Here's a dangerous idea for you: why don't we score thousands upon thousands of top-secret documents detailing the precarious machinations of international war and politics and dump them in the public forum in the name of truth and justice?

This is the stuff fascinating festivals are made of. One of the world's most controversial figures, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, will step onstage at the Sydney Opera House's annual Festival of Dangerous Ideas. Well, not literally – there's the slight obstacle of house arrest to contend with, so Assange will appear via video link to the UK.

The festival will sprawl over the Opera House over the October long weekend, and feature fully sick folk like Assange, author Jonathan Safran-Foer, journalist David Marr, former Sudanese child soldier Emmanuel Jal, retired judge and loveable shit-stirrer Michael Kirby, and many more.

Up for ideological grabs are ideas like 'all women are sluts', 'some Aboriginal people are more Aboriginal than others' and 'we care more about animals on boats than people'. This is super juicy brainfood; it's intellectual bok choy. Performance collective Applespiel will also play along to bring their compelling and nauseating work to new, posher audiences.

The festival goes on sale next Monday and tickets start from $20. Get those trigger fingers ready.