Lloyd’s to end Dive In festival after 2026

Lloyd’s has launched a structured market consultation to develop a new global programme focused on culture, skills and talent, replacing its long-running Dive In festival after 2026.

The consultation, running from May to July 2026, will engage sponsors, brokers, managing agents, market bodies and early-career professionals through surveys and roundtables to shape the initiative. The programme is intended to support talent attraction, development and retention across the market, with a broader, year-round focus.

The move marks a shift away from Dive In, the annual diversity and inclusion festival launched in 2015, which has grown from a London-based initiative into a global event reaching tens of thousands of participants across more than 50 countries.

Lloyd’s said the new programme will build on that foundation, expanding into a more continuous offering that includes learning, mentoring, networks, thought leadership and early-career support in a more accessible format. As part of its talent strategy, the market has already committed to doubling its early-careers intake.

The final Dive In festival will take place in September 2026 under the theme “The human gAIn: Powering Culture & Connection”, focusing on the role of human judgement, empathy and leadership as artificial intelligence reshapes the workforce.

Nathan Adams, chief people officer, Lloyd’s, said: “Dive In has been a hugely successful initiative and has provided the springboard to further evolve the market-led drive to improve the approach to talent, skills and culture. The new, broader approach will be developed with the market, for the market.

“The commercial challenges facing our market now – from skills shortages to technological change – demand a clear ongoing focus, not just a single moment in the calendar. “The 2026 Dive In Festival will be a moment to celebrate what the market has achieved so far together, and a launchpad for what comes next.”

Nick Line, chief underwriting officer at CFC, chair of Inclusion@Lloyd’s and Dive In, added: “Having been involved in Dive In for a number of years, I’ve seen first-hand the role the festival has played in opening up important conversations and helping drive cultural change across the industry.

“For me, the festival has always been about insurance being an industry where anyone, from different communities around the world, who has the talent and the ambition to succeed, feels they can belong and build a career.

“As Chair, I look forward to the market engaging in the consultation to develop the new broader approach. Continued collaboration between Lloyd’s and the market is vital to ensure that the industry is doing all it can to remain open, inclusive and accessible to the broadest possible range of global talent.”

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