ALSO ANNOUNCES O FORTUNA THEMED 13TH EDITION
ALSO: The UKs most inspirational summer festival combining ideas, music, comedy and wellness alongside adventures in food and nature, has announced the first wave of speakers, performers and experiences for its upcoming 13th edition: ALSO26, taking place 10th – 12th July 2026 at Park Farm, Compton Verney, Warwickshire.
This spectacular 13th edition turns the wheel to O Fortuna, and together we’ll playfully explore luck and chance and encounters that ask how much of our fortune is already written and how much luck we can make ourselves. With 13 ways to experience the theme over the weekend, ALSO26 invites you to dive in and choose your own adventure :
- Journey to the edge of human understanding at a Big SciTech session,
- Get to grips with the inner workings of the human mind at a Psych+ talk,
- Delve into the written word at one of our Great Literary talks,
- Discover your new favourite band at a Future Music set,
- Have your ribs tickled at a super-smart comedy show,
- Re-energise yourself at a wellbeing experience,
- Learn a new skill at a making workshop,
- Enhance your Blue Mind with time spent in, on or by the water,
- Treat your taste receptors at a dining or tasting experience,
- Explore mythological forest installations inspired by Fortuna, the Roman goddess of fate,
- Perform in the Saturday Night extravaganza,
- Tour the site and beyond on a guided walk or run,
- Move your body and dance, dance, dance.
Curious, clever and creative, ALSO Festival collaborates with celebrated best-selling authors, revolutionary scientists and impassioned experts, allowing ideas to run wild. Set lakeside in 50 acres of Capability Brown landscaped surroundings in Warwickshire, and meticulously curated, ALSO26 is your invitation to spin the wheel, take a chance and see what happens next. As they say. . . Fortune favours the bold.
IDEAS: ALSO26 will be packed with huge ideas that could transform your fortune, exploring the role of luck and science in our lives. We are thrilled to welcome award-winning writer and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind Claudia Hammond as she presents the psychological toolkit for anyone feeling overwhelmed, tech commentator Jamie Bartlett who will guide us on how to talk to AI, and award-winning neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff revealing the power of ‘tiny experiments’ to achieve ambitions.
Other highlights include a journey into the world of the Tyrannosaurus rex with Mark P. Witton, a look at the flavour of quantum physics with Prof. Ben Allanach, explore the history of hand reading with award-winning historian Alison Bashford, take a glimpse into the divine beauty of space with Prof. David Tong, or consider how mathematics shapes creativity with Marcus du Sautoy.
MUSIC: With Saturday night (big band) and Friday night (electronica) headliner announcements still to come, we’re delighted to announce ALSO26 as the perfect place to discover new music, providing the serendipitous soundtrack to your summer. Don’t miss the genre-defying sounds of Sheep, Dog & Wolf (Daniel McBride), whose avant-pop compositions meld experimentalism, folk, and electronica. We are also delighted to present Chris Coull’s thrilling new jazz suite, with award-winning vocalist Imogen Ryall, reimagining Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and the Brazilian carnival vibes of Tribo with their high-energy samba drumming.
COMEDY: ALSO26’s offering of smart comedy features the multi-award-winning political comedian and activist Mark Thomas and lyrical wit from poet Luke Wright in Later Life Letter. We are also excited to host Elf Lyons and her father, economist Dr Gerard Lyons, for Elfonomics—a unique look at how the world works.
Other comedy highlights include Jane Gregory and Steve Hall (below) testing their marriage in Sounds Like Misophonia,and the return of comedy polymath Robin Ince on the Woods Stage. Plus, for a touch of French flair, Marcel Lucont presents his legendary show Cabaret Fantastique, and hosts a panel reflecting on 10 Years of Brexit.
TICKETS: Are available at www.also-festival.com
Image above (c) Garry Jones Photography
