The UK’s most inquisitive summer festival has unveiled the first wave of names for its 13th edition, with ALSO26 set to return from 10–12 July 2026 at Park Farm, Compton Verney in Warwickshire.
Set across 50 acres of lakeside Capability Brown landscapes, ALSO26 once again blends ideas, music, comedy, wellness, food and nature. This year’s theme, O Fortuna, explores luck, chance and fate, asking how much of our future is already written and how much we can actively shape ourselves.
True to its choose-your-own-adventure ethos, the festival promises 13 different ways to experience the theme, from big SciTech sessions and psychology talks to literary conversations, future-facing music, smart comedy, wellbeing rituals, creative workshops, aquatic escapes and late-night dancing.
Ideas remain at the heart of ALSO, with Claudia Hammond bringing practical psychology from BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind, Jamie Bartlett unpacking how we should talk about AI, and neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff revealing the power of tiny experiments. Emma Jane Unsworth leads the Big Summer Read, while Oliver Bullough, Professor David Tong and others explore everything from money laundering to the beauty of space.
Music lovers are invited to discover their next favourite act, with Sheep, Dog and Wolf’s genre-blurring avant-pop, Jackson Roy’s exploratory sound world and Hoolla Music’s ecstatic dance closing the weekend. Comedy highlights include Mark Thomas, Luke Wright, Elf Lyons, Robin Ince and Marcel Lucont, keeping ALSO’s reputation for clever laughs firmly intact.
Experiences range from mythological forest installations inspired by Fortuna to paddle boarding, bat walks, space hopper championships and a Saturday Night Spectacular. Wellness expands for 2026 with lakeside Sanctuary Sessions curated by Numinity, alongside saunas, cold plunges, wild swimming, SUP yoga and Oli Steadman’s joyful TrAiLdAnCe.
Food remains a festival within a festival, with Aram by Imad, River Cottage, Georgia Hearn and James Whetlor among those leading long table lunches, feasts and tastings across the weekend.
Family-friendly as ever, ALSO26 also offers theatre, circus skills, creative workshops and childcare, ensuring all ages are welcome.
Tickets are on sale now via www.also-festival.com, with weekend, day and family options available.
