Leeds International Festival of Ideas

04/06/2026

The LIFI26 response this morning was overwhelming. Read more 👇

Leeds International Festival of Ideas.

03/06/2026

Missed our news earlier? We've revealed the full programme of talks and discussions. Have a look at who's appearing — and there's still time to sign up for priority access tonight.

LIFI26 has announced its full programme of talks and discussions.

03/06/2026

This is .

Ten nights with conversations that inspire.

Louis Theroux on the art of listening. Elizabeth Day, Author on why failure is the point. A reckoning with the 90s. A hard look at who belongs in Britain now. And that's a fraction of it.

Leeds International Festival of Ideas. 6 to 10 October, Leeds Playhouse.

Priority tickets on sale 4 June, 9am. Sign up to the newsletter via the link in bio so you're first through the door. https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/

01/06/2026

The full LIFI26 line-up is almost here.

Five days of big thinkers and bold conversations are coming to Leeds Playhouse this October, and newsletter subscribers will be the first to see who's on the bill, with exclusive early access to tickets before general sale.

— KEY DATES
Line-up revealed · 3 June
Priority sale · 4 June
General sale · 10 June

You don't want to find out late. Sign up now, and we'll make sure the line-up lands in your inbox first.
👉https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/

19/05/2026

Worth a heads-up ahead of .

The full line-up arrives on 3 June. It's our biggest yet, and given the names involved, some events are likely to sell out during priority access before tickets reach general sale.

Newsletter subscribers get first access. Sign up below.

👉 leedsinternationalfestival.com

30/04/2026

We're thrilled to lift the lid on the first three names for 🎤

Joining us at Leeds Playhouse from 6–10 October:

🎹 Tim Minchin — Olivier-winning composer behind Matilda and Groundhog Day, bringing three decades of songwriting, storytelling and razor-sharp social commentary to our stage.

📚 Ashley James — Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author of BIMBO, ITV This Morning regular and one of the UK's most recognisable feminist voices.

🐦 Dr Mya-Rose Craig — birder, environmentalist and race activist. Birdgirl blog at 11, Black2Nature at 14, honorary Doctorate of Science at 17.

Three voices, three disciplines, one tone-setter for what's shaping up to be our most ambitious programme yet.

🎟 Subscriber priority sale: 4 June
🎟 General sale: 10 June

Read more about it 👇
https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/first-three-names-revealed-for-lifi26/

5th edition of LIFI25. Featuring speakers that represent a diverse range of expertise, from activism and academia to entertainment and sports.

03/02/2026

Before the stage lights came up, Larry Budd sat down with Andrew Edwards backstage for a quiet and moving LIFITV conversation.

From support animals for people living with dementia to Andrew’s love for Leeds and Leeds Playhouse, this is a thoughtful moment ahead of a powerful event.

🎥 Watch the full chat here
https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/lifitv-backstage-with-andrew-edwards/

27/01/2026

What happens after the panel ends? 🤣 For this episode of LIFITV, we sat down with Claire Warren, Joeli Brearley and Annie Price after their powerful discussion Can Mums Have It All? to reflect on the realities of motherhood, careers and expectations.

🎥 Watch the full backstage chat here: https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/lifitv-can-mums-have-it-all-backstage-reflections

21/01/2026

What do manners really mean in modern life?

Ahead of his Leeds International Festival of Ideas appearance, we caught up with William Hanson backstage to talk etiquette, Leeds, and how behaviour differs around the world.

🎥 Watch the LIFITV chat and read the article:
https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/etiquette-leeds-manners-with-william-hanson/

13/01/2026

Ahead of his main stage appearance at , we caught up with David Baddiel backstage for a candid LIFITV chat.

From famous atheists to (not) culture wars and belief, he explains why this event felt different from a typical book tour and why religion remains one of today’s most contested topics.

🎥 Watch the backstage conversation: https://leedsinternationalfestival.com/religion-atheism-lifitv-backstage-with-david-baddiel/