Byline Festival · The archive
Byline Festival, 2017–2026
Byline Festival began in 2017 as a response to the Brexit referendum and Trump’s election: a festival for all the senses, where the conversations about disinformation and the failings of the media came first. The conversations that started there led to Byline Times. Here is every year, from a field in East Sussex to WOMAD.
2026
WOMAD · Neston Park, Wiltshire
24–26 July 2026
Byline Times curated WOMAD’s World of Words stage: three days of talks on democracy, populism, disinformation, media power and the battle for truth online.
Line-up
Zack Polanski · Baroness Shami Chakrabarti · Rick Wilson · Clive Lewis MP · Christopher Steele · Sarah Churchwell · the Byline Times team
2025
Keele University, Staffordshire
11–13 July 2025
Three days on Keele’s campus, across the Chapel, the Music Hall and the Squirrel.
Line-up
Andy Burnham · Carole Cadwalladr · Carol Vorderman · Kate Raworth · Yasmin Alibhai-Brown · Lord Victor Adebowale · Naz Shah MP · Dawn Butler MP · Peter Oborne · Peter Geoghegan · Hardeep Matharu · Peter Jukes · Asif Kapadia · Annette Dittert. Music from The Farm, Ruby J, Names, and Neal X (formerly of Sigue Sigue Sputnik) with his all-star band.
Highlights
- Andy Burnham in conversation with Hardeep Matharu: what Westminster gets wrong
- The Westminster Spy Ring, with Carole Cadwalladr, Chris Steele and Peter Jukes
- Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics Circus
- The Bad Press Awards with Rosie Holt
- Being Human in the Age of AI
Watch
Chris Steele on Trump and the Epstein files · James Bloodworth on the manosphere · Nazir Afzal on race hate · Rachel Shabi on Gaza
2024
Dartington Hall, Devon
5–7 July 2024
Our second year at Dartington, in the medieval Great Hall where the 1945 Labour manifesto was drafted. It was election week, and the festival watched the first Labour landslide in 14 years come in.
Line-up
Chris Packham · George Monbiot · Jonathan Pie · Rosie Holt · Mark E. Thomas · Anthea Simmons · Stephen Colegrave. A literary programme with Unbound, plus music and comedy.
Highlights
- From Punk to Protest: Chris Packham with Stephen Colegrave
- Hope for the Hopeless: George Monbiot with Anthea Simmons
- The Bad Press Awards with Jonathan Pie and Rosie Holt
- Saving the NHS, with Mark E. Thomas
- Election night: Votewatch24 live coverage
Watch
2023
Dartington Hall, Devon
14–16 July 2023
Byline Festival moved to the Dartington estate near Totnes, asking: is this another 1945 moment?
Line-up
Bonnie Greer · George Monbiot · Carole Cadwalladr · Peter Oborne · Dawn Butler MP · Lord Victor Adebowale · John Sweeney · Anthony Barnett · Otto English · Hardeep Matharu · Peter Jukes. Authors Tom Cox, Patrick McCabe, Jackie Morris, Martin Shaw, Jay Griffiths, Alice Jolly and Tim O’Grady.
Highlights
- The Bad Press Awards with Rosie Holt
- The Trawl live, with Marina Purkiss and Jemma Forte
2022
Acklam Village, Notting Hill, London
29 April – 1 May 2022
After the pandemic, the festival came back in the city, under the Westway at Acklam Village.
Line-up
Lord Victor Adebowale (opening) · Lord Dubs (closing keynote) · Sanjeev Bhaskar · Rio Ferdinand · Annette Dittert · Adam Posen · Liz Webster · Stephen Kinsella · Hardeep Matharu · Peter Jukes · Stephen Colegrave. Music from Argonaut and MeMe Detroit; poetry from Penny Pepper; comedy from Elle Bert.
Highlights
- Putin’s Long War: lessons from Syria and beyond, chaired by Peter Jukes
- Hardeep Matharu in conversation with Sanjeev Bhaskar
- Lord Dubs on his experience as a refugee, introducing the Citizens of the World Choir
2019
Pippingford Park, East Sussex
23–26 August 2019
The festival kept growing. By 2019, more than 8,000 people had come through its gates, and its conversations were being followed up in Parliament.
Line-up
Gina Miller · Lemn Sissay · Sanjeev Bhaskar · Bonnie Greer · David Nott · Salena Godden. Music from Pussy Riot, The Feeling, Lowkey, The Blow Monkeys, Matt Bianco and Department S.
Highlights
- Gina Miller in conversation with Helen Mountfield QC
- Lemn Sissay: My Name is Why
- Democracy in Danger: can our elections survive dark money, dark arts and dodgy data?
- The Bad Press Awards with John Mitchinson, Hardeep Matharu and Salena Godden
2018
Pippingford Park, East Sussex
24–27 August 2018
Bigger, louder and more diverse. Pussy Riot played, and the Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Chris Wylie spoke.
Line-up
Chris Wylie · Tom Watson MP · Baroness Warsi · Bonnie Greer · June Sarpong · Gary Lineker · Sarah Kendzior · Carole Cadwalladr · Damian Collins · Nick Davies. Comedy from Alexei Sayle, Joanna Scanlan and Andy Hamilton. Music from Pussy Riot and The Blow Monkeys.
Highlights
- Whistleblowers Make History, with Chris Wylie
- Lisa Maxwell interviews Gary Lineker: Political Footballs
- Trumpocracy, with Sarah Kendzior
- The Enemy Within: a tale of Muslim Britain, with Baroness Warsi
Watch
2017
Pippingford Park, East Sussex
2–4 June 2017
The first Byline Festival, founded by Peter Jukes and Stephen Colegrave. Later that year it travelled to New York, opened by Sir Harry Evans, and to London for a benefit show with John Cleese and friends.
Line-up
Carole Cadwalladr · John Cleese · Salena Godden (poet laureate) · Hardeep Singh Kohli · Julia Streets. Music from The Blow Monkeys, The Priscillas, Tom Hingley and Son of Dave.
Highlights
- Carole Cadwalladr on her investigation into Cambridge Analytica
- John Cleese launches the Bad Press Awards
- Tabloid Confessions and The Kill List in the Media Circus
- Election special: General Election, Answer Time
Watch
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