Based on observations in Birmingham and Leicester in 2023, the paper distinguishes two different profiles of interreligious dialogue. Practical dialogue, focused on social initiatives aimed at cooperation in the neighbourhood, and discursive dialogue, aiming at exploring theological and spiritual aspects of the participants' religious traditions, including conflicting truth claims. The range of ways in which interlocutors in both cities defined the relationship between the two profiles will be summarised and discussed. Are theological issues an obstacle to progress in practical dialogue formats? Or is dialogue insufficient without addressing the crucial points of theological debate?