Past shows

LIFI26: Are kids still part of the plan?

10 Oct 2026

As ideals around family, freedom, and career fulfilment shift, what does it mean for society’s future?

LIFI26: We all belong here, don’t we?

10 Oct 2026

What does it really mean to belong in Britain today?

LIFI26: Tim Minchin – Creativity among the chaos

10 Oct 2026

Tim Minchin is a global superstar who has spent two decades making art that argues.

Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2026

6 – 10 Oct 2026

LIFI returns with a captivating and thought-provoking programme. 

LIFI26: Is it time to switch off social media?

9 Oct 2026

In a world of AI-generated content and mis/disinformation, has social media started to control us?

LIFI26: What did the 90s really do to us?

9 Oct 2026

The 90s: the era of New Labour and Cool Britannia, Britpop and rave culture.

LIFI26: Tasha Ghouri & Evelyn Glennie – Strength beyond the silence

8 Oct 2026

What does it take to succeed when the world isn’t built with you in mind?

LIFI26: Dr Mya-Rose Craig, Juergen Maier CBE and Chris Packham CBE – The planet hasn’t stopped burning

8 Oct 2026

Join Chris Packham and expert guests for a thought-provoking discussion about our beautiful planet.

LIFI26: How do we talk about suicide?

7 Oct 2026

A sensitive and thought-provoking debate about how we talk about suicide.

LIFI26: Elizabeth Day – Failure is an option

7 Oct 2026

On vulnerability, resilience, and turning setbacks into catalysts for constructive change.

Is maths the root of everything?

7 Oct 2026

LIFI26: Louis Theroux – Inside the Louisphere

6 Oct 2026

Join Louis for an intimate fireside conversation about the stories we tell ourselves and each other.