Welcome to York Festival of Ideas 2025
Join us for York Festival of Ideas 2025 as we explore 'Making Waves' with over 200 mostly free in-person and online events designed to educate, entertain and inspire.
Made possible by the generous support of our sponsors, the Festival - which is led by the University of York - features world-class speakers, performances, exhibitions, tours, family-friendly activities, and much more. And with topics ranging from archaeology to art, history to health and politics to psychology, the programme promises something for all ages and interests.
Browse our diverse programme - by theme, date or format - and find out everything you need to know about the Festival.
Please note: All event timings are British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1), so please check your specific time zone if you are joining us for online events from outside the UK.
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Loneliness at Work
Thursday 12 June, 6.30pm to 7.30pm
Securing Our Future
Wednesday 11 June and Friday 13 June
Expert speakers from France and the UK examine two important contemporary issues – the future of our oceans and the impact of AI on work – at events presented in partnership with the French Embassy in the UK.
'I love the Festival - it's such a great way to learn about things that you don't always come across in your day to day, and the range of events and speakers is brilliant. It's particularly great being a free resource.'
Feedback from a 2024 Festival attendee
The Northern Agenda Media Partnership
We’re delighted to announce a new Festival media partnership with The Northern Agenda. Read and listened to by policymakers from the North's town halls to Whitehall, the free daily newsletter provides a bitesize guide to the stories that matter in our region from journalists outside the Westminster bubble.