Canterbury Festival 2026

Canterbury’s annual two-week extravaganza of the arts returns this autumn from 16 – 31 October 2026. Expect classical concerts and eclectic gigs, theatre, circus, talks, family events and more in the heart of historic Canterbury.

This year, the Books & Ideas strand includes Poet Laureate Simon Armitage; everyone's favourite Jaqueline Wilson; historians Max Adams, Dan Jones & Nicolas Orme; novelists Sebastian Barry, William Boyd & Elif Shafak; our Margate poet Harry Baker; plus Jay Rayner, Adam Kay, Sathnam Sanghera, Giulia Enders and many many more!

We're looking forward to seeing you again, and for the first time, at this year's Canterbury Festival. You'll find the Festival Bookshop in Augustine House, Canterbury Christ Church University. We'll bring the pop-up bookshop along to the Malthouse Theatre for the second Family Take Over, as well supporting talks the Great Hall at Kent College.

Peruse the 72 page packed-to-the-rafters Canterbury Festival brochure here