Edinburgh International Festival Launches Global Ideas Stage
The Edinburgh International Festival expands its 2026 programme with the inaugural Global Ideas Stage, bringing together some of the world's leading thinkers, artists and cultural voices.
Curated and hosted by Harvard professor and award-winning author Sarah Lewis and Festival Director Nicola Benedetti, the Global Ideas Stage brings together Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, filmmaker Ken Burns, lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson and journalist Amy Goodman to explore this year’s Festival theme, All Rise, a rallying cry of resilience and ascendance marking the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Designed as a model for future editions, the Global Ideas Stage marks an ambitious new format for the International Festival. The event features intimate dialogues on topics including the Scottish Enlightenment's influence on America, the arts as a medium for ideas and the state of democracy today, before all speakers come together for a full hour-long panel discussion.
Presented in collaboration with Professor Adam Dixon and Panmure House, the last home of Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith, the Global Ideas Stage also takes inspiration from both the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the 250th anniversary of the writing of The Wealth of Nations, reigniting the coffeehouse discussions of Edinburgh’s enlightenment at a time when the significance of these works is being revisited.
The 2026 Global Ideas Stage panellists are:
Former Prime Minister the Rt Hon Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown is the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education and WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing. He served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2007 to 2010 and as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1997 to 2007, making him the longest-serving Chancellor in modern history. As UN Special Envoy for Global Education, he works with governments, international institutions and the private sector to mobilise investment in education worldwide. Gordon holds a PhD in History from the University of Edinburgh. He lives in Scotland.
Filmmaker Ken Burns
Ken Burns has been making documentary films for fifty years. Since the Academy Award nominated Brooklyn Bridge in 1981, Ken has gone on to direct and produce some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made, including The Civil War; Jazz; The National Parks: America’s Best Idea; Prohibition; Country Music; and, most recently, The American Revolution. Ken’s films have been honoured with dozens of major awards, including seventeen Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards and two Oscar nominations.
Broadcast journalist Amy Goodman
Amy Goodman is the host of Democracy Now!, a daily, independent, award-winning news programme airing on over 1,500 public television and radio stations worldwide, with millions of subscribers across all major social media platforms. Amy was the first journalist to receive the Right Livelihood Award for ‘developing an innovative model of truly independent grassroots political journalism.’ Goodman has co-authored six New York Times bestsellers, and is the subject of the new documentary Steal This Story, Please!, by Oscar-nominated directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal.
Lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson
Bryan Stevenson is the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organisation in Montgomery, Alabama, and has initiated major new anti-poverty and anti-discrimination efforts that challenge inequality in America. Mr. Stevenson led the creation of EJI’s highly acclaimed Legacy Sites, including the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Freedom Monument Sculpture Park and Montgomery Square. He is the author of the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Just Mercy, which was adapted as a major motion picture.
Award-winning author and Harvard University Professor Sarah Lewis
Sarah Lewis is the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Humanities and African and African American Studies at Harvard University, and founder of Vision & Justice, a publishing and research initiative examining the role of visual culture in America's democracy. Her award-winning books include The Unseen Truth: When Race Changed Sight in America and the bestseller The Rise: Creativity, the Gift of Failure, and the Search for Mastery. Named to the 2026 TIME List: The Closers for her work toward equality in the United States, her mainstage TED talk Embrace the Near Win has received over three million views. Before joining Harvard, she held curatorial positions at MoMA New York and Tate Modern London.
Violinist and Edinburgh International Festival Director Nicola Benedetti
Nicola Benedetti is one of the most sought-after violinists of her generation, performing with the world's leading orchestras including the London Symphony, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and Orchestre de Paris. A GRAMMY Award-winner for Best Classical Instrumental Solo (2020) and two-time Classical BRIT Award-winner, she records exclusively for Decca and is the founder of The Benedetti Foundation, a charitable organisation dedicated to music education. Appointed CBE in 2019 and the youngest ever recipient of the Queen's Medal for Music, she became Director of the Edinburgh International Festival in 2022.
Director of Panmure House and Adam Smith Chair, Adam Dixon:
Professor Adam Dixon is an American professor based in Edinburgh, where he leads Panmure House, the final home of Adam Smith. A sought‑after speaker and moderator, he addresses geopolitics, economics, and global affairs. As the Adam Smith Chair, he applies Smith’s insights to modern challenges, from government intervention to global competition and business ethics. An Oxford‑trained political economist, he offers clear, informed perspectives on power, priorities, and the forces shaping today’s world.