CULTURE
London Literature Festival 2026: dates, highlights and visitor guide
London Literature Festival returns to Southbank Centre from 20 October to 1 November 2026, with Dua Lipa curating a programme of writers, conversations and storytelling.
The essentials, in one place
Choose your date, check your ticket and plan the journey.
- Date
- 20 Oct 2026 – 1 Nov 2026
- Venue
- Southbank Centre venues South Bank
- What time does it start?
- Start time not confirmed here London local time. A door opening time is not a stage time.
- Tickets
- Ticketed programme with selected free activity Availability and prices can change.
Access, line-up and the journey home
- Access
- Check the access details for each event and venue
- 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
- 1 minutes
- Source checks
- 1 named checkpoint
- Last reviewed
- 4 SEPTEMBER 2026
Confirmed festival dates
Southbank Centre lists the 2026 festival from Tuesday 20 October to Sunday 1 November. Events take place across Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Clore Ballroom and other spaces.
The 2026 curatorial idea
Dua Lipa, founder of the Service95 Book Club, curates the edition around favourite established and emerging writers. The programme combines headline conversations with poetry, family and free activity.
Highlighted conversations
The published programme includes conversations involving Ta-Nehisi Coates and Tareq Baconi, Zadie Smith, Mustafa, Patti Smith and Malorie Blackman. Line-ups and availability remain controlled by the organiser.
Tickets and free activity
Headline talks are generally individually ticketed, while selected workshops and family activities are listed as free. Check the exact event page for price, age guidance, duration and returns.
Plan the South Bank visit
Allow time between venues even within the same complex. Waterloo is the principal transport hub; combine only nearby food or riverside stops when attending a fixed-time event.
Last check and expiry
LONNOW checked the programme on 4 September 2026. It ends on 1 November; confirm final scheduling, access and ticket conditions directly with Southbank Centre.
