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The Skoll World Forum shines a spotlight on some of the most promising solutions to the world’s most pressing problems, and connects the leaders driving social progress. Each year it brings together more than 1,500 delegates from the public and private sectors, philanthropy, media, academia, and the arts. More than half are social entrepreneurs and other innovators, working on issues such as global health, climate action, and economic opportunity.

The Forum is curated by the Skoll Foundation, and in-person attendance is by invitation. Joining online is free and open to everyone. Get a feel for the week from this previous highlights film.

Timeline of Important Dates

If you’re attending the Forum in person, please make note of the following dates. We’ll send occasional reminders by email to help you stay on track.

1. December and January Register as early as you can: an invitation isn’t a confirmed place, and the Forum reaches capacity every year.
2. As soon as you’ve registered Book travel and lodging; Oxford fills up well before April. Check your passport and whether you need a visa or an ETA.
3. Early January Applications to host a Marmalade Festival session close on Wednesday 13 January.
4. Early February The Forum microsite opens. Browse confirmed sessions and speakers, see who’s attending, and connect with fellow delegates on social media.
5. Friday 12 March Tell us about any accessibility needs, including accessible seating, transport, and interpretation.
6. Mid-March The full program and the Skoll World Forum app go live. Build your agenda, connect with other delegates, and invite your networks to join online.
7. Tuesday 6 April Arrive in Oxford and collect your badge at Saïd Business School. Registration and badge pick up for the Forum begins at 9am on Tuesday morning.
8. Tuesday 6 April - Thursday 8 April Engage in the Skoll World Forum in Oxford or online.
9. Friday 9 April Travel day. There’s no Forum programming on this day, but those in town can still attend programming at the Marmalade Festival, The Sidebar, or other independent events throughout town.

The week at a glance

This overview is for travel planning. The full program, with speakers, rooms, and times, will be available on the Forum microsite and in the app from mid-March. Sessions and workshops take place at Saïd Business School; the three plenaries, a mix of keynotes, conversations, and performances, are at New Theatre.

Monday 5 April: arrival day

There is no formal Forum programming taking place on Monday. For those in town, we encourage you to enjoy independent programming hosted by our partners at the Marmalade Festival or The Sidebar.

The 2027 Skoll Awardees are announced in late March, ahead of the Forum.

Invitations and fees

The Forum is invitation-only, curated to bring together a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives from around the world. If you’ve received an invitation, register using the link in it. Invitations go out in batches in December and January, and an invitation isn’t a confirmed place until you’ve registered. The Forum reaches capacity every year.

Delegate fees

Fees are tiered so that people can take part from around the world: higher-tier fees make it possible for civic and entrepreneurial leaders to attend at a lower rate. Your fee covers all Forum programming and meals across the three Forum days. It doesn’t include travel or lodging.

All fees are charged in U.S. dollars plus 20% Value Added Tax (VAT), which the U.K. government requires us to charge on every Forum registration. Some delegates can reclaim this VAT from the U.K. government by submitting a valid claim before the statutory deadline. Speakers’ registration fees are waived, and joining online is free.

Deadlines, transfers, and refunds

• Registration will close when the Forum reaches capacity. Please register as soon as your plans to attend are confirmed.
• We review invitation transfer requests case by case until registration closes.
• We refund registration fees for cancellations received by Wednesday 10 March. After that we review requests case by case, and decisions may not be made until after the Forum. PayPal’s transfer fees apply to refunds.
• To cancel, transfer your invitation, or switch to joining online only, email registration@skoll.org.

Getting to Oxford

Entering the U.K.

Everyone needs either a U.K. visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before traveling, unless you hold British or Irish citizenship. Your passport must be valid for your whole stay; we recommend at least six months’ validity.

• ETA: check whether you’re eligible, then apply online or through the UK ETA app, which is fastest. Processing typically takes about three days, and covers multiple short visits for two years on the same passport. It must be approved before you travel. You don’t need one if you already have a U.K. visa.
• Visa: check whether you need one, then apply for a Standard Visitor visa as early as you can. If you need a visa support letter confirming your attendance, email registration@skoll.org.

Arrival from the airport

Oxford is about 90 minutes from London Heathrow (LHR) and 2 to 2.5 hours from Gatwick (LGW).

• Train: the quickest option from London. Take the Heathrow Express to Paddington (15 minutes), then a train to Oxford (about 60 minutes, around £30 one way). Oxford station is directly across from Saïd Business School.
• Coach: The Airline runs from Heathrow to Oxford every 20 to 30 minutes and takes about 90 minutes. A return fare is around £30.
• Taxi or car: about £160 for a taxi from Heathrow, or £70 to £120 for a pre-booked car or Uber, taking about 60 minutes. Local firms include Oxfordshire Chauffeurs and Airport Pickups London.

