2005, Battle of Ideas festival has been the home of no–holds–barred discussion of all the big issues of our time. It is no accident that our motto has long been FREE SPEECH ALLOWED. And as we celebrate our twentieth festival, free speech – the bedrock of any free, democratic society – is very much under threat.
The assassination of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk has sparked a heated debate about the limits (or not) of free speech. In an era of extreme polarisation, how can we come together to debate the big issues we are facing? The aim of the festival is to allow everyone to have their say. No one has to apologise for having what the mainstream might call the ‘wrong’ views. It’s a space of solidarity – but it’s not a safe space, free from argument. We welcome everyone who agrees we are grown up enough to disagree; that hearing conflicting ideas is the lifeblood of real democracy and political change.
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW
The EARLY-BIRD REDUCED PRICES END TODAY, so make sure YOU have YOUR ticket. Then TELL YOUR FRIENDS, BRING YOU FAMILY – YOUNG AND OLD – AND GET THE WORD OUT. Tickets are available here, including specially discounted tickets for UNIVERSITY & SCHOOL STUDENTS
Battle of Ideas festival tickets 2025
There is so much to discuss. Here’s just a taster of the Keynote Controversies (click on links to see speakers and session blurb)
See a list of the 100s of speakers so far speakers page and the sessions published to date here on our programme page – and there’s still more to be added!
WE NEED TO TALK
There is so much to discuss. There’s the ‘vibe shift’ accompanying Trump 2.0 and the fracturing of geopolitical arrangements. We need to confront the challenges to realising economic growth and tech innovation – and why an ever-growing state seems incapable of delivering. We have a crying need for new housing and more energy, but prices for both just keep on rising. We’ll debate the stalling popularity of Labour in the UK and the growth of populist movements around the world.
Wars in Ukraine and Gaza continue, despite Donald Trump’s insistence he could bring peace. Indeed, there is much talk about how the West needs to get ready for war – or maybe even civil war. Understanding global conflicts is hard, when misinformation reigns and words like ‘genocide’ and ‘famine’ are thrown around. Can we trust the media to report accurately and fairly anymore?
We’ll also be talking about many of the ‘everyday’ issues that impact us directly, from the rising diagnoses of mental illness, and their impact on our welfare system, to the food that we eat. What do we make of education today when choices like private education or home schooling are being made more difficult? Are we teaching young people the right things, when ‘decolonisation’ is all the rage and ever more graduates can’t find a decent job?
Our legal system is under increasing scrutiny, too. Do we have a ‘two-tier’ justice system now? Can our prisons cope – and should more people face trial without a jury? Are too many decisions being made by judges instead of – or even in spite of – elected representatives?
And, as ever, the festival will survey the worlds of the arts and science, from the legacy of Jane Austen and the rise of ‘post-woke’ art to the latest scientific breakthroughs and how we regulate them.
We’ll discuss these issues and much, much more in an atmosphere that encourages free and frank debate. That is why the Battle of Ideas festival is so important – a space where everyone gets to have a say, from speakers to audience members. The festival is an opportunity to challenge each other and ourselves.
JOIN US, LISTEN, HAVE YOUR SAY
Prepare to come with a point of view and an open mind. We will be hosting over 100 diverse and lively discussions – and there’s nothing like ‘being there’, in the midst of the discussion.
But these will not be black–and–white debates. The festival will be a weekend of collective conversations to really get everyone thinking – both about the challenges thrown up by a changing world and the new opportunities emerging to shape the future.
If that sounds like your cup of tea, join us at Church House in London on the weekend of Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 October.
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT ENDS TODAY - THURSDAY 18 SEPTEMBER
SESSIONS INCLUDE:
Island of strangers? Immigration and integration • Religious fervour: the rise of faith or Cultural Christianity? • Policing and two-tier justice? • Decline … and fall? The UK economy • The rise and rise of fantasy fiction • Beware the manosphere? Misogyny and toxic masculinity • Are human rights scuppering democracy? • Rise of the downwardly mobile graduate • Can we fix the dysfunctional state? • Drill baby drill: End of net zero? • Why is my energy bill so high? • Votes at 16: democracy or gerrymandering? • Is Germany ready for a revolt? • Rape gangs, Post Office and Scottish self-ID: an anatomy of three scandals • Should the West get ready for war? • TERF Island: how the UK resisted trans ideology • Taking the PIP: who can reform welfare? • AI: The art of being human? • EU in crisis: will the Eurocrats survive? • Incitement law: a tool of censorship? • Right-wing boys and progressive girls: war of the sexes? • Spiked Podcast Live – and much more.
EARLY-BIRD TICKETS:
• Standard £100
• Concession £55
• Also £27.50 student offer!
• School pupils get a day ticket free!
See all the ticket options here.