The iconic podcast series The Rest Is Politics is returning to the live stage with a headline show at London’s iconic The O2 on Tuesday 15 October. Taking place ‘in the round’ – the show will bring audience members even closer to the political action and will be the first time that The O2 has hosted a live podcast.  

At the helm of The Rest Is Politics are two men who have been at the heart of the political world - former Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy, Alastair Campbell, and cabinet minister Rory Stewart. Both join forces from across the political divide and reveal some of the intricacies and absurdities of life in Parliament and British politics. The Rest Is Politics lifts the lid on the secrets of Westminster, offering an insider’s view on politics at home and abroad, while bringing back the lost art of disagreeing agreeably.

Now more than ever political conversation is prevalent - transcending ages, gender and socio-economic groups as society grapples with the current state of our political climate both domestically and internationally. Alastair and Rory will be reporting on the goings on in the political world as they embark on their own journey up and down the UK this Autumn.

The Rest Is Politics has toured the UK four times since the podcast started in 2022 - each show has been critically acclaimed and each venue has sold out, tickets for their London Palladium shows sold out in six minutes, with 5,000 tickets selling for London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall disappearing in one morning. Now, they are preparing to play at the mother of all venues - London’s The O2.

Since its launch The Rest is Politics podcast has over 145 million total downloads so far and attracts 2.5 million listens each week. In the two years since inception the podcast has garnered over half a million followers across their social accounts, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X. The podcast was crowned Amazon Music’s podcast of the year and every episode has gone to the top of the British podcast charts since their launch.

Alastair Campbell said: "We sold out the Royal Albert Hall quicker than the Foo Fighters - we are going to have to up our game to sell out The O2 arena, but hopefully our listeners can help!”

Rory Stewart said: "I'm incredibly excited for our first visits to Glasgow and Cardiff with the podcast. October is going to be a very important month in US - and most likely UK - politics, so this tour should give us the opportunity to discuss some of the most pivotal elections of our lifetime on stage with our listeners."

Alastair Campbell is a writer, communicator and strategist best known for his role as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s spokesman, press secretary and director of communications and strategy. Still active in politics and campaigns in Britain and overseas, he now splits his time between writing, speaking, charities and consultancy.He has written fourteen books in the past ten years, including eight volumes of diaries, four novels, a personal memoir on depression and the pursuit of happiness, and Winners and How They Succeed, a Number 1 best-selling analysis of what it takes to win in politics, business and sport.

Rory Stewart has been an academic, writer, adventurer, politician, and diplomat. After time in the Army and the diplomatic service, he trekked across Afghanistan, was appointed a fellow at Harvard, and wrote a number of books before entering Parliament, where he served as a Minister and ran for Party Leader. He now co-hosts The Rest is Politics with Alastair Campbell, where, together, they disagree agreeably on global politics and the inner workings of Parliament from across the political divide. They also co-host the podcast Leading, where they interrogate, converse with, and interview some of the world's biggest names, from inside and outside of politics, about life, leadership, or leading the way in their chosen field. He is also the co-author of Can Intervention Work? which examines the effects of political and military intervention on international affairs, human rights and how we understand nation building. In his memoir Politics On the Edge: A Memoir from Within, Rory reveals the challenges, absurdities and realities of political life.