Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2025

Leeds International Festival of Ideas (LIFI25) is a bold celebration of curiosity, creativity, and conversation bringing together a dynamic programme of thought-provoking talks and powerful panels led by cultural icons and visionary minds from across the globe. 

Held over five days from October 14th–18th, LIFI25 returned to Leeds Playhouse for the third year, transforming the Quarry and Courtyard theatres into arenas of insight and inspiration. With 12 events featuring over 40 speakers, the festival tackled some of the most urgent and complex questions of our time, from power and politics to identity, domestic abuse and dementia.

The line-up featured an extraordinary mix of voices, including Chuck D (Public Enemy), David Baddiel, Victoria Derbyshire, William Hanson, Myleene Klass MBE, Vicky McClure MBE, Caitlin Moran, Fred Sirieix, Sally Wainwright OBE, and Fara Williams MBE.

New for 2025 was Young LIFI, a dedicated strand designed to empower and inspire the next generation. With youth-focused programming and speakers, it expanded the festival’s reach and deepened its social impact.

Bold panel discussions and enlightening armchair chats across the five days sparked emotional resonance and lively debate, drawing in over 5,500 attendees to be part of the conversations taking place.

LIFI25 was a vibrant celebration of diverse perspectives, fresh thinking, and the power of shared ideas.

From the moving performance by Our Dementia Choir to the fierce debates on motherhood, masculinity, and inequality. Leeds International festival of Ideas proved once again that Leeds is a city of ideas – bold, inclusive, and unafraid to ask the big questions.