The Financial Times is hosting its inaugural FTWeekend Festival: US Edition at THE REACH at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C on Saturday, May 7. The launch of the US edition follows the success of the annual FTWeekend Festival in London.
The Festival will showcase the best of FT and FTWeekend journalism, exploring big ideas in politics, economics, climate and culture. Topics range from the new world order and fresh perspectives on communism and capitalism, to style in a post-Covid world, writing in an age of intolerance and southern cuisine.
The Festival will feature world-renowned experts and commentators, including veteran statesman Henry Kissinger; award-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; author of The Palace Papers Tina Brown; historian Simon Schama; and restaurateur Daniel Humm. Alongside these speakers, some of the FT's most distinguished journalists will take the stage, including editor Roula Khalaf; US managing editor Peter Spiegel; US editor-at-large Gillian Tett; and chief economics commentator Martin Wolf; FTWeekend editor Alec Russell; and How to Spend It editor Jo Ellison.
Alec Russell, FTWeekend editor, said, “Since hosting the first FTWeekend Festival six years ago, I’ve dreamed of taking it to an international stage and Washington D.C was always my first choice for our debut outside the UK. It's the ideal venue to take on the issues roiling the world.”
Orson Francescone, managing director of FT Live, said, “We are thrilled to bring the first FTWeekend Festival to the US this spring to showcase the depth and breadth of FT journalism. The US festival is an important part of our effort to attract new audiences in the US, so we look forward to hosting an event where our guests can interact with FT journalists and the impressive array of speakers that FT Live attracts.”
More information and Festival passes are available at ftweekendfestival.com.
ENDS
For further information, please contact: Molly Eisner | molly.eisner@ft.com
Notes to Editors
FTWeekend Festival: US Edition is presented in coordination with the Kennedy Center Campus Rentals Office and is not produced by the Kennedy Center.
About the FTWeekend
FTWeekend Magazine is an eclectic mix of evocative stories and powerful photography, with investigations and features which span everything from global news to business and gastronomy to culture and sport. This publication is designed to entertain and inform; our readers can be sure to make the most of their leisure time with its uniquely stimulating combination of news and lifestyle features.
About the Financial Times
The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading business news organisations, recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. The FT has a record paying readership of 1.2 million, more than one million of which are digital subscriptions. It is part of Nikkei Inc., which provides a broad range of information, news and services for the global business community.