If you use a wheelchair or have other mobility needs, we can help with airport transport: see Accessibility and inclusion.

Getting around Oxford

Oxford’s center is compact and most Forum events are a short walk apart, though its cobbled streets, narrow paths, and uneven pavements can be hard going with a wheelchair, walker, or visual impairment. For local transport options, see Oxford Travel Options.

If you use a wheelchair or have other mobility needs, we can help with travel between Forum venues. See Accessibility and Inclusion section.

Where to stay

Book as early as you can: lodging in Oxford fills up quickly during Forum week. Check a map before you book. Staying within walking distance of Saïd Business School and New Theatre makes the week much easier.

Accommodation list.

At the Forum

Collecting your badge

You’ll need your badge for all Forum events. Collect it in the lobby of Saïd Business School from 9am on Tuesday morning, then from 8:00am on Wednesday and Thursday. Forum stewards will help you, and the Help Desk in the lobby is there all week.

Where things happen

• Saïd Business School: registration, sessions, workshops, meals, the Collaboration Café, and two marquees for coffee and conversation.
• New Theatre: the Opening Plenary (Tuesday), the Awards Ceremony (Wednesday), and the Closing Plenary (Thursday).
• Schwarzman Centre: the Skoll Awards Reception (Wednesday).
• Town Hall: the Closing Party (Thursday).

Your agenda and the app

From mid-March, download the Skoll World Forum app on iOS or Android, or use the Attendee Hub in the microsite, to build your agenda and message other delegates. Log in with the email you registered with; we’ll email you a verification code from registration@skoll.org. Set the app to Oxford time once you arrive. The app stays open for a while after the Forum, and we’ll let you know before it closes for the year.

Meeting people

Forum week is a time for both intentional and serendipitous connections. We encourage every delegate, and especially those of you who fund and scale this work, to be generous with your time outside sessions.

• Meetings: use the communal spaces at Saïd Business School (the Courtyard Marquee, Common Room, Collaboration Café, and Club Room), or ask the Help Desk about booking a room.
• Evenings: Expand your network at an Oxford College Dinner, the Awards Reception, the Closing Party, and independently organized events across the week.

Leave some space in your schedule for rest. Some of the best connections happen on unplanned walks around Oxford.

Food

Meals across the three Forum days are included in your registration. Menus are locally sourced and include chicken and fish but no red meat, which helps reduce the Forum’s footprint. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options are always available, and we label allergens wherever we can. If you shared dietary needs when you registered, you’ll get a card to show catering staff at formal dinners. For anything else, visit the Help Desk.

What to bring and wear

April in Oxford ranges from about 5°C to 15°C (40°F to 60°F), so pack a raincoat, an umbrella, and a warm layer. Delegates dress from smart casual to professional, and some wear cultural or other traditional attire. You’ll walk a fair amount each day, so wear comfortable shoes. Bring headphones and a phone for live translation, a refillable water bottle, and a U.K. plug adapter (type G).

Accessibility and inclusion

We want every delegate to be able to take part fully. When you register we’ll ask about your needs; with advance notice we can arrange dedicated assistance, accessible seating and transport, headphones for hearing amplification, sign language interpretation, and more. Please include any accessibility needs when you register, or afterwards by emailing registration@skoll.org as soon as possible.

Getting around

Oxford’s cobbled streets, narrow paths, and uneven pavements can be challenging for people who use wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids, and for people with visual impairments. We offer three kinds of support for delegates with mobility needs:

• Airport transport between the airport and Oxford.
• A daily shuttle from the Leonardo Royal Hotel to Saïd Business School each morning, and back each evening.
• A needs-based stipend for accessible taxis between Forum events. Oxford’s black cabs are wheelchair accessible, with ramps, and there’s a taxi rank right next to Saïd Business School.

To request any of these, email registration@skoll.org describing what you need (for example, your wheelchair’s dimensions) and we’ll come back to you with options.

At New Theatre

We reserve accessible seating in New Theatre, including seats for care companions, for the Opening Plenary, Awards Ceremony, and Closing Plenary. When you register and indicate your accessibility requirements, we will reach out to you directly to understand your needs and how to most comfortably accommodate you in New Theatre, and arrive 15 minutes before doors open for general seating (45 minutes before the listed start) so our team can seat you comfortably.

Translation and interpretation

• Live translation: AI-powered translation from Wordly is available to everyone, in person and online, through your browser or the app. Bring headphones and a phone.
• Sign language: American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation is provided at the Opening Plenary, Awards Ceremony, and Closing Plenary upon request. If you need ASL or International Sign and didn’t say so when you registered, email us as early as you can at registration@skoll.org.
• Non-visual resources: we can provide digital, screen-reader-friendly copies of registration and other materials on request.

