CULTURE
BFI London Film Festival 2026: dates, films, venues and tickets
The full programme for the 70th BFI London Film Festival is now live: 251 titles from 88 countries across London from 7 to 18 October 2026, with general booking from 17 September.
The essentials, in one place
Choose your date, check your ticket and plan the journey.
- Date
- 7 Oct 2026 – 18 Oct 2026
- Venue
- BFI Southbank, Royal Festival Hall and partner cinemas South Bank + cinemas
- What time does it start?
- Start time not confirmed here London local time. A door opening time is not a stage time.
- Tickets
- General sale opens 17 Sep; programme prices vary Availability and prices can change.
Access, line-up and the journey home
- Access
- Film and venue access information via BFI
- Finish and running time
- A finish time has not been confirmed here. Check the venue programme before arranging your journey home.
- Return journey
- Use your actual departure date and time in the journey planner, especially if you expect to leave after midnight.
- Decision points
- 6 useful sections
- Reading time
- 2 minutes
- Source checks
- 1 named checkpoint
- Last reviewed
- 7 SEPTEMBER 2026
The 70th edition
The festival takes place from Wednesday 7 October to Sunday 18 October 2026. BFI has announced 251 titles from 88 countries, including features, shorts, series and immersive work, with 33 world premieres across the programme.
Opening and closing films
Simon Stone’s Elsinore is the opening-night film. Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut closes the festival. Gala screenings can be among the fastest to fill, so treat the official film page—not a social post—as the source for venue, time, guest and ticket details.
Choose beyond the headlines
The programme spans competitive sections, thematic strands and work from established and emerging filmmakers. Begin with two priorities: a genre, country, filmmaker or strand you already value, and one discovery outside it. This produces a better festival than chasing only red-carpet attention.
London venues and UK reach
Flagship activity centres on BFI Southbank and the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, with screenings at central London cinemas. The programme also reaches ten partner venues around the UK. Confirm the city and exact screen before booking two films close together.
Ticket-sale timing
BFI says general ticket booking opens on 17 September 2026, with earlier access for BFI members. Membership does not guarantee every ticket. Create or check your BFI account in advance, shortlist alternatives and read the sale instructions before the booking window opens.
Plan a workable film day
Allow time between venues, check each running time and avoid pairing long films with a tight cross-London transfer. Save booking confirmations offline, read content and accessibility information, and use the official programme for returns, exchanges, sold-out updates and late changes.
