Everything You
Need to Know.

The London Literature Festival 2026 runs from Friday 24 October to Sunday 2 November 2026 — a 10-day programme at the Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX.

The opening weekend is Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October, curated by Dua Lipa (Service95 Book Club). The full programme includes events through the following week, culminating in a closing gala on Sunday 2 November.

Ticketed events at the London Literature Festival 2026 start from approximately £15. Most author talks, panel discussions, and masterclass events are priced between £15 and £25. Headline and opening weekend events curated by Dua Lipa may be priced higher, reflecting the Royal Festival Hall's 2,500-person capacity.

Southbank Centre Members pay no booking fees on any festival tickets and receive presale access — typically 1–2 weeks before the general public. Membership is strongly recommended if you plan to attend headline events. Membership prices and benefits at southbankcentre.co.uk.

All tickets are available via southbankcentre.co.uk. There is no official box office at londonlitfest.com — always book direct through the Southbank Centre to avoid third-party resale pricing.

Yes — many events at the London Literature Festival are completely free to attend. In 2026, over 40 events require no ticket and no booking:

• The Literary Fair — Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer, open all 10 days
• Open Mic Poetry — Riverside Stage, Saturday 25 October
• Young Readers' Festival Day — Sunday 2 November, all day
• National Poetry Library exhibitions — Level 5, Royal Festival Hall, daily
• Festival Bookshop — Free to browse; author signing queues are free to join
• Foyer performances — Various, throughout the festival

Free events are genuinely high-quality — the Literary Fair alone draws thousands of visitors each year. Arrive 20–30 minutes before popular free events as spaces fill quickly, particularly on weekends.

The full programme and general ticket sale for the London Literature Festival 2026 will open in late summer 2026 — typically September. Southbank Centre Members receive presale access, usually announced in August.

The programme itself is typically announced in July/August, with the Dua Lipa curation elements announced first. Sign up to the newsletter at londonlitfest.com or become a Southbank Centre Member to receive presale alerts.

For most festival-goers planning to attend 3+ ticketed events, Southbank Centre membership pays for itself through booking fee savings alone — and the presale access is invaluable for headline events that sell out quickly.

In 2024 and 2025, several opening weekend events sold out within hours of presale opening, and within 24 hours on general sale. Without membership presale access, getting tickets to the most in-demand Dua Lipa-curated events in 2026 will be very difficult. Visit southbankcentre.co.uk for current membership tiers and pricing.

Yes — absolutely. You can spend a full, richly rewarding day at the London Literature Festival without purchasing a single ticket. The Literary Fair, open mic poetry, National Poetry Library, foyer performances, festival bookshop, and riverside atmosphere are all free and collectively provide one of the best free cultural days available in London in October.

Our recommendation: arrive at midday, spend an hour in the Literary Fair and National Poetry Library, watch the afternoon open mic, browse the bookshop, get an author signature if an event is ending, then walk the riverside. You will have had a genuine festival experience at zero cost.

All official London Literature Festival tickets are sold exclusively via the Southbank Centre website at southbankcentre.co.uk. There is no separate ticketing website for londonlitfest.com. Do not purchase tickets from secondary resale sites — the Southbank Centre does not authorise resale and prices on secondary markets may be significantly inflated.

Dua Lipa is the guest curator of the London Literature Festival 2026. The globally acclaimed British-Albanian recording artist and Service95 Book Club founder is programming the opening weekend of 24–25 October at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre. She is the fourth guest curator in the festival's history, following the inaugural curator (2023) and rapper Ghetts (2024).

Dua Lipa's book club is called Service95 Book Club. It was launched in 2022 as part of Service95, her weekly cultural newsletter and platform. Each month, Lipa personally selects one book and interviews the author in a dedicated podcast episode. The book club and the podcast are both free at service95.com.

Read our full guide: Dua Lipa's Service95 Book Club — The Complete Reading List.

Dua Lipa's curation centres on a live takeover of the Royal Festival Hall across the opening weekend (24–25 October 2026). This includes a Service95 Book Club Live event in which she interviews a major author on stage in the format of her acclaimed podcast — plus additional Service95-curated events woven throughout the full festival programme.

The full lineup for Lipa's curated sessions will be announced in summer 2026. Subscribe to the newsletter at londonlitfest.com to be first to know.

Yes — Service95 Book Club is completely free to join. Subscribe to the Service95 newsletter at service95.com to receive monthly book recommendations, author interview podcasts, and cultural content from Dua Lipa and the Service95 team. There is no charge.

Service95 Book Club has recommended over 40 books since its 2022 launch — spanning literary fiction, memoir, cultural essays, science writing, and works in translation. Notable picks have included works by Elena Ferrante, Sally Rooney, Percival Everett, Kristin Hannah, Bernardine Evaristo, and Miranda July.

See our full list: Every Dua Lipa Service95 Book Club Pick (2022–2026). For the current and complete list, visit service95.com.

All London Literature Festival events take place at the Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX — the UK's largest arts centre, on the south bank of the Thames.

Specific venues within the Southbank Centre complex:
• Royal Festival Hall — headline events, capacity 2,500
• Queen Elizabeth Hall — panels, debates, literary fair, capacity 900
• Purcell Room — intimate sessions, Writers' Day, capacity 370
• Riverside Stage — free outdoor events, open mic poetry
• Foyers — free performances, bookshop, Literary Fair

The nearest tube station to the London Literature Festival is Waterloo — a 5-minute walk from the Southbank Centre. Waterloo is served by four lines: Northern, Jubilee, Bakerloo, and Waterloo & City.

