The Festival of Dangerous Ideas Is Coming Back — But This Time It'll Be Held on Cockatoo Island

After the Sydney Opera House replaced its Festival of Dangerous Ideas with Antidote last year, we didn't think we'd see it again. But the festival will rear its head for its ninth iteration, this time trading in its Bennelong Point digs for a space on Cockatoo Island.

Co-founded by The Ethics Centre (TEC) and the Sydney Opera House back in 2009, FODI 2018 won't just have a new venue, but a new partner as well — teaming up with the UNSW Centre for Ideas for the first time. But the concept will remain the same, again bringing together thought leaders and creative thinkers for a weekend of critical discussion around the most important global issues of today.

While the program has not yet been revealed, we do know that this year's festival will specifically examine themes of trust and truth, and will again aim to incite debate, push boundaries and inspire intellectual freedom. Previous years have seen discussion topics like 'open the borders', 'let banks fail', 'a foetus is not a person' and 'the end of men', with a focus on themes of asylum, gender, justice and race — to name a few.

"Knowing who to trust and what to believe has never been so complicated," says co-founder Danielle Harvey. "FODI has a legacy of exploring polarising ideas and making bold curatorial choices. These dangerous conversations are even more critical when truth and clarity are hard to find."

Longstanding FODI curator Simon Longstaff will again be at the helm of the program. In the past, he has signed on high profile though leaders like activist Alicia Garcia (founder of the #BlackLivesMatter movement), feminist protest punk band Pussy Riot, international journalist Mona Eltahawy, political activist Tariq Ali and WikiLeaks' Julian Assange.

Based on that, it's fair to expect another big list of names for 2018 — we'll keep you updated as the program is unveiled.

The 2018 Festival of Dangerous Ideas is coming to Cockatoo Island on November 3 and 4. Tickets will go on sale in August and you can sign up here to get first dibs.