York Festival of Ideas
York Festival of Ideas returns from 30 May to 12 June 2026 with an inspiring lineup of world-class speakers under the overarching theme of ‘Place and Space’.
Among those taking centre stage will be former First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, award-winning broadcasters Clive Myrie, Sian Williams and Dallas Campbell, double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, visionary screenwriter Sally Wainwright, veteran of British retail Stuart Rose, celebrated historian Kate Williams and bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith.
York Festival of Ideas, led by the University of York, is one of the largest free festivals of its kind in the UK. This year it will present a packed programme of over 200 in-person and online talks, concerts, exhibitions, workshops, guided walks and family-friendly events. Topics will range from art to archaeology, history to health and politics to psychology.
A highlight of this year’s Festival will be the annual Michael Morpurgo Celebration Day. Look out for an evening of words and music with author Michael Morpurgo and cellist Clare O’Connell on Tuesday 9 June and an online event for schools broadcast live from the National Railway Museum on Wednesday 10 June.
The Festival will also bring together experts for a series of Festival Focus sessions looking at challenging issues including whether democracy has outlived its usefulness, the silent crisis of chemical pollution in our rivers, ways of sharing wealth more fairly, how rail is advancing sustainable travel and how to promote the economic development of York and North Yorkshire.
Thanks to the generosity of the Festival’s supporters and donors, including the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, LNER, Yorkshire Water, York Central, the Morrell Centre for Legal and Political Philosophy and the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, admission to most events is free of charge.
The full programme and booking details can be found on the York Festival of Ideas website.
