The Aspen Ideas Festival Is The Summer Culture Dose You Didn’t Know You Needed

Patagonia CEO, Ryan Gellert, Katie Couric, Eric Schmidt, Rainn Wilson, and Chris Evert. These are only a sliver of the boldface names which will be in Aspen from June 21-June 30th speaking at this year’s Aspen Ideas Festival.

More than 100 speakers from a wide array of fields, including Newberry Medal-winning authors to leaders in academia to Nobel prize-winning astrophysicists, will come together in the Colorado ski town to speak at the festival hosted by the Aspen Institute with NBCUniversal News Group.

The idea is to create immersive conversations and experiences around the ideas and issues which define the times and invite guests and speakers to “think big and get inspired.” It’s the materialization of the Aspen Institute’s mission to realizing a “free, just, and equitable society.”

Since 1949, the Institute has dedicated itself to this mission through a commitment solution-oriented change affecting the most important issues which face the US, and the world. They do this through events such as the festival where leadership melds with dialogue and calls to action, all of which materializes through its culture-shaping conversation.

The festival is known for its in-depth yet intimate vibe which is broken into three parts. The first segment of the 2023 festival is focused on health and runs from June 21-24, while the other two segments are titled Festival 1 and Festival 2 and run from June 24-27 and June 27-30, respectively.

While Aspen may be known as one of the most notable towns for winter activity in the US, lovers of the town and locals alike are most proud of its summertime programming. Aspen is a place whose strong values towards art, culture, and intellectual discovery comes to life in the summer months, and this year’s Aspen Ideas Festival is no exception.

The content for the 2023 festival covers 8 different themes which the organizers feel reflect the current times and will act as a catalyst for conversation amongst its attendees and speakers. This year’s topics explore everything from geopolitics to the latest developments in science and culture.

To see the 2023 themes of the Aspen Ideas Festival along with information on how to attend and the full list of speakers, take a look below:

We the People

If America was founded upon ideas and not identities, what happens if we become a nation of tribes that cannot agree upon our unifying beliefs? Can we form a “more perfect union”?

Edge of Intelligence

From Artificial Intelligence to space and the deep sea, what can we learn from innovators at the edges of science and technology?

Age of Uncertainty: Imagining a New World Order

The international community faces unprecedented threats. What will geopolitical arrangements look like going forward?

Life Well Lived

From the earliest philosophers and in all religious traditions, humankind has long explored what gives our lives shape and meaning. What makes life in the 21st century worth living?

Driving the Economy Forward

In a volatile and rapidly changing economy, how do we sustain growth?

Powering the Future

What energy innovations will steer us toward net-zero, and how fast? What are the obstacles and tradeoffs?

The Mind

We’re living in what’s been called the “golden age of neuroscience.” What could this mean for human thriving?

Viewpoints

This open-ended track gives a broad spectrum to explore trends, game changers, newsmakers, and other pressing issues of the day.

Passes for the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival are available on the Institute’s website and offers special pricing for attendees under age 40 as well as for students. A complete list of confirmed speakers is available here.