ISLAMABAD: SOT Events, the signature thought-leadership series of the Beaconhouse Group, has announced its 20th edition, SOT Events XX: Possible Worlds, which will take place across Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi between October and December 2026, bringing together diverse voices to discuss the challenges and choices shaping the future.
The three-city series will open at Ambiance Boutique Art Hotel in Islamabad on October 24, followed by sessions at Faletti’s Hotel in Lahore on November 28 and 29, before concluding at Beach Luxury Hotel in Karachi on December 12. All events will be free and open to the public.
This year’s theme, Possible Worlds, will explore how decisions made in the present can influence different possible futures, with discussions organised around four interconnected themes: the Automated World, the Warming World, the Divided World and the Worlds We Choose.
The programme will bring together educators, technologists, policymakers, journalists, artists and members of the public for panel discussions, fireside chats and debates on emerging challenges and opportunities.
Alongside the discussions, participants will have opportunities to experience live performances, interactive installations and kiosks.
Four themes to explore possible futures
The 20th edition will focus on the different directions societies may take as technological, environmental and social changes reshape the world.
The Automated World, the Warming World, the Divided World and the Worlds We Choose will provide the framework for conversations examining future possibilities and the role of present-day decisions.
Commenting on the upcoming edition, Kasim Kasuri, Chair of SOT Events and CEO of Beaconhouse, said the theme was intended to encourage broader public engagement with questions about the future.
“At a time of extraordinary change, Possible Worlds invites everyone to consider different directions the future could take, and how the choices we make today will determine which possibilities become our realities,” he said.
“By taking the event to three cities, we look forward to bringing even more voices and perspectives into a conversation that concerns us all.”
SOT marks 20 editions of public dialogue
Since its first edition in 2000, SOT Events has developed into a platform for public discussion, bringing together national and international speakers from education, politics, technology, literature, journalism and the arts.
According to the organisers, the series has hosted more than 1,000 sessions and over 1,500 speakers across editions held in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Kuala Lumpur, in addition to four virtual editions during 2020 and 2021.
The events have remained free to attend since 2015 and have attracted more than 200,000 attendees, with registrations from up to 87 countries and 4.7 million views across digital media.
Previous editions have featured international figures including former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, linguist Noam Chomsky and authors Jeffrey Archer and Lesley Hazleton.
Prominent Pakistani participants have included former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani, former President Dr Arif Alvi, Hina Rabbani Khar and filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.
Musicians Atif Aslam and Ali Azmat have also performed at previous editions.
The previous edition marked two milestones, celebrating 50 years of Beaconhouse and 25 years of SOT.
Free registration opens for three-city series
Organisers said registration for the Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi events is free and available through SOT Events registration.
Further information, including city-specific updates and programme details, is available on the official SOT Events website.
The upcoming edition will continue the series’ emphasis on public participation, bringing discussions about technology, climate, social divisions and collective choices to audiences in three major Pakistani cities.