Folkestone Book Festival 2026: Programme Launch
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Join Book Festival Curator Sophie Haydock and Creative Folkestone CEO Alastair Upton as we unveil the 2026 Folkestone Book Festival programme, hot off the press, and celebrate the beginning of another extraordinary festival season.
Expect Booker winners and bestselling novelists. Beloved broadcasters and fearless campaigners. Artists, historians, politicians and storytellers. Household names and rising stars. More than fifty events we can’t wait to share.
Before tickets go on general release, you’ll have the chance to:
- Be among the first to discover this year’s headline names and hidden gems
- Pick up a freshly printed programme before anyone else
- Plan your own perfect festival before the rush begins
- Book early and secure the best seats for the events everyone will be talking about
We’ll have a complimentary drink waiting for you, plenty of time to catch up with fellow book lovers, and every excuse to start swapping recommendations.
If you know someone who’d delight in a fortnight of brilliant books and big ideas, do bring them along. We’re always thrilled to welcome new faces into our festival community, and we’d love your help spreading the word.
We’re also delighted to welcome Waterstones back again this year as the official bookseller, and to have the continued support of our sponsors.
Some events will sell out within days. Some conversations will stay with you for years. And there are still one or two surprises we’re keeping under wraps…
Join us for the moment it all begins.