What we’re about
We believe there are three ingredients to civil disagreement that you only get by debating face to face: listening to what other people have to say, looking them in the eye when you tell them you disagree, and stepping into their shoes to understand why they think differently.
This is what we require all of our speakers to do at our Face to Face debates and though this has been made a lot more difficult by the pandemic, holding our debates on Zoom has allowed us to continue this tradition while moving all operations online until it is safe to stage live events again.
How Face to Face debates work
Face to Face debates are all about providing a space for people to practice civil disagreement themselves, so we recruit speakers from within our own community and give them a platform to make the case for or against each debate motion.
We set only ONE condition: they must agree to defend whichever position we assign them, even if it means arguing against what they personally believe. This is how we encourage our members to step into the shoes of people who think differently and try seeing the world through their eyes. It is then for our audience to work out if they genuinely hold the position they are defending.
The audience has a big role to play on top of this. After being given time to discuss how they feel about the topic in breakout rooms before the debate starts, we then hand the floor over to them after hearing the opening arguments for both sides, so they can cross-examine the speakers with their questions and comments.
The debate ends with closing arguments from both sides and an audience vote to see where they stand. We follow that with a short discussion to see how many people changed their minds and why.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Network event1 attendee from 2 groups hostingArguing with impact - Debate WorkshopYe Olde Cock Tavern, London£35.00
"Often in a debate it's the group that decides what the debate is about who win, not the group with the most to say" - Tony (Head Coach)
In this 4.5 hour Masterclass we will be exploring the strategy and framing behind individual arguments to have the largest impact with your audience. Additionally, we will build on developing individual arguments into creating broader cases that unify arguments with clear narratives to ensure that the key message of any position is reinforced throught your speeches.
Key Skills we will be covering:
- Framing
- structuring arguments
- Building a case vs just a collection of arguments (narrative building)
- Working with teams / leadership - Thought leadership
This workshop is for debaters and speakers of all skill ranges from first time attendees to to regular & experienced debaters.
What to expect over 4.5 Hours
12:00 - : Grab a drink and get comfy :)
12:05 - Introduction to Proposition and structuring arguments
13:00 - Drinks break
13:15 - Active Learning and Debate Exercises
14:15 - Lunch
15:00 - Proposition Recap
15:15 - Practice Debates
16:00 - Coach Feedback & Final Q&A
16:30 - After Workshop SocialOur Coaches
Debate London's Coaching team brings together 6 of the greatest debaters from across the UK and the USA with a combined experience of over a century in debating. Wether that is leading on the debate competition circuit, judging debates across university & professional levels or running debate training organisiations to develop the next generation of debaters our team will give you the skills you need to debate with the best of them.Venue
Food and drink available at the venue and a lunchbreak is scheduled within the workshop.
Please do not bring external food or drink into the venue you WILL be asked to throw it away. - Network event13 attendees from 2 groups hostingIs Trial by Jury Outdated? - Victoria DebatesThe Windsor Castle Pub (Victoria), SW1P 1EQ
This House Would Heavily Restrict Access To Trial By Jury
Why Are We Having This Debate?
"Thousands of defendants in England and Wales could lose the right to a jury trial under plans designed to save the criminal justice system from collapse.
Sir Brian Levenson, a former judge asked by the government to come up with proposals to tackle a record courts backlog" - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jul/09/jury-trials-must-be-limited-to-save-criminal-justice-system-from-collapse-inquiry-finds?CMP=Share_iOSApp_OtherWhat We Do
3v3 panel debate where our members explore the strongest arguments for a given topic.
A debate should tell the audience what they need to know and not just what the speakers think. If you feel the same way, then we want to meet you.Debate London is the year-round series of free public debates held weekly at venues across the capital. The series is run by Debate London, a social enterprise that helps its members to advance their personal and professional development by teaching them how to debate.
All of our speakers are club members who have agreed to defend a particular perspective the audience need to hear, rather than just share their own personal opinion. After presenting the point of view assigned to them, the audience are then given the floor to cross-examine them and share their own position.
The only time we hear what the speakers really think is at the end of the debate when they tell us where they really stand and whether this changed at all while learning how to defend the perspective assigned to them.
After Debate Social
After all of our debates we have a post debate hang-out. This is a chance for our community to get to know new people, explore new ideas and generally have more fun as a club! Come along and join us for a post-debate social!Venue
Our venues serve drinks (alcoholic and soft drinks) as well as brilliant food. All can be ordered from the bar
Do not bring external food or drink into the venues you will be asked to throw it away or to finish it outside. - This is a venue rule which we need to follow. - Network event1 attendee from 2 groups hostingEngaging Your Audience - Debate WorkshopYe Olde Cock Tavern, London£35.00
Learn how to think quickly in a debate and fire back by analysing and pin pointing key weak points in any argument.
In this 4.5 hour Masterclass we will be exploring will be exploring the skills that make debaters and public speakers truly stand out from scripted speakers and Ted talkers. How we interact with our opposition and more importantly dealing with how they interact with us.
As most great comics will tell you, great spontaneity takes years of preparation. Debating is no different - nobody knows what will be thrown at them in a debate, but you can prepare for how you might respond by thinking strategically and how, where and what material you will respond to.
Key Skills we will be covering:
- Audience Q&A - How to answer a questions clearly
- How to appeal to people who support your case for very different reasons
- Picking battles (Balancing priorities / weighting issues)
This workshop for debaters and speakers of all skill ranges whether this is your first time exploring debate or your a seasoned speaker. Our exercises are designed to push your skills at any stage of development.
What to expect over 4.5 Hours
12:00 - Doors Open: Grab a drink and get comfy :)
12:05 - Introduction to Q&A & quickfire scenarios
13:00 - Drinks break
13:15 - Active Learning and Debate Exercises
14:15 - Lunch
15:00 - Proposition Recap
15:15 - Practice Debates
16:00 - Coach Feedback & Final Q&A
16:30 - After Workshop SocialOur Coaches
Debate London's Coaching team brings together 6 of the greatest debaters from across the UK and the USA with a combined experience of over a century in debating. Wether that is leading on the debate competition circuit, judging debates across university & professional levels or running debate training organisiations to develop the next generation of debaters our team will give you the skills you need to debate with the best of them.Venue
Food and drink available at the venue and a lunchbreak is scheduled within the workshop.
Please do not bring external food or drink into the venue you WILL be asked to throw it away.
Past events (578)
See all- Network event8 attendees from 2 groups hostingLabour Lowering The Voting Age To 16? - Victoria DebatesThis event has passed
