The Cambridge Festival of Ideas was established in 2008 with the aim of encouraging the public to explore the arts, humanities and social sciences,  meet academics and students, and engage with the University via a thought-provoking and creative series of mostly free events.

The inspiration for the launch of the Festival of Ideas was the widespread popularity of the annual Cambridge Science Festival and the valuable communication experience that staff and students gain through engaging with the public.

The Festival of Ideas focuses on fuelling the public’s interest in and involvement with the arts, humanities and social sciences in a unique and inspiring way. It aims to gauge the similarities and differences in the approaches to public engagement required for science, technology, engineering and maths, and for the arts, humanities and social sciences.