Brighton & Hove Speakers Festival Brings Corbyn, Hunt and Jung Chang to Hove
The Brighton & Hove Speakers Festival returns to The Old Market in Hove on Sunday 11 October 2026 with seven live sessions
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
By Tim Graichi Cucarella, ImJustBrighton
Jeremy Corbyn, Jeremy Hunt, Jung Chang and Sam Freedman are all due at The Old Market in Hove on Sunday 11 October, when the first Brighton & Hove Speakers Festival puts seven live sessions on stage between 10.20am and 8.30pm.
The man behind it is Marc, a former East Sussex schoolteacher who has run speaker festivals in Lewes since 2011 and says more than 500 speakers have taken part in that time. In an exclusive interview with ImJustBrighton, he explained why he chose Hove, how he balances a line-up that runs from a former Conservative Chancellor to the former Labour leader and the Green Party's deputy leader, and why he once had to call the police during the Brexit years.
DATE
Sunday 11 October 2026
TIMES
10.20am to 8.30pm, seven sessions, each followed by a Q&A
VENUE
The Old Market, 11a Upper Market Street, Hove, BN3 1AS
TICKETS
£16 to £20 through the festival website, or through The Old Market
The speaker who sold out Lewes twice
Marc says Jeremy Corbyn is the best-selling speaker he has booked in 15 years. At a Lewes festival in January, Corbyn sold out twice, and an extra slot had to be added. That result, together with a wish to grow beyond Lewes, is what pushed Marc to test the festival in Brighton and Hove.
“I wanted to see how things would run in Brighton,” he told ImJustBrighton. “So I thought I would see how he and the others would do in Brighton.”
He chose a full day on purpose, rather than a single evening. It means people can dip in and out of the programme as they please.
I like the full day because interested listeners can feel like they can listen to as many or few speakers as they like in a limited time and ask questions of them.
Marc, festival organiser
The Old Market was an easy choice, Marc says: it has a large and loyal following and what he calls an outstanding PA system. The back-to-back format also suits his own situation. He no longer lives close by, so he travels to the venue, sets up and runs one event after the other. Most sessions are a single author talking about their book, though some are interviews, including Jung Chang in conversation with Dr Linda Yueh, and Dr Fola Yahaya with Dominic Kos.
A teacher who was told it would not work
Marc was teaching at Bede's School in East Sussex when he began setting up speaker evenings there, and he wanted to do more of them. He also had a background in running conferences around the world. He combined the two and, eventually, gave up teaching to run festivals full time.
The first Lewes festival was fitted around his teaching. A famous author whose son was a pupil at Bede's warned him it would not work.
After the first festival, I could see that people were genuinely interested in doing something and having speakers from all walks of life there.
Marc, festival organiser
Fifteen years on, his favourite moment is hosting Marina Chapman, who has told of being kidnapped at the age of five, abandoned in the jungle and brought up for several years by capuchin monkeys. “Her story was incredible,” Marc said. After years of trying to contact her, he found her reply sitting in his spam folder.
The Brighton & Hove Speakers Festival logo, with the event date of 11 October 2026
A line-up built to disagree
Marc picks speakers by availability, by who he is aware of, by who has a book out, and by who simply seems interesting. The political spread on 11 October is deliberate. “We try to balance out political ideologies, gender and ways of thinking,” he said, adding that he likes to promote debate and free thinking. The festival, he says, aims to be inclusive of many political backgrounds and different modes of thinking.
Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor from 2022 to 2024 and still the Conservative MP for Godalming and Ash, shares the day with Jeremy Corbyn, who won Islington North as an independent in 2024, and with Rachel Millward, Deputy Leader of the Green Party and co-leader of Wealden District Council.
Heated debates, and the bar afterwards
Every session finishes with a Q&A, and Marc says first-timers should expect to take part: ask the speaker questions, then carry on the debate with other audience members in the bar and outside. Those debates have not always been calm. He describes many memorable and occasionally very heated sessions, and says he once had to call the police during the Brexit years.
People can get pretty emotional about things, understandably. Most festivals shy away from too much controversy.
Marc, festival organiser
The line-up in full
Seven sessions run back to back, and every one finishes with a Q&A. Tap a session to open the full details on the talk and the people giving it.
