More than 500 humanists from across the UK came together in Sheffield this weekend for Humanists UK’s 2025 Convention.
Held at Sheffield University’s Octagon Centre, the three-day event brought together thinkers, campaigners, scientists, artists, historians, and entertainers from across disciplines. It was a chance for delegates to explore new ideas, reflect on the challenges facing society, and strengthen a shared humanist commitment to building a tolerant world where rational thinking and kindness prevail.
The Convention opened with an uproarious comedy night emceed by the award-winning writer, comedian, and actor Olga Koch, and featuring acclaimed comedians Sean McLoughlin and Hannah Platt, whose razor-sharp routines reflected on identity, politics, and the absurdities of modern life.
Championing ideas for the one life we have
Over the weekend, a packed programme of talks and panels took delegates from the backroom power plays of Westminster to the vast, hidden forces that drive our planet’s oceans, and from the evolution of religion and ritual to the emerging ethical questions and debates around Big Data and artificial intelligence. Humanist philosopher Professor Richard Norman kicked off the weekend by exploring humanism itself, its guided principles, and how to put them into action to address urgent and critical issues. Author Will Storr examined how status-seeking drives human behaviour in irrational and dangerous directions. And economist Lord Richard Layard called for happiness and wellbeing to be made the guiding political principle of governments and societies.
A strong current of technological critique ran through the weekend, with speakers such as Professor Claudia Aradau, Ian Dunt, and Professor Kate Devlin warning against the rise of algorithmic systems that undermine autonomy and entrench inequality. Physicist Helen Czerski dazzled with insights into the invisible forces of the ocean, while evolutionary anthropologist Harvey Whitehouse examined how our ancient past still shapes global society and human cultures.
Panels also explored the work of Humanists UK and its sections, including Faith to Faithless – with members sharing stories of leaving controlling religious communities – and Humanists in Parliament, where All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group chair Lizzi Collinge MP spoke up on the importance of humanists organising in political parties and political institutions, and offering insights into ongoing humanist campaigns in Parliament for legal recognition of humanist marriages, a more compassionate assisted dying law, and abortion decriminalisation.
Historian Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley tackled the fraught debate around free speech and cancel culture. Other highlights included a live discussion of Thomas Huxley’s famous ‘piece of chalk’ lecture, a historical showcase of famous freethinkers by Paul ‘Polyp’ Fitzgerald and Madeleine Goodall, and a chilling deep dive into the intellectual roots of mass hysteria and witch hunts with folklorist and broadcaster Deborah Hyde.
As per tradition, a special Humanism in Action day conference for humanist volunteers and professionals – including school speakers, SACRE reps, celebrants, pastoral carers, dialogue volunteers, local organisers, and helpline handlers – preceded the official start of the Convention programme on Friday. Fringe activities across the weekend included a Humanist Heritage walking tour of Sheffield, dialogue workshops, awareness campaigning from Humanist Climate Action, and informal meetups organised by LGBT Humanists, Young Humanists, and Humanists UK Local Groups.
One of the most compelling moments of the Humanists UK Convention 2025 came from Professor Azeem Ibrahim, Senior Director at the New Lines Institute. His talk, Authoritarian Century: Omens of a Post-Liberal Future, delivered a sobering assessment of democracy’s fragility in the face of resurgent authoritarianism. With clarity and urgency, Prof. Ibrahim mapped the global landscape: the assertive rise of China, the destabilising reach of Vladimir Putin, and the populist surge undermining liberal democracies from within. At the heart of his analysis was a disturbing insight – how autocrats systematically weaponise conspiracy theories to erode truth, fracture civic trust, and consolidate power. Yet, amid these warnings, his message remained grounded in hope. Authoritarianism is not inevitable. Democracies still have agency if they act. His call to action was clear: resist exploitative technology deals that compromise democractic values and privacy, reverse voter suppression efforts, safeguard electoral integrity, and rebuild a shared standard of truth as the cornerstone of civic life.
The closing keynote on Sunday afternoon came from Katherine Stewart, a leading American investigative journalist and the author of Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. Her address was a searing exposé of the inner workings of the religious right in the United States – and its growing influence abroad. Stewart warned of the unprecedented global export of extreme Christian nationalism, describing how a well-funded political movement in the US has worked systematically to undermine democratic institutions, science, and education – everything from modern bans on papers that mention ‘inclusion’, ‘bias’, and ‘pollution’ in government-funded research through to the legal strategy that led to the overturning of Roe v Wade. She detailed how the attack on American democracy includes a calculated assault on science, with American evangelists targeting the UK as their main battleground in an attempt to replicate their model in Europe, with additional support coming from home-grown British media moguls. Closing her speech, Stewart urged humanists in the UK to press ahead with important liberal reforms to secure vital human rights and freedoms – such as the Assisted Dying Bill and renewed efforts to decriminalise abortion – and in the longer term to adopt strategic campaigns focused on enriching and supporting democratic norms, values, and institutions as they come under increasing assault from authoritarian populists.
At the Humanists UK AGM which followed the Convention, members heard reports of Humanists UK’s continued growth in turbulent economic times and of an unprecedentedly busy time for its public affairs team following the 2024 election. Members also voted to endorse a motion from Professor Richard Norman expressing solidarity with humanists and religious people of goodwill in the United States and around the world in the face of a resurgent Christian Nationalist religious right – the same forces Katherine Stewart had described in her Convention earlier that day.
Humanists UK announced that its 2026 Convention will take place in Bournemouth next summer. Tickets will go on sale later this year.
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Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 140,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.