Why does the Antarctic matter to all of us? Join Shackleton for Antarctica NOW, a seven-day online festival featuring leading experts on all things Antarctica: wildlife, conservation, exploration, climate change and politics.

Antarctica NOW is a seven-day online festival celebrating the extraordinary continent that has captured restless imaginations for centuries. Normally, January would be a time when thousands of people head to the Antarctic, whether for work or exploration, but COVID-19 has inevitably impacted on that. As borders close and lockdowns intensify, we invite you to come with us on a virtual journey. Through dynamic presentations and discussions, provocative writing and pioneering photography, this is a chance to explore the unique wonder and vital significance of Antarctica today.

Over a century ago, when our namesake Ernest Shackleton led three expeditions to Antarctica, exploration was about discovering new lands and breaking records. Today’s explorations in the seventh continent are more focused on fields of science, climate and conservation, all of which are playing a pivotal role in our understanding of the planet. This is why Shackleton has decided to host Antarctica NOW, to spread awareness of what’s happening in the coldest place on earth right now - and why it’s crucially important to every single one of us.

MARTIN BROOKS, SHACKLETON CO-FOUNDER // “Antarctica is our spiritual home - it’s where Sir Ernest Shackleton made his name as a polar explorer over a century ago and where our expedition-grade apparel is tested and used today. Like me, anyone who’s seen Antarctica first-hand feels compelled to protect it. The aim of the festival is to raise awareness of the critical issues surrounding Antarctica, and how these impact all of us across the globe. As Shackleton said himself: ‘It's in our nature to explore, to reach out into the unknown. The only true failure would be not to explore at all.’ We invite everyone to explore what makes Antarctica both critical and wonderfully compelling.”