Cardiff University named as Wales’ hub for national festival of humanities
23 June 2026
Cardiff University has once again been chosen as one of five flagship hubs across the UK for a public celebration of humanities research.
Being Human Festival is an annual UK-wide event that celebrates the ways humanities and social science research inspires and enriches our everyday lives, helping us to understand ourselves, our community, and the challenges we face in a changing world.
In collaboration with the University of South Wales, the festival fosters public engagement with the humanities and social sciences by hosting and supporting public events, along with building skills and capacity within the education sector to keep public engagement innovative, relevant, and at the forefront of what universities deliver for and alongside our local communities.
Taking place from 5 - 14 November, Being Human 2026 marks the 12th year of the festival.
Hundreds of free public events across the UK will take place to celebrate how the humanities make a difference to the world and to our lives. Events are delivered by organisers from the higher education sector, in collaboration with local cultural and community partners.
This year’s festival theme is ‘Crossroads: a place of decision, encounter, and consequence’. Researchers from Cardiff University and the University of South Wales are planning a wide range of events delving into where paths meet and history turns, to explore crossroads as spaces of encounter, change, and decision.
Dr Kate Moles, Festival Academic Lead for Cardiff University, said: “We are once again delighted to have been chosen as a flagship hub for Being Human Festival, working with the University of South Wales.”
We have exciting plans for a celebration day full of engaging activities that represent the vibrancy of our humanities and social science research and public engagement, as well as events for sanctuary seekers and local schools. We look forward to welcoming people to the festival.
Dr Márta Minier, Festival Academic Co-lead for the University of South Wales, said: “We are delighted to showcase some of our cutting-edge arts and humanities research and innovation to the wider public. The USW contributions to this year’s festival demonstrate the community-focused and co-produced work that takes place in the Faculty of Business and Creative Industries. While we have featured in Being Human several times, it is the first time that we are part of a flagship hub. We look forward to working closely with Cardiff University on this excellent project.”
Read the impact of our 2025 Being Human festival in collaboration with Swansea University.
The full 2026 festival programme and ways to get involved will be published shortly.
Being Human is led by the School of Advanced Study at the University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. Further information at www.beinghumanfestival.org
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