The festival that wants to change the world in partnership with Byline Times.
Festival Partners
Festival of Europe, Frontline Club and Nova
Byline Festival is back
Byline Festival 2022 is confirmed to take place in London 29 April - 1 May. ACklam Village, North kensington. With the same mix of inquisitive journalism, free speech, comedy, music and all-round entertainment
Confirmed line up includes: Jonathan Pie, Joanna Scanlan, David Harewood, Carole Cadwalladr, Sanjeev Baskar, Lord Adebowale, Luke Harding, Dawn Butler MP, Anthony Barnett, Annette Ditter, Musa Okwonga, Bonnie Greer, Hardeep Matharu, Peter Jukes, Otto English, Ian Lucas, Sarah Churchwell, Rebecca Vincent, Lee Lawrence, Maria Purkiss, Salena Godden, Don Letts, The Citizens of the World Refugee Choir, Samba Band, United Strings of Europe, Tokyo Taboo and the House of Comedy.
Daily Highlights
Friday 29 April
This year the festival will be opened by Lord Adebowale at 3pm
Opening session: Friday Night Live Byline TV show live from the festival main stage hosted by Hardeep Matharu and Peter Jukes with special guests Brian Cathcart and Rebecca Vincent.
Followed by special After Dark Q&A with Peter Jukes and Carol Cadwalladr: ‘On the Frontline of the first great information war.’
Opening show: Launch of Festival of Europe by Tamsin Shasha and then Howard Goodall will introduce his specially written work played by United Strings of Europe.
Performance by Festival Poet Laureate Salena Godden.
Comedy with the House of Comedy
Music will include: Grant Sharkey brings his “Funky Political Folk”, pop rock solo act Milly Thimaras. Music up a pole by Tokyo Taboo
DJ set by the legendary Don Letts until midnight
Saturday 30 April
Gates open 9am
Panel discussions from 10am - 6pm in two speech venues.
Panel themes include: ‘Empire and Culture war’, ‘The corporate takeover of the NHS’, ‘Putin and Ukraine’, ‘Lessons from the pandemic’, ‘Black Lives Matter, where are we now?’, ‘Corrupt Britain’, ‘Post-Trump America’, ‘Problems with policing’ and ‘What next for COP?’
The School of Humanity experience will run all day
Byline Book Club: Hardeep Matharu in Conversation with Ian Lucas and Kyle Taylor
Festival favourite ‘Bad Press Awards’ chaired by Jonathan Pie, aided and abetted by Joanna Scanlan.
Comedy from the House of Comedy
Samba band parades through the festival venue and leads us on dancing
Acoustic Music from The Lost Trades and Mike Walsh
Dancing continues with Salsa Band
Chris Sullivan, founder of the WAG Club DJ’s until midnight
Sunday 1 May
Gates open 9am
Panel discussions from 10am - 6pm in two speech venues.
Panel themes include: ‘What the papers don’t say’ with Adam Bienkov, ‘Inequality, why rhetoric and not action'?’, ‘Big Tech and online harm’, ‘Rise of the Far Right around the world’, ‘Strengthening the constitution’, ‘What next for Afghanistan?’ by the Frontline Club, ‘Rise of China’ by the Frontline Club, ‘Islamophobia’, ‘Brexit Britain’ and ‘Rescuing the BBC’.
Yasmin is Yasmin The Whistle Blowers tour sponsored by Lovedesh
The School of Humanity experience will run all day
Fake History, Hardeep Matharu in conversation with Otto English
Conversation with Sanjeev Baskar
More comedy from the House of Comedy
Spot yourself in the Festival Video
Music on our outdoor stage from indie solo artist MeMe Detroit and punk rock from Argonaut.
Closing show with The Citizens of the World Refugee Choir ends at 10pm. Sponsored by WeAre8.
Acklam Village is under the Westway at the top of Portobello Road. It has two main venue areas and lots of outside space with a range of food trucks and two bars and has a real festival atmosphere.
We are proud to be supporting the local community and hope you will help us by bringing dry and canned foods to donate to the local foodbank. Your donations can be made at our information stall. We are donated 100 tickets to the local community with the help of Nova and funded by WeAre8.
Unfortunately, we do not have space for kids activities this year. Any under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult and leave the venue by 7:30pm due to licencing restrictions.