Journal
They banned it. The kids didn’t stop.
Australia's world-first ban on social media for under-16s was meant to settle the argument. The first hard data has only sharpened it, and one of LIFI26's biggest panels is picking it up.
They banned it. The kids didn’t stop.
Two new additions to the LIFI26 programme
Tasha Ghouri joins Dame Evelyn Glennie, and Rachel Riley leads a new maths event
Two new additions to the LIFI26 programme
Definitely, maybe: Andy Burnham and the long shadow of the 90s
Andy Burnham walks into Number 10 as the UK's seventh prime minister in a decade. The commentary so far has focused on the speed of it all.
Definitely, maybe: Andy Burnham and the long shadow of the 90s
Strength Beyond the Silence
On 11 August, Evelyn Glennie returns to the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms, 37 years on from her debut in 1989. Two months later, on Thursday 8 October, she takes to the stage as a guest speaker at Leeds Playhouse for the Leeds International Festival of Ideas.
Strength Beyond the Silence
Child-free by choice, not childless
Why a BBC report on women saying no to motherhood makes one of this year's LIFI26 conversations feel more urgent than ever.
Child-free by choice, not childless
The Full LIFI26 Line-Up Is Here, and Louis Theroux Is Coming to Leeds
The full LIFI26 line-up is revealed: Louis Theroux, Tim Minchin, Elizabeth Day, Chris Packham and more come to Leeds Playhouse, 6 to 10 October 2026. Subscriber tickets on sale 4 June.
The Full LIFI26 Line-Up Is Here, and Louis Theroux Is Coming to Leeds
First Three Names Revealed for LIFI26
Tim Minchin, Ashley James and Dr Mya-Rose Craig lead the first wave for Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2026, at Leeds Playhouse 6 to 10 October.
First Three Names Revealed for LIFI26