Welcome to Ignite Talks – Sydney’s festival of fast and furious ideas!

Ignite Talks Sydney will be back in 2027 with its famously fast-paced presentations that are guaranteed to blow your mind and enlighten your thinking. Ignite Talks has become a staple fixture on Sydney’s cultural calendar thanks to its underground-music-venue setting and white-knuckle presentation format:

15 speakers
each talk is exactly 5 minutes
with exactly 20 slides
that auto-advance in exactly 15 seconds

The result is a fast-paced, high-energy evening designed to keep speakers on their toes and audiences leaning forward from start to finish. Equal parts entertainment and inspiration.

Our last event was Oct 27, 2026

Oxford Art Factory
38 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst

Photos and videos coming soon. Follow us on social media for updates.

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The Ignite Talks format:

Minutes

Each and every Ignite talk lasts exactly 5 minutes. No more, no less. Our speakers will enlighten you, and make it quick.

Slides

Each talk will have exactly 20 slides, no more no less.

Seconds

Each slide will auto advance 15 seconds. No clickers, just pure high wire presentation! What a thrill.

The 5 rules of Ignite Talks Sydney:

🤯

Blow our minds

⏰

Make it quick

🧟‍♀️

No clickers

🪡

Pitches get stitches

👏

Show support

Be prepared for a fun night of 15 lightning-fast talks. Talks delivered by people who know their stuff. Plot twist, their talks have to be exactly 5 minutes. Nothing like a time constraint to squeeze out the essence of someone’s knowledge. You will walk away energised, entertained and most definitely a little more enlightened.

Think you’ve got what it takes to hit the Ignite Talks Sydney stage?

Got an interesting story to tell? Know something that will blow peoples minds? Apply to speak. Note: Applications are closed for this years event. Register your interest below.

Apply to speak

Connect at Ignite Talks Sydney and you might just meet your next collaborator, mentor or friend.

Ignite Talks Sydney brings together a community of curious and ambitious people (just like you) for an epic night of music, drinks, food and 15 mind-blowing, high-energy talks.