Talks
ALSO sprung from the loins of Salon London, the legendary night that put ideas from authors, academics, and experts together with audiences in London clubs (described by GQ as ‘one of the top things to do in the world’), meaning we have over two decades’ experience of taking ideas and letting them run wild. In 2014, having programmed extensively for the most creative festivals in the UK (putting clever content into Latitude, Wilderness, Standon Calling, Soho House, Festival No 6, Blue Dot and Lost Village), we knew exactly how to curate the UK’s first ideas and music festival.
If you've been to ALSO before, you'll know it's like a 'choose your own adventure' through a programme of ideas, music, comedy, wellbeing and food, delivered in a way you won't find at any other festival. . .
Across three days, you’ll find world-class talks - spanning science to philosophy, creativity to climate given by leaders in their field - intimate Q&As, our signature Double Talk series, book signings, ideas walks, headphone journeys, wild conversations, panels, weekend paper reviews, and serendipitous bar-side debates. You’ll stumble upon pop-up collaborations between writers and artists, tastings, Chef-led demos, workshops, masterclasses, guided swims, creative installations, and our ever-evolving digital wall of film and art.
Ideas at ALSO26. . .
Our spectacular 13th edition turned the wheel to Oh Fortuna!, and together we playfully explored luck and chance encounters that asked how much of our fortune was already written and how much we could make ourselves.
ALSO26 was packed with huge ideas that could transform your fortune. Turner Prize-winning, BAFTA-winning artist, performer and broadcaster Sir Grayson Perry headlined this year’s programme with an in-conversation exploring the festival’s 2026 theme, ‘Oh Fortuna!’ and an exclusive LIVE show, Grayson Perry’s Greatest Hits. Bestselling author Sathnam Sanghera joined us live at ALSO26 as he brought his brilliantly original new book, Tonight the Music Seems So Loud, to the stage, exploring the extraordinary life and times of one of Britain’s most beloved musical icons, George Michael. Award-winning writer and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind, Claudia Hammond, presented the psychological toolkit for anyone feeling overwhelmed, tech commentator Jamie Bartlett guided us on how to talk to AI, and award-winning neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff revealed the power of ‘tiny experiments’ to achieve ambitions.
Investigative journalist Oliver Bullough took a deep dive into the global economy of money laundering, world-leading immunologist Daniel M. Davis busted myths about immune health, YouTube sensation Fred Mills charted ten mega construction projects that will reshape the modern world and Sunday Times bestselling authors Ken and Mary Okoroafor rewired our thinking about wealth.
ALSO’s Big Summer Read featured BAFTA-nominated screenwriter and novelist Emma Jane Unsworth discussing her novel SLAGS, while bibliotherapist Ella Berthoud dispensed personalised Fiction Prescriptions.
Plus, audiences explored the flavour of quantum physics with Ben Allanach, and author and visual research artist Nabil Ali dived into the fascinating history of natural pigments and dyes drawn from plants and ancient recipes. They glimpsed the divine beauty of space with David Tong, explored The Psychology of The Traitors with award-winning neuroscientist and psychologist Catherine Loveday and award-winning writer and broadcaster Claudia Hammond, and considered how mathematics shapes creativity with Marcus du Sautoy, plus so much more. . .
See the ALSO26 Ideas line-up here
