HowTheLightGetsIn London

Who are the winners and losers in a world where the rules are changing faster than ever?

This September, HowTheLightGetsIn London 2026 returns to the grounds of Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath for two days of provocative ideas, fiery debate, live music and comedy.

Taking place on 19th–20th September, the festival will bring together leading figures from philosophy, science, politics, economics and culture alongside some of the most exciting names in comedy and music. With 300 events across 12 stages, audiences will be invited to debate the biggest questions facing society… and then stay late to dance, laugh and celebrate.

This year’s theme, “Winners and Losers in an Age of Uncertainty,” explores a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence, political upheaval, economic inequality, technological change and shifting global power.

BIG QUESTIONS, BIG NAMES

The Ideas programme features an extraordinary roster of speakers, including physicist Roger Penrose, astrophysicist Priya Natarajan, cosmologist Neil Turok, broadcaster Louis Theroux, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, former First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, former US National Security Adviser John Bolton, former Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind, Michael Gove, Leo Varadkar, Jeremy Hunt, economist Mariana Mazzucato, physicist Sabine Hossenfelder, economist Martin Wolf, journalist Gillian Tett, philosopher John Gray and many more.

From the origins of the universe to the future of artificial intelligence, the programme brings competing perspectives together to tackle questions that don’t have easy answers.

WHO REALLY WINS?

The festival’s headline debates will confront some of the defining conflicts of our time.

“New Cosmic Inflation and Cosmic Fantasy” will see Roger Penrose, Priya Natarajan and Neil Turok explore the origins and future of the universe.

As AI increasingly transforms work, culture and politics, “The Hype and Limits of AI” will ask whether the technology can live up to its extraordinary promises.

The growing power of technology companies will be examined in “The Nation State vs Big Tech,” featuring Michael Gove, Silkie Carlo, Leo Varadkar and Sebastian Mallaby.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Wales, Sally Haslanger and Steve Fuller will explore truth and knowledge in “Reality in the Age of Perspective.”

And against a backdrop of geopolitical instability, Nicola Sturgeon, John Bolton and Malcolm Rifkind will debate “Winning and Losing on the Global Stage.”

MONEY, POWER AND THE FUTURE

The festival will also put the world’s economic systems under scrutiny.

Jeremy Hunt, Gillian Tett, Steve Keen and Martin Wolf will challenge the assumptions behind modern economics in “The Central Dogma of Economics.”

Kwasi Kwarteng, Leo Varadkar and Kishore Mahbubani will examine the changing global balance of power in “Superpowers and Their Limits.”

With wealth and opportunity increasingly defining political debate, the festival will ask who benefits from the world’s economic system and who gets left behind.

IDENTITY, CULTURE AND THE BATTLE OF IDEAS

From gender politics to the online culture wars, HowTheLightGetsIn will tackle some of the most divisive questions of contemporary life.

Jordan Stephens, Catherine Liu, Tommy Curry and Farha Khalidi will go head-to-head in “Feminism vs the Manosphere,” examining gender, power and the rapidly changing cultural landscape.

Other debates will explore identity, consciousness, mental health, technology and the nature of reality, encouraging audiences to question assumptions rather than simply accept them.

CAN WE DEFEAT DEATH?

One of the weekend’s most ambitious questions is also one of humanity’s oldest: can we escape death?

Longevity entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, researcher Aubrey de Grey, philosopher John Gray and author Sarah Wilson will debate the possibility of radically extending human life in “In Search of Immortality.”

COMEDY MEETS PHILOSOPHY

But HowTheLightGetsIn is not simply a festival of serious debate.

The 2026 comedy programme brings a brilliant line-up of comedians to Hampstead Heath, including Harriet Kemsley (who recently featured alongside longtime legends on the popular comedy show: Last one laughing), Fathiya Saleh, Alfie Dundas, Maia Tassalini, Lewis Garnham, Marty Gleeson, Chantel Nash and Jen Nolan.

Also joining the comedy programme are Bourgeois & Maurice, whose unique blend of musical comedy, cabaret and satire brings a distinctly theatrical edge to the festival, alongside familiar favourites Alex Farrow & Chelsea Birkby.

With sharp punchlines, fearless storytelling and boundary-pushing performances, the comedy programme provides a counterpoint to the weekend’s more serious conversations. Proving that sometimes the best way to interrogate an idea is to make people laugh at it.

The festival’s combination of comedy and philosophy is central to its character: audiences can spend the afternoon debating the future of democracy or artificial intelligence before heading to a comedy set, live performance or late-night party.

LIVE MUSIC FROM PATRICK WOLF, THE TURBANS, PRIMA QUEEN, AND MORE

Music will run throughout the weekend, with an eclectic programme spanning indie, alternative, global sounds and electronic music, alongside a mix of established artists and emerging talent.

Headlining the 2026 music programme is Patrick Wolf, the acclaimed London-born singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist known for his theatrical performances and genre-defying blend of baroque pop, folk and electronic music. He will be joined by The Turbans, Prima Queen, PREEN, Good Weather for an Airstrike, Eve Appleton Band, Delphis, Ben Cipolla, Ava Hincks, Elly Hopkins, Grace Harvey, Katie Alice, Miranda Joy, Ned Holland, Drew Thomas, Sue Harding and Tia Meraki.

TWO DAYS WHERE IDEAS COME ALIVE

At HowTheLightGetsIn, the audience is never simply an audience.

The festival is built around the idea that the most interesting conversations happen when people with radically different perspectives are brought together and given a stage to play them out.

A conversation about artificial intelligence can lead to an argument about consciousness. A debate about global politics can turn into a conversation about power. A philosophical question can become the starting point for a comedy routine, a song or a late-night party.

It’s this collision of ideas, music and culture that has made HowTheLightGetsIn unlike any other festival.

And in 2026, with the world facing extraordinary uncertainty, the questions have never been bigger!