Aspen Ideas Festival 2020 Schedule

Join us and engage your friends, colleagues, and family for a set of conversations and ideas that are relevant to the times we live in and the future we face.

Beginning June 28, the Aspen Ideas Festival will host a robust daily lineup of speakers — streaming for free. Tune in daily at 7pm ET from June 28 – July 2. Each day of programming will be 90 minutes in length.

All of the conversations will be available to view on our website after the programs initially broadcast. The schedule below is subject to change.

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Hear about the latest Covid-19 developments, the ongoing fight for voter rights, and how music can change minds. Watch day 1.

7PM ET
Conversation
Stacey Abrams and Brittany Packnett Cunningham
Big Idea
Neal Katyal

7:26 ET
Conversation
David Byrne and Darren Walker
Big Idea
Caryl Stern

7:51 ET
Performance
Yefim Bronfman

7:55 ET
Conversation
Anthony Fauci and Elizabeth Cohen
Big Idea
Emma Robbins

8:18 ET
Special Message
Dan Porterfield

Can artificial intelligence help us prepare for the next pandemic? You’ll also hear about freedom of the press and leadership in the United States. Special performance by Jon Batiste. Watch Day 2.

7 PM ET
Conversation
Kai-Fu Lee and Nicholas Thompson
Big Idea
Adaora Okoli

7:25 PM ET
Conversation
Maria Ressa and Lulu Garcia-Navarro
Big Idea
Sandy Speicher
Performance
Grant Weimer, youth poet

7:40 PM ET
Conversation
William McRaven and Andrea Mitchell
Big Idea
Lata Reddy

8:05 PM ET
Performance
Jon Batiste

Hear about the pace of innovation in producing and distributing a vaccine for Covid-19. How do the arts help us understand this cultural moment and ground us in historical context? What is America's role on the global stage? Special performance by Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. Watch Day 3.

7 PM ET
Conversation
Bill Gates and Stephanie Mehta
Big Idea
Ariana Tulay

7:30 PM ET
Conversation
Anna Deavere Smith and Yuval Sharon with Kate D. Levin
Big Idea
Mark S. Zaid

8 PM ET
Conversation
Madeleine Albright and Nicholas Burns
Big Ideas
Kenneth L. Davis and Helen Egger

8:25 PM ET
Performance
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

The mayor of Atlanta opens up. How will CRISPR change our approach to disease? Get a glimpse of the life of Winston Churchill and his ability to unite. Hear about the future of the economy. Watch Day 4.

7 PM ET
Conversation
Keisha Lance Bottoms and Angela Rye
Big Idea
Lakshmi Karan

7:30 PM ET
Conversation
Walter Isaacson and Susan Goldberg
Big Idea
Leah Thomas

7:45 PM ET
Conversation
Erik Larson and John McWhorter
Performance
Jo Altmaier, youth poet

8 PM ET
Conversation
Henry Paulson, Jr. and Gillian Tett
Big Idea
Connie Evans

8:30 PM ET
Performance
Emily Birsan

How will China's political and economic rise affect American diplomacy? We examine racial oppression in America; our significance on the cosmological timeline; and whether language is a viable tool to help remake our world. Watch Day 5.

7 PM ET
Conversation
Mitt Romney and Lanhee Chen
Big Ideas
Zinhle Essamuah, Marla Blow

7:30 PM ET
Conversation
Alicia Garza and Michael Eric Dyson with Eugene Scott

7:55 PM ET
Performance
Robert McDuffie

8 PM ET
Conversation
Brian Greene and Dan Porterfield
Big Idea
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

8:20 PM ET
Conversation
Lulu Miller and Krista Tippett

Thanks to Aspen Institute staff and many others for helping create a first-of-its-kind Aspen Ideas Festival in 2020.