With the UK in the midst of lockdown, the little festival with big ideas, ALSO, has taken the bold step to move its packed programme online. ALSO has today launched its first fully digital festival, providing a weekend of content for the covidly-incarcerated.

From 15th – 17th May 2020, an incredible offering of ALSO’s talks and workshops will take place entirely online, with the physical festival being postponed until 29th – 31st August. Tickets for the virtual only festival are available online now.

ALSO’s digital line up will offer online visitors the very finest in big ideas, music masterclasses, food-based festivities, comedy, wellness and at home experiences, providing a weekend of curated entertainment to help break free from monotony. The initial line up is available online, with further speakers, acts and workshops being added in the coming weeks. Highlights include:

TALKS

Big ideas are huge at DigitALSO, with the line up already offering an extensive array of speakers including award-winning social geographer, Prof Danny Dorling who will be talking guests through his big ideas on how to make the most of this slowdown and award-winning science writer Gaia Vince will help us reflect on the way we now want to evolve beyond the pandemic.

Lauren Bravo heads up the ‘fast fashion’ theme, making listeners look again at the industry of clothes and Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter explains how ‘The Art of Statistics’ can help you look at the wealth of information currently overloading audiences around the world and how best to navigate a way through to the truth.

Claudia Hammond will invite listeners all to use their newly found free time to re-establish a positive relationship with rest and recovery; two essential components for our health and well-being, and our in-festival Professor of Theoretical Physics from Trinity College, Cambridge, David Tong, will invite digital goers to turn our gaze to the skies during this challenging time.

FOOD

Food has always been at the heart of ALSO’s festivals and the digital edition is no different. On Sunday afternoon festival goers will be brought together as we recreate one of our favourite ALSO moments, the Balearic Brunch. ALSO’s resident chefs James Knight and Rebecca Otero will join us from Ibiza to host a paella masterclass from the sunshine to help viewers a taste of sunshine into their homes.

WELLNESS

Wellness couldn’t be higher on the agenda for ALSO’s digital addition, with the programme offering it in abundance. From Chandra Namaskar with Freya Edmondson, to calming and rejuvenating candlelit meditations with Sarah from Sankalpa, to an immersive version of ALSO’s much loved wild swimming and the art of forest bathing, all available to participate in from home.

COMEDY

ALSO will be bringing it’s much loved comedy to the digital celebration with festival favourite, Gallic Symbol, Marcel Lucont, who will be bringing his wine and joining viewers online to host a special version of his acclaimed cabaret show. Master absurdist comedian, John Luke Roberts, will be bringing his ‘Terrible Wonderful Adaptations’ show to the digital celebration, wrangling together some of the best comedians and idiots to create a never-before-seen adaptation of an unadaptable text. Alexis Dubus will also be joining the line up, hosting The Comedy Campfire, which will feature UK-based and international comedians sharing tales from their very own campfires.

MUSIC

Mastering a new skill has become a requisite of lockdown life and ALSO Digital guests will be afforded an excellent opportunity to hone new skills to wow family and friends during their new online meet up. ALSO’s resident vocal coach (known widely for her work on The Voice UK, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show) and festival co-founder, Juliet Russell, will be hosting masterclasses for karaoke classics across the weekend. For those looking for an extra challenge, former UK garage MC and vocalist extraordinaire, Flexie Muiso, will be teaching viewers how to Beatbox Like A Pro. Plus, the festival favourite Lip Synch battles is back for a very special digital edition and is set to be judged by ALSO’s incredible expert panel, Jai Ramage (UK Eurovision Judging panel, The Vamps’ coach, The Voice Kids) and Jono McNeil (Performer and Vocal Coach, The Voice Kids). Submissions are open now!

Music programming is further bolstered with Liam Walker’s sublime guitar playing and atmospheric vocals, a virtual orchestra experience from the Real String Orchestra and DJ sets from Lover and a Friend, and DJ Vertigo will be bringing ALSO’s beloved late night bunker sessions to COVID-19 lockdown.

EXPERIENCES

Having new experiences is the core of any ALSO event and no digital edition would be complete without offering festival goers the experience to have a go at something new. ALSO Digital has partnered with ‘making made easy’ experts, Yodomo, to deliver live workshops and demonstrations across the weekend for viewers to get involved with and try their hand at something new. The programme will be further bolstered with returning ALSO-favourites including rave yoga, songwriting with Sophie Garner and ALSO’s Great Big Fat Frontroom Festival Quiz.

Tickets for the virtual only festival are available online now. Tickets already purchased for the physical festival will grant access to both the virtual festival and the newly confirmed August dates.