First speakers announced for the Idler Festival, 5-7 July 2024

This July the Idler Festival will return to Fenton House in Hampstead, offering inspiration and fun for one long bucolic garden party of a weekend. We can reveal today some of our most exciting performers.

Headliners include Zadie Smith, Rowan Williams, and Tim Key.

Hacienda trailblazer DJ Paulette will share tales of life in the music industry as a black woman. Nina Stibbe will chat about friendship, failures and finding a fresh start in her sixties; songwriter and Squeeze mainstay Chris Difford will arrive ahead of the band’s 50th anniversary tour later this year; and Olivia Laing will discuss the pleasures and radical possibilities of gardens from John Clare to Derek Jarman.

Comedian Arthur Smith will lead an interactive and entertaining walk around the walled gardens and BBC Radio 3’s Georgia Mann will DJ under the apple trees in the orchard.

There will also be beekeeping, ukulele, dancing lessons, agony aunts, bibliotherapy, foraging, walks, music, workshops, and much more to be announced.

Early Bird tickets have sold out but Weekend tickets are on sale now. Get yours while they last.