Jeremy Corbyn, Andy Burnham and Shon Faye are headlining the 10th anniversary of the Festival of Debate, running in Sheffield throughout May.

Sam Gregory, one of the organisers of the festival, the largest of its kind in the UK, said non-partisan debate is necessary now more than ever.

He said: “Since we set up the festival 10 years ago, we’ve faced a series of crises in this country and in this city, from austerity and COVID to the cost of living and climate crisis.

“Mainstream politicians are not putting forward serious solutions to these problems, so in that way the festival is more relevant than ever.”

Mr Gregory said that Sheffield felt like the natural home for the festival that was started to bring political debate outside of London and highlight the appetite for change in the North of England. 

The festival kicked off on Tuesday with a discussion run by Sheffield City Council, one of the main sponsors of the event. 

He said: “Sheffield has got a radical history of experimenting with new ideas and the festival taps into that energy that still runs through the city.”

The volunteer-run events will debate a range of issues: in a sold-out event, Jeremy Corbyn is set to discuss the global arms trade; on 19 May, Andy Burnham and Steve Rotherham will be talking about their experiences as mayors of Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region.

Author and activist Shon Faye will be asking whether love is a societal question in her talk ‘Love in Exile’ on 8 May.

Many of the festival’s events are free to attend, and those that are ticketed have low-income options despite the high profile speakers. Mr Gregory said they wanted to ensure that cost wasn’t a barrier for people participating. 

He said: “We want people from across the city and across different communities because that’s the only way we’re going to be able to come together to build a fairer, more prosperous, greener city.”

Ray Foley, 55, took part in a free workshop on Sunday run by Stop Rosebank Sheffield. He had travelled from Derbyshire to take part.

After the event he said: “I feel completely energised. To have a month of debate is just brilliant. It’s the kind of thing we have to cherish.”

Events are running at a number of venues across the city until 30 May 2025.