Battle of Ideas Festival 2025

Battle of Ideas Festival Saturday 18 October – Sunday 19 October

With over 100 debates and over 3,000 attendees the Battle of Ideas Festival is the highlight of the year for anyone who believes in free speech and open debate. AFAF and SAFAF members will be attending and speaking. We will also have a stall at the festival, so come and say “Hello”.  Special Offer: AFAF and SAFAF members can get tickets at a 20% discount. Use the code BOIF-AFAF for AFAF, and code BOIF-SAFAF for SAFAF. Here are a few Battle sessions that will be of interest:

25 September at 19.00. Exceptional pianist and noted academic, Professor Ian Pace, will be speaking at a Battle of Ideas Satellite in Derby, sponsored by the East Midlands Salon and AFAF. Tickets for his talk are available here: Against Decolonisation: in defence of classical music.

Saturday 18 October at 12.15. The Tyranny of Wellbeing. Derby AFAF branch convenor Ruth Mieschbuehler will chair a discussion of Felice Bassbøll’s new Letter on Liberty.

Sunday 19 October at 11.00 From Harvard to Sussex: should the state punish universities? a panel debate at the festival with speakers Felice Bassbøll, Dennis Hayes, Jo Phoenix and Abhishek Saha.