Catching up with The London Podcast Festival’s Zoë Jeyes

The London Podcast Festival is back with a massive schedule of events kicking off this Thursday. I’m looking forward to catching some of the action at Kings Place over the next few weeks. But with such a big line-up, what do I go and see? I caught up with Zoë Jeyes, Deputy Director at Kings Place and lead programmer for the festival, to find out the shows she’s looking forward to and what else to expect from this year’s event!

What are you most looking forward to this year?

An impossible question! The London Podcast Festival is my absolute favourite time of the year. One of the things I love the most is the enormous variety of events, podcasters and guests. Where else can you see Jameela Jamil, Les Dennis, Dane Baptiste, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Louis Theroux, Tia Kofi, Mark Gatiss, Sope Dirisu, Gurinder Chadha, Nick Helm, Isy Suttie, Diana Vickers, and James Acaster on the same line-up?!

We have some of the biggest podcasts in the UK, like Beef and Dairy Network, Adam Buxton, Griefcast, Brown Girls Do it Too, Queer Talk, Drunk Women Solving Crime, No Such Thing as a Fish, Redhanded, The Guilty Feminist, Three Bean Salad Two Twos Podcast and Uncanny. So many genres and communities are represented, from Wrestling to Audio Drama, Feminism to Horror, Football, Current Affairs, True Crime, TV, and so much more.

Do you have a top tip for making the most of the festival if you’re a listener?

If there is a show you know and love on the line-up, come and see it! Not only will you get to hang out with the hosts, it’s a great opportunity to meet likeminded listeners. Come with friends, come alone – just come along! Once you’ve done that, pick something you haven’t heard of that piques your interest. Take a punt, support the podcast community and find a new favourite.

And if you’re a podcaster?

Well, not only can you network and meet some of the biggest names in the industry, we have a whole weekend of workshops and panels just for you. Whether you’re completely new to podcasting and want to know how to start, are looking for specialised classes to refine your art or inspiration from some of the most talented figures in UK and international audiomaking, the Podcast Maker Weekend has it all. The amazing programme was curated by Sarah Myles from Rise & Shine. We also have a totally free event on Podcast Subscriptions run by our festival partner Acast.

Are there any podcasts you’re currently listening to whilst you prepare?

I would never play favourites, but one of the first ever podcasts we ever booked at Kings Place was The Complete Guide to Everything who travelled to us from NYC in 2010. They came back every year until that pesky pandemic, but now that forced hiatus is over they’ll be back in London for this year’s festival. I’ve been listening to them in preparation for catching up with old friends.

That’s what I always look forward to most about the festival, seeing old pals and making new ones. We’d love to see you there too!

Tickets for The London Podcast Festival are on sale now via the Kings Place website.