The Festival of Economics brings together citizens, economists, policymakers and journalists to examine today’s key economic challenges, from rising costs of living and artificial intelligence through to ageing and migration.
Join us in Bristol this November to share your voice, challenge the experts and actively help to create a brighter economic future.
A Brave New World?
As machine intelligence fuels a new revolution of automation, and birth rates plummet amid rising life expectancies, society remains blissfully unaware, under the grip of social media – a modern-day opiate for the masses – that the foundations of the economy may be quietly shifting beneath them.
For the 15th edition of the Festival of Economics, we examine whether the technological and societal transformation playing out before us represents growing pains necessary to a prosperous future or an omen that we are sleepwalking into Huxleyan dystopia.
Join leading economists, policymakers, and thought leaders to debate the defining questions of our age: What are the factors driving this transformation, who is at risk of being left behind, and how does the future look for the global economy?
2026 Programme
Friday 13 & Monday 16 November
Discover Economics with Bank of England economists Rupal Patel and Jack Leslie
Bank of England economists Jack Leslie and Rupal Patel host this unique workshop aimed at current GCSE and A-Level students.
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Bank of England Citizens’ Panel
Join staff from the Bank of England at this one-off event to share your views on the economy and how it is affecting your spending and plans for the future.
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Tuesday 17 November
The UK economy, inflation and monetary policy: a conversation with Catherine Mann (Bank of England)
Monetary Policy Committee member Catherine Mann provides an expert perspective on the economy and monetary policy, and answers your questions.
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Economics Questions: Where is Britain’s economy headed?
In this opening session, we respond to the latest events in an attempt to better understand why economic uncertainty has defined 2026.
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Trade: Ten years since Brexit
Is Brexit a dividend, or a disaster? In this session, we reveal what economists have learned about trade, inflation, tariffs, and industrial strategy in the decade since the UK voted to leave the EU.
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The new demographics
Countries like the UK are facing falling birth rates and rising life expectancy, while Africa and India continue to grow. What will it mean when many countries rapidly age, while others stay young?
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The geopolitics of energy
This session examines the enduring role of energy security in geopolitics through recent events, and how energy supply chains, prices and sanctions affect international conflicts and the transition to net zero.
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Marshall Paley Lecture with Alan Manning: ‘Why Immigration Policy Is Hard: And How to Make It Better’
Delivering the 2026 Marshall Paley Lecture, Alan Manning examines why immigration policy is hard and why we make such a mess of it.
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Wednesday 18 November
Have we been here before? Lessons from history
To inform how to seize the opportunities and address the challenges of today, we draw lessons from the policies from the past that have helped to advance or hold back the UK economy.
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Degrees, debt and disruption: the future of higher education in the age of AI
With AI-driven educational and labour market disruption and disquiet over mounting student debt, we assess the role and value of higher education degrees and ask: it is still worth getting a degree?
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Are we heading for a labour market AI-pocalypse?
FT journalist Sarah O’Connor provides insights about how technological change and automation is impacting workers in this joint discussion with Heather Stewart (Guardian) and Sue Turner OBE.
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Levelling up or falling short? The politics and economics of English devolution
Is England really moving towards meaningful devolution, or just decentralised delivery of national policy? And what can Scottish and Welsh devolution tell us about England’s future prospects?
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The new economics of the left
Is a coherent economic strategy of the left possible? Leading commentators discuss the barriers to implementing such a strategy, and the likely consequences of the government’s recent and future economic decision making.
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Friday 20 November
Should the UK have a wealth tax?
Opinion polls suggest considerable public support for higher taxes on the rich. But would a wealth tax really be an effective way to improve the UK’s public finances?
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Header Photo Credit: Bhagesh Sachania Photography