10.20am to 11.30am
Dr Fola Yahaya with Dominic Kos: AI, Threat, Tool or Transformation?
The opening session takes on the question hanging over most workplaces: is artificial intelligence a threat, an opportunity or both? Yahaya and Kos set out what AI actually is and how it works, where businesses are already using it successfully, and what is coming next. Yahaya covers where AI genuinely excels and where it reliably fails, and how individuals and businesses can prepare. Kos brings the view from the commercial side, including the practical realities of bringing AI into an organisation and the mistakes companies make when they try. Together they cover which jobs and industries are likely to change fastest and how to take advantage of the technology rather than simply react to it, with real-world examples throughout.
Dr Fola Yahaya is the founder of the global communications agency Strategic Agenda. He has taught at the LSE, worked as an economist at the United Nations, as an e-strategist at Morgan Stanley, and as a management consultant at the Foreign Office and BP. He is the author of Quite Possibly the best introduction to AI and holds a PhD from the London School of Economics.
Dominic Kos is co-founder and commercial director of Cleverfox AI, where he helps businesses adopt AI, automate processes and turn new technology into practical results. He has more than 20 years of experience across AI, SaaS, digital publishing, digital healthcare and property.
11.50am to 1.00pm
Sam Freedman: Failed State
Freedman asks why so little seems to work in Britain: GP appointments are hard to get, burglaries go unpunished, rivers are overrun with sewage, real wages have stagnated and housing costs keep rising. His argument is that blaming self-interested politicians is too easy. Politicians can make things better or worse, but they all work within state institutions that he describes as broken, held back by short-termism, partisan tribalism and constant ministerial churn. The talk is not all gloom: he also sets out how a focus on professionalism, accountability and long-term thinking could begin to rebuild trust and capacity in public life. It is based on his book Failed State, a Sunday Times top five bestseller.
Sam Freedman is a political commentator, a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government and a regular columnist for the Financial Times. He was previously Senior Adviser to Education Secretary Michael Gove.
1.20pm to 2.30pm
John Kampfner: Braver New World
Kampfner spent three years travelling to ten countries that are facing problems Britain shares and tackling them with imagination. Taiwan's health system reaches 90% patient satisfaction at a fraction of the cost of the NHS. Vienna has pursued affordable social housing for a century, and 60% of its residents live in subsidised accommodation. Costa Rica has tripled its economy while doubling its forest cover, and Finland's schools prepare children for an uncertain world in a way he argues Britain's teaching-to-the-test system does not. The question he brings to Hove is whether solutions exist and Britain has the courage to learn from them.
John Kampfner is an award-winning author, broadcaster and foreign affairs commentator. He began his career reporting from East Berlin as the Wall fell and from Moscow during the collapse of communism, then covered British politics for the Financial Times and the BBC and went on to edit the New Statesman. His previous book, Why the Germans Do It Better, was a top ten bestseller. Braver New World is his eighth book, published by Atlantic Books in 2026.
2.50pm to 4.00pm
Jeremy Hunt: Can We Be Rich Again?
Hunt takes on the state of the British economy: low growth, stagnant living standards, and debt and taxes at record levels. Drawing on his time as Chancellor, when he steered the economy through both inflation and recession, he argues that Britain has more going for it than the gloom suggests. His case rests on the third largest technology ecosystem in the world, a formidable financial services sector and globally admired universities and institutions, and he says the answers lie in learning from what works elsewhere. The talk follows his book Can We Be Rich Again? and its eight-point programme for renewal.
Jeremy Hunt served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2022 to 2024, and before that as Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Health, one of the longest-serving Health Secretaries in British history. Before politics he built and ran the educational publishing business Hotcourses. He is the author of Can We Be Great Again? and Zero, and remains the Conservative MP for Godalming and Ash.
4.20pm to 5.30pm
Jeremy Corbyn: A Life in Politics
This is billed as a personal talk rather than a policy platform. Corbyn looks back over four decades on the backbenches, a leadership campaign few predicted, a general election that defied expectations, losing the Labour whip and winning re-election as an independent. He reflects on the values that stayed constant, the moments that tested them, what surprised him, what he would do differently and what has kept him going in public life.
Jeremy Corbyn has been MP for Islington North since 1983 and was Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020, elected in a landslide membership vote. His 2017 general election campaign produced a swing that denied Theresa May her majority. He stood down as leader after the 2019 defeat and was later suspended from Labour and had the whip removed. In 2024 he stood as an independent in Islington North and beat the Labour candidate.
