The Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas & Politics returns for a week-long (23rd March - 29th March) programme of debates, workshops, comedy, music, theatre and film screenings alongside podcasts, walking tours, public gatherings and quizzes, all under the theme, ‘Thou Shalt Not Have No Idea’.
This week will see over 120 events in 50+ venues across Belfast, and will feature keynote artists and speakers such as Adam Kay, Mhairi Black, Len Pennie, Liam Ó Maonlaí and Tommy Tiernan, exploring themes such as global diversity, reconciliation, migration, philosophy, sustainability and collective action.
The 2026 line-up includes Adam Kay, Mhairi Black, Len Pennie, Liam Ó Maonlaí and Tommy Tiernan, alongside new theatre from Kabosh, music from Dan Donnelly, comedy from Eleanor Tiernan and animation by rarewitch. Podcasts, walking tours, quizzes and informal gatherings sit alongside headline talks, reflecting the festival’s deliberately broad approach.
Accessibility and participation remain central. More than 70 percent of events are community-led, with select shows operating on a Pay What You Can Afford basis, reinforcing Imagine!’s long-held aim of thinking with the city rather than talking at it.
The Imagine! Belfast Festival of Ideas and Politics 2026 programme is available to view online.
