Festival of Dangerous Ideas 2026 Lineup: Rushdie, Doctorow, Pussy Riot's Alyokhina
From 20 to 30 August 2026, the Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI) will make its return to Sydney, showcasing its 13th program with a lineup of both international and Australian speakers. Newly confirmed participants include author Cory Doctorow, Maria Alyokhina of Pussy Riot, Peter Beinart, Glenn Loury, and Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa, alongside previously announced Salman Rushdie. Organized by The Ethics Centre, the festival has lengthened to 10 days, featuring events at Carriageworks, Sydney Town Hall, and various cultural venues. Rushdie will present the opening keynote, 'The Price of Ideas,' addressing censorship and free expression, marking his first appearance in Australia since the 2022 attack. Tickets will be available starting 1 July 2026.
Key facts
- Festival of Dangerous Ideas returns to Sydney 20–30 August 2026.
- New speakers include Cory Doctorow, Maria Alyokhina, Peter Beinart, Glenn Loury, and Maria Ressa.
- Salman Rushdie will deliver opening night keynote 'The Price of Ideas'.
- Maria Alyokhina will perform from her memoir 'Political Girl' with Eric J Breitenbach.
- Festival expanded to 10 days with venues including Carriageworks and Sydney Town Hall.
- Presented by The Ethics Centre, supported by NSW Government (Create NSW, Destination NSW).
- Principal partner is JobLink Plus.
- Tickets on sale from 1 July 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Cory Doctorow
- Maria Alyokhina
- Salman Rushdie
- John Cameron Mitchell
- Eric J Breitenbach
- Richard Flanagan
Institutions
- The Ethics Centre
- Carriageworks
- Sydney Town Hall
- Pussy Riot
- Rappler
- Human Rights Watch
- The New York Times
- MSNBC
- Create NSW
- Destination NSW
- JobLink Plus
- ArtsHub
- ScreenHub
Locations
- Sydney
- Australia
- New South Wales