The Festival of Debate is an annual politics festival in England which takes place between May and June across South Yorkshire, but mostly focused in Sheffield. Founded in 2015, organisers say its aim is to "bring people together to share new ideas and lived experience that can help shape our understanding of the world." It is the largest non-partisan politics festival in the UK.
Previous guests have included former leaders of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn and Ed Miliband, writer Afua Hirsch, feminist author Gloria Steinem, civil liberties campaigner Shami Chakrabarti, former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, author and broadcaster Sathnam Sanghera, environmental journalist George Monbiot, composer Brian Eno and writer Armando Iannucci.
The festival was founded in 2015 in the lead-up to that year's UK general election. It is hosted by Opus Independents, a Sheffield-based "not-for-profit independent social enterprise organisation working in culture, politics and the arts". Organisers said the initial aim of the festival was to "engage an increasingly apathetic population with politics".
List of events +DateNumber of eventsNotable speakersPartners and sponsorsNotes2015David Blunkett, Matthew Parris2016Jonathan Bartley2017Paul Blomfield, Peter Tatchell2018 (18 April – 29 June)More than 75Ed Miliband, Ruby Tandoh, Reni Eddo-Lodge, Francesca Martinez, Yanis Varoufakis, Lowkey, Natalie Bennett, Helen Pankhurst2019 (19 April to 1 June)More than 60George Monbiot, Ash Sarkar, Roger McGough, Afua Hirsch, Shahmir Sanni, James O'Brien, Paul Mason, The Guilty FeministThe University of Sheffield, Museums Sheffield and Sheffield TheatresAfter appearing at the 2019 Festival of Debate, James O'Brien said: "A former EDL member said my show saved his life"2021 (May and June)Over 40Yanis Varoufakis, David Lammy, Maya Goodfellow, Sathnam Sanghera, John McDonnell, Natalie Bennett, David Blunkett, Peter Geoghegan2022 (19 April – 31 May)60 eventsJeremy Corbyn, Armando Iannucci, Shon Faye, Gloria Steinem, Shami Chakrabarti, Led by Donkeys, David Wengrow, Ece Temelkuran, Magid Magid2023 (12 April – 26 May)More than 60Gary Younge, Brian Eno, General Levy2024 (16 April – 25 May)More than 60Hollie McNish, Sathnam Sanghera, James O'Brien, Grace Blakeley, Marianna Spring, Sir Michael Marmot, Jackie Kay, George Monbiot, Terrence Higgins TrustAt the 2024 festival, Sathnam Sanghera predicted that the OBE would be renamed the 'Order of British Excellence' "within five years" Sir Michael Marmot said that London's financial power is masking the UK's status as a "poor country"2025 (22 April – 30 May)Kate Raworth, Lanre Bakare, Shon Faye, Jason Hickel, John Harris, Joycelyn Longdon, Andy Burnham, Steve Rotheram, Jeremy Corbyn, Laura Bates2025 will be the tenth year of the festival, and organisers say it will focus on "systemic change and alternative futures"
External links
Official website
References