Alternative: Embankment (District and Circle lines) is a 10-minute walk across Hungerford Bridge. The walk across the bridge offers excellent views of the Thames and is pleasant in autumn daylight.

There is no dedicated festival parking at the Southbank Centre. Central London parking near the South Bank is limited and expensive, particularly on weekends. We strongly recommend travelling by public transport, cycling (Santander Cycles docking stations are directly outside), or walking from Waterloo.

If driving is unavoidable, the closest public car parks are on the South Bank and in Waterloo — search for "NCP South Bank" or use the JustPark app to find and pre-book spaces. Note: congestion charge applies in this area on weekdays.

The Southbank is one of London's best food destinations. Our recommendations by budget:

Best value: Southbank Centre Food Market (Saturdays and Sundays) — independent street food vendors on the riverside, all within budget. Arrive before noon for the best selection.

Sit-down dining: Skylon restaurant in the Royal Festival Hall — British menu with exceptional Thames views. Ideal for pre-evening event dining.

Quick option: The Riverside Terrace Café in the Royal Festival Hall — sandwiches, hot drinks, pastries. Open from 10am.

A short walk away: Borough Market (10-minute walk east along the river) is one of London's greatest food markets, open Thursday to Saturday.

Yes — the Southbank Centre is fully accessible. All three festival venues (Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room) have: level access from the street; lifts to all floors; hearing loops throughout; accessible seating in all auditoriums; and accessible toilet facilities on every level. Assistance dogs are welcome throughout.

For specific access requirements — including BSL-interpreted events, audio-described performances, or relaxed sessions — contact the Southbank Centre access team in advance via southbankcentre.co.uk.

Yes — the London Literature Festival has an excellent dedicated children's and family programme. Events cater for children from age 4 upward and include:

• Author readings for children — picture books and chapter books, typically Saturday or Sunday mornings at the Purcell Room
• Interactive storytelling sessions — immersive, participatory stories for younger children
• Creative writing workshops — for ages 8–16; children leave with a finished piece of writing
• Young Readers' Festival Day — a full free Sunday of events across the foyers for children of all ages
• Illustration workshops — for children who prefer drawing their stories

For ticketed children's sessions (author readings, workshops) — yes, book early. Children's events at the London Literature Festival are among the most popular and frequently sell out weeks before the festival. The Young Readers' Festival Day (free, no booking required) is the exception — just arrive on the day.

Tickets for children's events are typically very affordable (£8–£12 per child) and children under 4 are generally free. Book as soon as the programme is released in summer 2026.

The Young Readers' Festival Day is a full day of free family events across the Southbank Centre Foyers, taking place on Sunday 2 November 2026 — the festival's closing day. Events run throughout the day from approximately 10am to 5pm and include free author readings, illustration sessions, poetry workshops, storytelling performances, and a special children's section of the Literary Fair.

No booking is required — simply arrive at the Southbank Centre on the day and explore the programme. The relaxed, festival atmosphere makes it one of the best free family days available in London in autumn.

The children's programme spans ages 4–16. Specific events are age-banded:

• Ages 4–7: Picture book author readings, interactive storytelling
• Ages 7–11: Chapter book readings, creative writing introductions, illustration workshops
• Ages 11–16: YA author talks, creative writing masterclasses, poetry slam workshops

The Young Readers' Festival Day is designed for all ages and families — adults and children explore together at their own pace.

The London Literature Festival was founded in 2007 and the 2026 edition is its 19th annual festival — making it the UK's longest-running annual literary festival. It was established at the Southbank Centre in London and has taken place every October since its founding.

Over 19 editions, the London Literature Festival has hosted extraordinary figures from literature, journalism, politics, and popular culture. Highlights include:

• Hillary Clinton (2017) — in conversation with James Naughtie, audience of 3,000
• Malala Yousafzai (2025) — Nobel Peace Prize laureate
• Sebastian Faulks (2025) — bestselling British novelist
• Ghetts (2024) — co-curator; rapper and spoken word artist
• Lemn Sissay OBE (2024) — poet and broadcaster
• Lindsey Hilsum (2024) — Channel 4 News International Editor
• Jordan Stephens (2024) — writer and performer
• Jimi Famurewa (2025) — food writer and broadcaster
• Kaliane Bradley (2024) — debut novelist

The Guest Curator model was introduced to the London Literature Festival in 2023. Each year, one figure — typically from outside traditional literary culture — is invited to programme the festival's opening weekend, bringing their unique creative perspective to the Southbank Centre stage.

The model is designed to break down barriers between literature, music, spoken word, and popular culture. In 2024, Ghetts co-curated two electrifying nights of spoken word and music. In 2026, Dua Lipa brings her Service95 Book Club live to the festival for the first time.

The 2026 edition is the most significant in the festival's 19-year history for three reasons:

1. Dua Lipa as guest curator — the highest-profile appointment yet, bringing Service95 Book Club to the Royal Festival Hall for the first time as a live literary event

2. Southbank Centre 75th Anniversary — LLF 2026 forms part of the Southbank Centre's landmark 75th anniversary celebration

3. National Year of Reading — designated by the UK government, making 2026 the most politically significant year for UK literary culture in a generation