York Festival of Ideas has started!
Here is our pick of the Unmissable Events to book at York Festival of Ideas 2025
The York Festival of Ideas has started (31 May to 13 June), and once again it’s here to prove you don’t need a degree in philosophy or a wallet full of theatre tokens to feel clever, inspired, and entertained. With 200+ events, most of them free, this year’s theme is Making Waves – and the lineup is doing just that.
Whether you’re into dance, debate, deep-sea creatures there’s something for everyone.
Organised by the University of York, supported by the likes of LNER, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and the French Embassy (ooh la la), it’s one of the UK’s biggest and best free festivals.
Here are 7 standouts you should absolutely book before everyone else does.
Art After Hours: University of York Art Collection Tour
Tue 10 Jun | 5.30pm | University of York | Free
Ever walked through campus and wondered what all that art actually is?
Now’s your chance to find out. This special after-hours tour of the University’s rarely seen art collection explores everything from local landscapes to international prints.
It’s your cultural fix without the gallery glare.
Intraterrestrials: Strange Life Deep in the Earth
Fri 6 Jun | 6pm | Online | Free
Microbial life in the Earth’s crust. Methane seeps. Permafrost.
Karen Lloyd takes you to the wildest places on Earth without leaving your sofa.
Dirty Dancing: A Workshop of Scandalous Moves
Sun 8 Jun | 1–4pm | The Mount School | £10
Learn the dances that once caused actual outrage. Historic dance expert Lottie Adcock leads this gloriously cheeky session.
No sequins required, but scandal encouraged.
Protecting Our Blue Planet
Wed 11 Jun | 12pm | Online | Free
Oceans: essential, endangered, and still full of surprises.
This UK–France panel covers climate, conservation, and why you should probably care more about seaweed.
The Willow Experience (Yes, That Willow)
Fri 13 Jun | 6pm | The Basement, City Screen | Free
York’s iconic disco-Cantonese crossover gets the love letter it deserves. Archive films, crackers, memories, and more.
Ceiling touching still banned.
About Time Too!
Thu 12 Jun | 7pm | Temple Hall, York St John | Free
BBC’s Claudia Hammond tackles our messed-up relationship with time.
Spoiler: It’s not just you. We’re all overwhelmed. This talk might help.
Verdi’s Requiem – Classical Music at Full Volume
Wed 4 Jun | 7.30pm | York Minster | £10–£35
Big. Bold. Loud. Emotional.
Verdi’s Requiem performed in York Minster. Even if you’ve never set foot in a concert hall, this is the one to try.
Final Word: Smart, Surprising, and Free (Mostly)
The York Festival of Ideas is one of those brilliant York things: it sneaks up on you, surprises you, and then leaves you raving about a talk on deep-sea bacteria or 17th-century dance for weeks.
31 May – 13 June
Across York & Online
Full lineup & tickets: yorkfestivalofideas.com
Can’t Attend?
Unable to attend an event that sounds fantastic? Want to see a talk you enjoyed once more?
Good news - they record many of the Festival events. You can watch talks from this year and previous years' content here.
If you love ideas then this is the festival for you and as always, if you need a place to stay then just visit our website www.houseofyork.org and book:
- one of our homes for up to six people
- two of our homes for up to 12 people
- or all three together for up to 18 people
Rather conveniently, all our houses are next door to each other!
Want to read more for your next visit to York?
Then download a free copy of our book York Local Knowledge Must-do Top Tens & the vouchers to get them for less where you will discover the historic UK city of York like a local with tips, top tens, and guidance on where to find the best discounts and vouchers, so you can experience it all without breaking the bank!
You can download it for free from the Apple iBooks Store here
You can download it for free from the Google Play Books Store here
This isn’t your average guidebook—it’s a laugh-out-loud, down-to-earth companion, packed with top-ten lists covering everything from essential attractions and hidden gems to entertainment, dining spots, walks, tours, festivals, and shopping, all enriched with a local’s insider knowledge.
With insights, amusing anecdotes, and a sprinkling of puns and dad jokes, Alistair’s love letter to York will help you see the city in a whole new way. Grab a copy and start planning the York adventure you didn’t know you were missing!
With over 240 pages, this guide is ideal for families and groups of friends planning a trip to York and includes:
Up-to-date information on everything in the ever-changing city of York—this is the 2025 edition.
Top ten lists of York’s best tourist attractions, entertainment spots, food and drink, walks, tours, festivals, and independent shops.
Beautiful photography accompanying every recommendation.
Answers to visitors’ top questions, from “Where’s the best place for ice cream?” to “Where can I find a great takeaway curry?”
Recommendations on where locals go for up-to-date information about York.
The best places to stay, from five-star hotels to holiday homes and houseboats.
Details on where to find discounts and vouchers for York restaurants, attractions, and experiences.
Want to hear a great podcast about York?
A fab podcast for tourists and locals looking to find out more about York History, must do York Top 10's and money saving tips to do it all for less.
Just search your podcast app for York Must Do Top 10s or click on this link for the show on apple podcast here
Book one of our Holiday Homes for your next trip to York
Are you looking for a great place to stay for your next trip to York. All 3 of our holiday homes are next door to each other which means you can hire them individually for up to 6 people or together for up to 12 (107 & 109 together) or even 18 people (Spencer House & 107 & 109 together).
To check availability and book just visit www.houseofyork.org
We pride ourselves on being couples and family friendly and we try to take any of the stress out of your stay so you can focus on enjoying yourselves and magnificent York.