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All About Women Returns with a Powerhouse 2026 Lineup
Jacinda Ardern, Zadie Smith, Emily Maitlis and Laila Lalami headline the Sydney Opera House’s flagship festival celebrating ideas, equality and global change-makers.
The Sydney Opera House’s landmark All About Women festival is set to return on Sunday March 8th 2026, unveiling a formidable first line-up of global thinkers, storytellers and changemakers. Now in its fourteenth year, the annual festival will once again transform the iconic precinct into a vibrant hub of ideas, debate and community, coinciding, as always, with International Women’s Day.
This year’s program opens with an impressive roster of headline speakers who have each shaped conversations around politics, culture, identity and justice in their respective fields. Leading the charge is former Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern (she/her), appearing fresh off the global success of her 2025 documentary and bestselling memoir. Known for her empathetic and decisive leadership, Ardern will explore what it means to redefine power in an era demanding compassion, clarity and courage, and what the future might hold for women in leadership around the world.
Joining her is one of Britain’s most celebrated literary voices, Zadie Smith (she/her). Renowned for her sharp intellect and cultural insight, Smith will unpack the chaos and contradictions of modern life, from politics to pop culture, while reflecting on her newly released essay collection, Dead and Alive.
In a session set to draw national attention, acclaimed journalist Emily Maitlis (she/her), best known for her headline-making interview with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, turns her lens to journalism’s vital role in accountability, truth-telling and public trust. Now hosting the hit podcast The News Agents, Maitlis brings decades of experience reporting on presidents, prime ministers and royalty.
Rounding out the initial announcement is Moroccan-American novelist and essayist Laila Lalami (she/her), celebrated for works that interrogate identity, migration and belonging. She will discuss her latest release The Dream Hotel, alongside her broader body of acclaimed fiction and non-fiction.
The 2026 program is led by Head of Talks & Ideas Chip Rolley (he/him), Director of Programming Brenna Hobson (she/her) and Senior Producer Fleur Mitchell (she/her), who together have curated a line-up defined by breadth, ambition and global resonance.
The full schedule of speakers, panels and workshops will be revealed in January 2026.
All About Women 2026 takes place Sunday March 8th at the Sydney Opera House. Tickets start from $35. Discover more here.