At Saïd Business School

• Several registration and service counters are at wheelchair-accessible height.
• There’s at least one accessible toilet on each floor, and two gender-neutral bathrooms, one on each side of the Common Room.
• The Thatcher Business and Education Centre (TBEC) wing of the Saïd Business School has two fire escapes with two wheelchair refuges on each floor.

Wellness, quiet, and prayer

• Wellness Room: in the TBEC wing, open to all delegates for prayer, yoga, meditation, breathwork, or other practices. Come and go as you like; chairs, cushions, and mats are provided.
• Morning mindfulness sessions: Wednesday and Thursday, 9:00 to 9:45am, at Saïd Business School. Space is limited, so please arrive on time.
• Quiet Tables: a few tables in both marquees are set aside for anyone who needs a quiet moment. Please keep conversation to a minimum there.
• Prayer room: Saïd Business School’s own prayer room is open to delegates; ask the Help Desk how to access it.

Venue access guides: Saïd Business School, New Theatre, Schwarzman Centre, Town Hall.

Families

Nursing rooms

Saïd Business School has two nursing rooms: a private room off the main lobby with a chair and fridge, and a room on the second floor of the TBEC wing with a changing board, sink, and fridge. Ask at the Help Desk in either building for a security pass and directions.

Bringing your baby or child to sessions

You’re welcome to bring a baby or young child into sessions at Saïd Business School. If your child becomes unsettled, please step out so the room and recordings stay focused; we’ll have other spaces where you can follow sessions by livestream. New Theatre doesn’t admit children under 5 to plenaries.

Family Room

We will have a dedicated Family Room in the TBEC wing of Saïd Business School with toys and games, where parents can spend time with their children between sessions. It isn’t supervised, and a registered delegate must be with their guests at all times. Caregivers coming into the building need to sign a waiver and collect a guest pass from the registration desk in the lobby.

Childcare

The Forum doesn’t provide childcare. Options in and around Oxford include Care.com, childcare.co.uk, Oxford and London Sitters, and Oxford Active day camps. We share these links only for convenience and don’t review or endorse these services.

Health, safety, and conduct

Staying well

Please be up to date on your vaccinations before you travel. If you feel unwell during the week, don’t come to in-person events, and email registration@skoll.org: we can drop off a care package of food and essentials, and you can follow plenaries and sessions in the app. For medical advice, call 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk. Visitors are usually not eligible for free NHS treatment, and you’re responsible for any extra costs if you need to extend your stay.

Our code of conduct

The Skoll Foundation is committed to an environment free of harassment, discrimination, and threatening or disrespectful behavior, so that every delegate can take part fully. Read our code of conduct and community guidelines, and report any concern through our anonymous EthicsPoint hotline, run by an independent provider.

Forum Week in Oxford

Each spring, Oxford becomes a hub for changemakers from around the world. Alongside the Forum, two independent partner-led programs are free and open to everyone, whether or not you’re a delegate.

• Marmalade Festival : hosted by the Old Fire Station since 2012, with independently organized workshops, talks, and film screenings that connect global and local perspectives. Browse and sign up on the Marmalade calendar. Applications to host a session close on Wednesday 13 January 2027.
• The Sidebar : community-led discussion groups, plus Digital People and Event Maps of everyone and everything in Oxford that week. Registration is free.

Private events

Many organizations host invitation-only events alongside the Forum program.

• Attending: you may be invited to several. Choose based on your goals for the week, keep the official program in mind, and RSVP early, as they fill quickly.
• Hosting: our suggested venues for private events range from restaurants and pubs to private meeting rooms. Hosts manage their own guest lists and invitations; beyond this list, Skoll can’t support independently organized events. The week is packed, so please consider your guests’ capacity as well as your own.

Speaking and media

Forum speakers are selected well in advance, and we can’t take speaker requests. Hosting or taking part in an independently organized private event, a Marmalade session, or a Sidebar discussion are good alternatives. To keep the media’s focus on the program and our community, we don’t share media lists or arrange press opportunities for delegates, but you’re welcome to connect with journalists directly through the Forum app.

Join online

Watching the 2027 Forum online is free and open to everyone. A sign-up form will be available in the coming months, please check back then. Please note some interactive workshops and networking sessions aren’t live-streamed.

Select sessions will also be available to watch on our YouTube channel after the event.

Questions

Registration, travel, accessibility, and anything else on this page: registration@skoll.org
Press and media: press@skoll.org
Speakers, Awardees, and Skoll Community members: please use the contact on your private page.