Gisèle Pelicot and Tarana Burke Will Headline WOW London Festival 2027

WOW - Women of the World has announced the initial line up for the WOW London Festival; the world's biggest festival celebrating women, girls and non-binary people which will return to London from 5 - 7 March to mark International Women's Day 2027.

Across three days WOW - Women of the World will take over the Southbank Centre with a packed line-up including world class speakers, inspirational activists, musicians, artists and comedians for discussions, workshops, performances and debates.

Headlining the Friday night, WOW presents two of the most influential names in gender equity, French activist and author Gisèle Pelicot and US activist and founder of the #MeToo movement Tarana Burke in conversation, hosted by WOW Founder Jude Kelly.

Ten years ago, the MeToo hashtag sparked a global movement for change. In 2024, Gisèle Pelicot made the extraordinary decision to waive her anonymity, igniting a new reckoning around sexual violence. Her ground-breaking memoir of survival and hope, A Hymn to Life, was a number one bestseller on hardback publication, and Pelicot joins WOW on its paperback launch.

For more than 25 years, activist, advocate and author Tarana Burke has worked at the intersection of  sexual violence and racial justice. Alongside founding Me Too in 2006, Tarana is the Chief Vision Officer at me too. International and the Co-Chair of All In, a coalition of global leaders committed to ending gender-based violence, who are united to accelerate progress.

Now for the first time together Pelicot and Burke share the stage to reflect on their stories, to explore how shame begins to change sides, and what it takes to build a world where justice is possible. The conversation will be led by WOW Founder Jude Kelly, and will cover power, truth, solidarity, and the role each of us plays in shaping what comes next. 

Tarana Burke, Chief Vision Officer at me too. International commented, “I'm so excited to join WOW again and be in conversation with Gisèle Pelicot, who is an inspiration for all of us. I'm looking forward to bringing this critical conversation about autonomy and safety to the WOW audience.”

Jude Kelly, Founder of WOW - Women of the World Foundation commented, “We are delighted to be bringing the WOW Festival back to London in 2027 for what will be a truly unforgettable festival – bringing thousands of people of all genders together to explore how to imagine and build an equal world. For more than 15 years, WOW - Women of the World has brought people together in cities across the world, from Sydney to Karachi and Rio, to have meaningful and open conversations. As always, we'll be discussing the most critical subjects of our time alongside moments of pure joy and celebration.

"To welcome Gisèle Pelicot and Tarana Burke to the stage, together for the first time, is an honour. Their extraordinary work exploring justice, courage and the impact of collective action is vital as we work together to shape the future of gender equality."

Alongside the headline event, festival Day Passes will be available each day featuring a packed schedule of talks, workshops, performances and more. Audiences will be able to explore topics including everything from trad wives, vibe coding, glass cliffs, pay, sex, tech, disability rights and access, consent, the future of work, young people's activism and more, all under one roof as the festival encourages participants to look together at the world today. As part of the Day Pass programme, WOW 365, the organisation's new digital membership platform, will have its own dedicated stage for the first time, with specific programming to be announced.

Elsewhere, and bringing together WOW's other festivals, Shameless! and Boys and Men into WOW London for the first time, festival-goers can also choose to explore their themes. There will be dedicated talks from Shameless!, WOW's festival exploring how to end sexual violence, and from Boys and Men, the organisation's strand of work inviting men to join the fight for gender equality and exploring everything from men's caring responsibilities to tackling the manosphere. Day Pass programming and line-up will be announced in the coming months.

Early Bird tickets for Gisèle Pelicot and Tarana Burke in Conversation go on general sale this Friday (following Southbank Centre and WOW 365 Member pre-sales), with 10% of tickets for Gisèle Pelicot and Tarana Burke priced at £10. A strictly limited number of discounted Early Bird Day Passes for Friday, Saturday and Sunday will also be released this week.

As a key part of planning every WOW Festival across the world, WOW Think Ins will take place prior to the 2027 festival. These are friendly events designed for anyone to have a chance to have a say on the WOW Festival programme. WOW London's 2027 Think Ins take place on 9 September 2026 at The Book Elephant, 11 September 2026 at Soho Theatre Walthamstow, 18 September at Havas Village London, and 9 October 2026 at the Southbank Centre's Sunley Pavilion. There will also be a virtual WOW Think In on 14 September 2026.

Founded by Jude Kelly, WOW is a global alliance of 33 partners working together to drive an equal and inclusive future for women, girls and non-binary people. Since its inception in 2010, WOW has delivered 150 festivals and programmes, across 71 places and six continents, inspiring millions of participants to take action and make change.

Attracting five million people worldwide to date, WOW has supported thousands of activists, brought previously taboo subjects into mainstream dialogue and acted as a catalyst for the launch and success of countless campaigns. WOW's unique methodology connects a diverse range of people and audiences to a multitude of stories and perspectives, both informing and galvanising them to make positive change, including through WOW 365, its new digital events platform offering people the WOW Festival feeling all year round.

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