Guests booked for this year’s Chester Festival of Ideas include Paralympian Hannah Cockroft and former BBC journalist Kate Adie.
The festival, run by the University of Chester, is back in July following the success of its inaugural outing last year, which saw almost 100 free-to-attend events organised over th course of the festival.
This year will again see keynote addresses, panel discussions, interactive workshops and immersive events.
Organisers are also inviting individuals, schools, organisations and communities to submit their own event ideas to help shape this year’s festival.
Katherine Wilson, the festival’s director and a professor at the University of Chester, said: “We are delighted that Chester Festival of Ideas is returning for 2025 and encourage event submissions for the festival.”
She added: “We’d love you to join us in bringing people together to explore and inspire new thinking, ideas, debate and discussion.”
The response to the first Chester Festival of Ideas last year was “incredible” according to the university’s pro vice-chancellor of research and innovation, Paul Bissell.
“Our values as a university include championing the pursuit of knowledge, finding joy in discovery and invention, and celebrating creativity,” he said.
“The festival is a great way to showcase our city and the importance of the public engagement work we carry out with our communities and stakeholders.”
The line-up announced so far includes:
4th July – athlete Hannah Cockroft in conversation with dean of Chester Business School, Kirstie Simpson
4th July – writer and broadcaster Natalie Haynes talk on goddesses in Greek Myth
5th July – GP and author Dr Amir Khan talk on wellness and health
6th July – journalist Kate Adie in conversation with university vice-chancellor Eunice Simmons
The festival will also see members of the public invited to interact with historical objects, enjoy talks and behind-the-scenes experiences from Chester’s Grosvenor Museum.
There will be an exhibition as well as discussions from Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, and a range of talks by authors of the University of Chester Press – including sharing the story of the Foundling Hospital at Chester and the Cheshire Magna Carta.
Event submissions are open via a form on the Festival of Ideas website and must be submitted by 31st March.
A full programme for the festival will open from early May. For further information, see: festivalofideas.chester.ac.uk.
The Chester Festival ideas runs from Thursday 3rd July to Sunday 6th July 2025.
