Glastonbury’s fallow year offers a prime time to try something new. With its absence making space for others to take the spotlight, and 2026 being a National Year of Reading – a major UK-wide campaign designed to reverse the decline in reading for pleasure and encourage people of all ages to get lost in a good book – there’s never been a better time to dip your toe into the plethora of literary festivals taking place this summer and beyond. From the world-famous Hay Festival in Wales, to celebrations closer to home in the capital, here’s where to get your cultural festival fix. 

Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words, London

Returning to the historic heart of British journalism with a vibrant five-day celebration of storytelling, debate and ideas, Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words will host more than 40 events from 12-16 May 2026. Inspired by the opening lines of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, this year’s theme, The Age of Wisdom and Foolishness, explores how words shape the way we understand the world around us in today’s era of technological advancement, economic uncertainty and evolving global conversation. 

Audiences will hear from best-selling authors, renowned journalists and influential thinkers including the festival’s patron, Sir Ben Okri, as well as Hanif Kureishi, Sajid Javid, Sarah Vine, Larry Lamb, Caroline Wheeler, and Tom Bradby, alongside the Royal Television Society, plus many more leading voices from across publishing, culture and media. Regular programming includes breakfast news events, creative writing workshops, lunchtime panels, and both early and late evening talks, while Saturday 16 May features a packed programme of family events and interactive sessions for younger audiences.

When: 12-16 May 2026
Where: Fleet Street (and surrounding neighbourhoods)
Visit fleetstreetquarter.co.uk 

Hay Festival, Wales

Born in 1987 in the Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye, famous for its clutch of 20 bookshops and being the National Book Town of Wales, Hay Festival has grown to become one of the UK’s most prominent cultural events. Having attracted readers from around the world for the past 39 years, including former President Bill Clinton, who called the festival “Woodstock of the mind”, its mission has remained unchanged: bring together diverse voices to listen, talk, debate and create, while tackling some of the biggest political, social and environmental conversations. While the inaugural festival still calls Wales home each May, it has since branched out to create Hay Festival Global, which runs events and projects in Colombia, Mexico, Spain and the USA. 

For 2026, new activations include America 250 – a deep dive into the centuries since the Declaration of Independence and the fiction, history and politics that have shaped American identity – as well as Heard at Hay Festival, bringing together three diverse speakers to talk on the same topic, and the lighthearted Barrel of Laughs series, which invites comedians to talk about their latest books. Plus, with confirmed headliners including Emma Thompson, Malala Yousafzai, Dawn French and activist Gisèle Pelicot, this is a must in the cultural calendar. 

When: 21-31 May 2026 
Where: Dairy Meadows, Brecon Road, Hay-on-Wye, Powys, HR3 5PJ
Visit hayfestival.com 

Edinburgh International Book Festival, Scotland

Joining forces with the world-famous Fringe Festival to host the world’s largest public celebration of literature, Edinburgh International Book Festival takes over the storied Scottish city for two weeks every August. With the likes of Arthur Conan Doyle, Ian Rankin, and J.K. Rowling all once calling the city home, the festival takes place at the Edinburgh Futures Institute and hosts more than 900 events featuring a wide range of authors, from renowned international figures to emerging talent. One of the headline programmes is The Front List, which, for 2026, will see Colson Whitehead, David Olusoga, Charlie Mackesy, and Mel Giedroyc take to the stage at McEwan Hall for a series of insightful talks and discussions. 

When: 15-30 August 2026
Where: Across Edinburgh
Visit edbookfest.co.uk 

Cheltenham Literature Festival, Gloucestershire

Images: Cheltenham Literature Festival

Having hosted a record-breaking number of guests at more than 400 events last year, Cheltenham Literature Festival is gearing up for a landmark edition in 2026. As the world’s longest-running literature festival, the annual event leads the way in celebrating the written and spoken word, presenting the best new voices in fiction and poetry alongside literary greats and high-profile speakers, with former guests including Hillary Clinton, Brian Cox and David Attenborough.

Spanning the entire Regency town, don’t miss the free-to-enter Festival Village in Montpellier Gardens where you can browse the bookshops, catch surprise music and spoken word performances, and dine on local artisan stalls. Plus, 2026 will see the return of Voicebox – a much-loved venue dedicated to youth voices, featuring free talks, workshops, and DJ sets on topics like mental health, activism, and LGBTQ+ experiences – and Lit Crawl, a free one-night-only happening featuring satellite events in unusual locations like cafes and record shops. The full lineup will be announced later in the summer. 

When: 9-18 October 2026
Where: Across Cheltenham
Visit cheltenhamfestivals.org 

London Literature Festival, London

The Southbank Centre is pulling out all the stops for its 75^th anniversary this year, having already called in the big guns, aka Harry Styles, to curate its Meltdown Festival this summer. Similarly, September will see it draw another global star to take the helm of the London Literature Festival: Dua Lipa. Spanning 21 October to 1 November 2026, the award-winning global superstar, and founder of the Service95 Book Club, will oversee the talks, readings, and workshops for the 19^th edition of the longest running literature and spoken word festival in the capital.

In 2023, Lipa launched the Service95 Book Club, part of her global culture platform Service95. Each month, she selects a book she loves and sits down with the author for the book club's accompanying podcast. As a passionate advocate for reading, she also speaks up for marginalised readers who face barriers to books, including those affected by book bans or incarceration. Following in the footsteps of former curators Self-Esteem, Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai, Margaret Atwood, and Tom Hanks, the festival – which takes place across the Southbank Centre’s 11 acre site – will feature events designed to engage young people with books and storytelling, with some creative collaborations from the world of gaming, special workshops, and a programme of free events. 

When: 21 October – 1 November 2026
Where: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
Visit southbankcentre.co.uk 

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