5.50pm to 7.00pm
Rachel Millward: From Film Festivals to Frontline Politics
Millward's route into politics started in the creative industries. She founded and directed an international film festival and a national charity supporting women filmmakers before standing for election. Her session covers the jump from the arts into local government, what it feels like to lead a council for the first time, and how storytelling, community and collaboration shaped her approach. She also reflects on what surprised her about political life, the trade-offs of coalition leadership, and the gap between political ideals and the messier job of delivering change.
Rachel Millward has been Wealden District Councillor for Hartfield since 2021 and co-leader of the council since 2023. She is Deputy Leader of the Green Party and a regular guest on BBC Politics, ITV, LBC and Times Radio.
7.20pm to 8.30pm
Jung Chang with Dr Linda Yueh: Fly, Wild Swans
Nearly fifty years ago, Wild Swans followed three generations of women in Chang's family through the last emperor, Mao's rule, the Cultural Revolution and the reforms that came after. It became a global phenomenon and sold in the tens of millions. Her new book, Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself and China, brings that story up to date, tracing her family's journey and China's rise from an isolated, war-scarred state to a global superpower. At its heart it is a love letter to her mother, and a look at how the past keeps shaping the present, including how the era of Xi Jinping has reshaped the lives of Chang and her family again.
Jung Chang is the author of Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, one of the bestselling non-fiction books of all time, and of biographies of Mao Zedong, Empress Dowager Cixi and the Soong sisters. Her books have been translated into more than forty languages and have sold more than fifteen million copies worldwide, and all of them remain banned in mainland China. She was born in Sichuan and has lived in Britain since 1978.
Dr Linda Yueh CBE is an economist, author and broadcaster, a Fellow in Economics at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, and Adjunct Professor of Economics at London Business School. She chairs The Royal Parks and sits on the boards of the Independent Football Regulator, SEGRO plc and Standard Chartered plc. She has written eleven books, most recently The Great Crashes, and was previously Chief Business Correspondent for BBC News and presenter of Talking Business.
Asked which single session he would pick if he could only attend one, Marc said it was very hard to say. His own choice is Jung Chang, whom he has never heard speak in person.
A family and volunteer operation
Marc writes the programme, but he does not run the day alone. He works with a team of volunteers, a web designer and a compere, and his mother, who is now 82, helps as well. “So a real team effort!” he said.
Anyone who wants to help on the day can email Marc at marcrattrayuk@yahoo.co.uk. The minimum shift is half a day, and volunteers get food, drink and free entry to the talks. The festival runs in association with WeLove Brighton, Love Reading, Literary Festivals, the Literary Review and The Good Book Guide, and offers sponsorship packages for businesses.
Where it is and how to get there
All seven sessions take place at The Old Market, 11a Upper Market Street, Hove, BN3 1AS, on the border of Brighton and Hove. The venue's what3words location is ///cost.voted.hunt.
By train. The Old Market sits between Brighton station, about a mile away, and Hove station, about 1.3 miles away. From Hove station, walk south on Goldstone Villas and turn right onto Upper Market Street.
By bus. If you are travelling from Hove, get off at the Norfolk Square stop outside the Co-op, turn back towards Hove, cross the road and turn left onto Upper Market Street. The venue is directly in front of you.
On foot. From Western Road, turn south onto Upper Market Street. From the seafront, walk north up Waterloo Street and take the third left, known as the Waterloo Arch, then follow it round to the right and the front doors are on your left.
By car or taxi. The surrounding streets are residential and parking is extremely limited, so the venue advises arriving early. It recommends the Kingsway Pay & Display on Hove seafront (BN3 1HA), where Blue Badge holders can park free while displaying their badge. For access needs, the venue is accessible with accessible toilets, and more information is on the venue's visitor page.
Tickets and how to book
The Old Market sells 300 tickets for the day. Tickets booked through the festival website are priced between £16 and £20 each, and the early bird offer ended on 6 September. Marc says sales are good. The festival's own allocation was raised to 60 tickets in line with The Old Market's rules, and the rest are sold through the venue at full price. Day passes and reduced group prices are not available, as The Old Market does not allow them.
