Occupy your future

Nesta's festival of the future
Join FutureFest Late

Inventing the Future: can sci-fi predict the shape of things to come?

Kick-start your year-round FutureFest experience by coming to our first Late at 6.30pm on May 8th at The Vaults, London, where Jim Al-Khalili, host of BBC Radio 4’s The Life Scientific,  author and physicist will be discussing how science fiction can inform and predict the future. An expert on areas of cutting-edge science (such as dark matter and quantum biology) that will shape our understanding of the world around us in coming decades, Jim Al-Khalili will explore the future through the lens of science.

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FutureFest is back

Download the 2018 festival programme

The fifth edition of FutureFest will be taking place in London in March 2020. More details coming soon.

What is FutureFest?

Nesta's FutureFest is one of Europe’s largest festivals of the future. Over four festivals, 11,000 people have engaged in conversations about what our future might look like and how we can become more active in shaping it. 

For many, our relationship with the future is troubled. From hidden influences over the media and politics to growing threats of terrorism and environmental degradation, the forces shaping our world can appear threatening or remote. FutureFest brings together thousands of forward thinkers to discover how to put power back into the hands of citizens; tapping into new ways of thinking and solutions for some of this era's biggest challenges. 

We explore ways to make a better future through immersive installations, interactive debates and inspiring talks from the likes of Edward Snowden, Vivienne Westwood, Nicola Sturgeon, Annie Mac, Akala, Ruby Wax OBE, Brian Eno, Paul Mason and Imogen Heap. If the best way to predict the future is to invent it, then FutureFest is the place to start. 

FutureFest, the story so far

Past headliners include:

Nicola Sturgeon

First Minister of Scotland

Edward Snowden

Whistleblower

Vivienne Westwood

Fashion designer and activist

Akala

Hip-hop artist, writer, social entrepreneur

Brian Eno

Musician and record producer

Annie Mac

DJ and broadcaster

George Clinton

Musician, singer, producer

Lily Cole

Model, actress, entrepreneur

Ruby Wax

Writer, performer, mental health campaigner

Owen Jones

Political commentator

Imogen Heap

Musician, founder of Mycelia / mi.mu Gloves

Paul Mason

Journalist, author and film-maker

Will Self

Novelist, journalist and TV personality

Sophie Walker

Leader of the Women's Equality Party

Michael Ignatieff

Academic, presenter and former politician

Kate Raworth

Renegade economist, author of Doughnut Economics

Douglas Rushkoff

Journalist, author and documentary maker

Amy Lamé

London's Night Czar

Sir Nick Clegg

Former Deputy Prime Minister of the UK

Vinay Gupta

Founder Mattereum Ltd

Jude Kelly

Founder of the Women of the World Festival

Noel Sharkey

Emeritus Professor, University of Sheffield, Chair elect, ICRAC

Anne-Marie Imafidon

Head Stemette, Co-founder, Stemettes

Jeremy Heimains

Co-Founder and CEO, Purpose, author of New Power

Cindy Gallop

Advertising consultant and entrepreneur

Evgeny Morozov

Writer

Jamie Bartlett

Author and tech blogger

DJ Spooky

Multimedia artist

Caroline Lucas

Leader of the Green Party

Aral Balkan

Cyborg rights activist
Read the interview

Ruby Wax interview: Can we heal ourselves through technology?

FutureFest 2018 speaker Ruby Wax shared some insights on the relationship between wellness and technology with Nesta. Take a look at her interview here. 

Read the interview

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. will be exploring the future through the lens of science at our first FutureFest Late, May 8th at… https://t.co/P9xK9t8u3D
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02:53 PM - 13 Mar 2019