The London Podcast Festival 2021 has announced the first wave of events and guests for the sixth annual celebration of live podcasting at Kings Place 2 - 12 September
The festival will host special live editions of The Allusionist, Bad People, The Rest is History, Brown Baby Podcast, Kermode on Film, Beef & Dairy Podcast, Masala Podcast, Brian & Roger, Two Twos Podcast and many more, all taking place in front of an in-person audience
New ventures for the 2021 festival includes a partnership with BBC Sounds, Ella Watts and Felix Trench curating a day devoted to Audio Drama with live episodes of Wooden Overcoats and The Silt Verses and a special collaboration with a variety of US networks which will see live podcasts including Judge John Hodgman, FANTI and Tights and Fights streaming from the States
LPF will host the world premiere of Highlife Romance, a new rom-com written by Jacob Roberts-Mensah (DEM TIMES) and directed by Jessica Kalissa (Queens of Sheba)
London Podcast Festival is created by Kings Place and supported by our Partners, Acast, BBC Sounds and Spotify, with tickets going on sale from 2pm on 20 July
The first batch of events have gone on sale for the sixth annual London Podcast Festival. Produced by the UK’s home of live podcasting, Kings Place London, the festival runs from 2 - 12 September with a programme that celebrates the best in UK and international podcasting talent. With podcasting reaching an even bigger audience than before during the last eighteen months, this is a chance for the podcasting community - both the creators and the listeners - to come together and celebrate at this unique event. Taking place at Kings Place London in front of a live audience, the London Podcast Festival offers listeners the chance to be in the crowd for special live editions of the shows that have got them through this difficult time, meet the hosts and discover their next favourites. Highlights from the first batch of LPF 2021 shows announced - with many more guests, shows and surprises to be confirmed over the coming weeks - include:
- Dr Julia Shaw and comedian Sofie Hagen’s smash hit crime podcast Bad People (5 Sep), presented in a new festival partnership with BBC Sounds.
- The world premiere of Highlife Romance, a new romantic comedy-drama by Jacob Roberts-Mensah (DEM TIMES) with a live performance directed by Jessica Kaliisa (Queens of Sheba). It follows the budding relationship between Nana Akua, a British-Ghanaian Highlife music enthusiast, and Michael, a Native Ghanaian musician (11 Sep).
- Ella Watts and Felix Trench curating a full Audio Drama Day, including live shows from the likes of Wooden Overcoats to The Silt Verses, panels with the leading lights in audio fiction and listening posts to hear world premieres of brand new podcasts (5 Sep).
- An exciting new collaboration with a range of US podcast networks which will see a host of big name shows live streaming from across the pond. Maximum Fun shows FANTI (5 Sep), Tights and Fights(12 Sep) and Judge John Hodgman (9 Sep) - who brought his brand of fake legal wisdom to the first ever London Podcast Festival back in 2016- are confirmed, with more to be announced soon.
- The return of festival favourites Helen Zaltzman’s award-winning podcast on the wonders of language The Allusionist (4 Sep); the number one podcast for those involved or just interested in the production of beef animals and dairy herds Beef and Dairy Network (11 Sep); Jon Holmes with his round-up of the ultimate in disposable TV The One One Show Show (2 Sep); Empire Magazine with another secret guest from the big screen (11 Sep) and Harry Peacock and Dan Skinner as the recently-divorced Brian & Roger (5 Sep).
- LPF first-timers Masala Podcast discussing everything South Asian womxn are not supposed to, from sexuality to shame (11 Sep); Nikesh Shukla talking to fellow parents of brown babies on the Brown Baby Podcast (4 Sep); amateur quizzer Lucy Porter and The Chase’s very own Jenny Ryan with Fingers On Buzzers (11 Sep); Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook interrogating the past in The Rest Is History (10 Sep) and comedians Lou Conran and Sally-Anne Hayward deciding whether the drinks choice of their very special guest is worth a Spit or Swallow (10 Sep).
- Live episodes from some of the hottest voices in LGBTQ+ podcasting like London black lesbians Rose Frimpong and Nana Duncan delivering their unapologetic truth in Two Twos Podcast (3 Sep) and Scott Handcock meeting guests from across the community in From Queer To Eternity (9 Sep).
- The UK’s first dedicated podcast magazine Pod Bible handpicking a day of its favourite podcasts.
London Podcast Festival 2021 also sees the return of the Podcast Maker Weekend, supported by Spotify. Curated by Martin Austwick and Sarah Myles, the weekend offers high-quality, affordable and professional workshops and classes suitable for anyone interested in the industry. Whether you’re completely new to podcasting and want to know how to start, are looking for specialised classes to refine your art or inspiration from some of the most talented figures in UK and international audiomaking, the Podcaster Maker Weekend is for you.
Tickets for the first lot of events go on sale at 2pm today at kingsplace.co.uk with many more festival events to be announced over the coming weeks. Many events will also be available to watch online as a live stream via Kings Place’s KPlayer.
Zoe Jeyes, London Podcast Festival Producer and Programmer, said: “I am so excited that the 2021 London Podcast Festival brings together everything that we love about this unique event, and the best of what we learnt from our 2020 hybrid edition. As always Kings Place will have a line-up of the very best UK podcasts, alongside workshops, panels and special events. We’re continuing to stream much of the programme so audiences across the UK and around the world can be a part of the festival. We’re delivering on our reputation for bringing exciting international shows to the festival with digital events and watch parties. Collaboration continues to be a cornerstone of the festival, thanks to our amazing partners and curators, including Acast, Spotify and our brand new partner for 2021, BBC Sounds. The London Podcast Festival has always been a celebration of our amazing podcast community and this year that feels more important than ever. We can’t wait to see you there.”
Sam Shetabi, UK Content Director at Acast says: “There’s nothing quite like a live, in-person podcast show. It’s something all of us at Acast have missed over the past 18 months or so — and we know our creators and their fans have, too. We’re always proud to support The London Podcast Festival, and can’t wait to be part of things again this September.”
James Cator, Head of Studios, Spotify UK and Ireland, comments: “To be a part of the London Podcast Festival on the Podcast Maker Weekend this year is another important moment for us at Spotify. As the UK’s most popular audio platform and given our commitment to championing new and diverse voices, we’re excited to see some of the biggest and brightest rising stars on the podcasting scene providing both inspiration and entertainment across the course of the weekend. We’re looking forward to helping people get stuck into our workshops, and no doubt unlocking some great new talent."
A-Z Shows Confirmed For London Podcast Festival 2021 So Far
Bad People
Beef and Dairy Network Podcast
Brian and Rodger
Brown Baby Podcast
Clash of the Titles
FANTI
Fingers on Buzzers
Friends with Friends
From Queer to Eternity
Girls on Film
Highlife Romance
Inside the Comedian
Kermode on Film
Masala Podcast
Mockery Manor
My Mate Bought a Toaster
Radio Elusia
Richard and Greta
Spit or Swallow
The Allusionist
The Battersea Poltergeist
The Empire Film Podcast
The MSG Pod
The Rest is History
The Silt Verses
The The One Show Show
Tights and Fights
Two Twos Podcast
Wooden Overcoats
Wrestle Me
Beef & Dairy picture: Viktor Erik Emanuel