Online bookings carry a TicketSource booking fee, which the festival has said will be no more than 5% of the ticket price. To book by phone, call the festival box office on 0333 666 3366. For tickets through the venue, call The Old Market on 01273 201 801 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm) or email boxoffice@theoldmarket.com.
Book on the festival websiteBook through The Old Market
The interview in full
Every question ImJustBrighton put to Marc, with his answers in full. Tap a question to open it.
Who is behind the festival and what is your own background? How did it start?
I was a teacher at Bede's School in East Sussex. I was setting up speakers evenings at the school and I wanted to do more of them. I also had a background in doing conferences around the world. So I combined the two things and eventually gave up teaching to do festivals.
What was the first Lewes festival like, and what was the moment you knew it could grow?
I did it on the side of teaching. I had been told by a famous author whose son was at Bede's that it would not work. But after the first festival, I could see that people were genuinely interested in doing something and having speakers from all walks of life there.
Roughly how many festivals and authors so far? Any favourite moment?
I have run it since 2011 in Lewes. So 15 years of festivals and over 500 speakers.
Maybe my favourite was Marina Chapman, who was kidnapped and left in the jungle when she was 5 and spent several years being brought up by capuchin monkeys. Her story was incredible, and after so many years of trying to contact her I found her reply in spam.
Why this format of one author on stage and Q&A, with the person who knows the book best?
Because I no longer live close by, I need to go to the venue, set up and do one event after the other. It works really well. Sometimes we have interviews.
Why bring a full day to Brighton & Hove now, and why The Old Market?
I wanted to see how things would run in Brighton. Jeremy Corbyn is the best-selling speaker I have had in 15 years, and in January last year he sold out twice and we had to put on an extra slot for him. So I thought I would see how he and the others would do in Brighton.
I like the full day because interested listeners can feel like they can listen to as many or few speakers as they like in a limited time and ask questions of them. I am doing it now on the basis of a very successful event last year and the wish to expand out of Lewes. The Old Market has a large, loyal following, and an outstanding PA system.
How is it different from Brighton Festival and the Brighton Book Festival?
I don't know much about the Brighton Book Festival, but our festival aims to be inclusive of many political backgrounds and different modes of thinking.
How do you pick and book speakers? Who was hardest to land?
It is varied. It depends on who is available to a large extent, who I am aware of and who has books out, as well as who just seems interesting.
How did you build a line-up with this political range, from Hunt to Corbyn to Rachel Millward? Was balance deliberate?
Yes, we try to balance out political ideologies, gender and ways of thinking. I like to promote debate and free thinking.
Only 46 of 300 tickets on your own site. Why, and how are sales going?
Sales are good. We increased that to 60 in line with the rules of The Old Market. But they sell all the other tickets.
How do you run it, small team or mostly volunteers?
I create the programme, but I have a team of volunteers, a web designer, a compere and my mother, who is now 82, helps as well. So a real team effort!
If someone only has time for one session, which one and why?
Very hard to say. For me, I have never heard Jung Chang in person.
What should first-timers expect, and is there anything on the day besides the talks?
You get to interact with the speaker and ask questions, and then debate with each other in the bar and outside.
Do the speakers take audience questions live, and have there been memorable Q&A moments before?
Yes, we have had many memorable and occasionally very heated debates. During Brexit I had to call the police. People can get pretty emotional about things, understandably. Most festivals shy away from too much controversy.
Are there plans for more Brighton events after this, and what about Lewes in January?
Yes, more for Brighton. Four short events in Lewes in the first six months of 2027, and possibly another event at a yet undisclosed venue in September next year.
What is your final message to Brighton readers about why they should come?
You will meet amazing people, listen and question some of the most influential and interesting speakers in the UK and be at the inaugural event of something we hope will be there for years. So you will be making history!
What comes after Hove
Marc plans more events in Brighton, four short events in Lewes in the first six months of 2027, and possibly another event at a venue he has not yet named in September next year. The festival's website lists the Lewes festival returning from 28 to 30 January 2027, and a free mailing list at speakersfestivals.com carries the updates.
For Marc, though, 11 October is about the start of something rather than the next date in the diary.
You will meet amazing people, listen and question some of the most influential and interesting speakers in the UK and be at the inaugural event of something we hope will be there for years. So you will be making history!
Marc, festival organiser
