Edinburgh has long been a crucible for ideas. Two and a half centuries ago, pioneering thinkers like Adam Smith and David Hume mingled in coffeehouses, openly debated theories, and envisioned leaps forward in how we understand markets, morality, and the threads that bind human society.

Today, the world faces challenges that demand the same combination of insight and imagination, and Edinburgh has become a festival city, spawning ideas and creativity that will shape our future.

In collaboration with Professor Adam Dixon and Panmure House, the last home of Adam Smith, we are proud to present a bold new form of public discourse. Curated and hosted by Harvard University professor and award-winning author Sarah Lewis, alongside Festival Director Nicola Benedetti, the inaugural Global Ideas Stage will unite extraordinary thinkers and cultural leaders on stage at the newly refurbished King’s Theatre. 

Supported by James and Morag Anderson

Additional support for the Festival's return to the King's Theatre is provided by Sir Ewan and Lady Brown