DUA LIPA ANNOUNCED AS CURATOR OF 2026 LONDON LITERATURE FESTIVAL

The Southbank Centre announces Grammy and Brit award-winning global superstar and founder of the Service95 Book Club, Dua Lipa, as curator of its 2026 London Literature Festival (Wednesday, October 21 – Sunday, November 1). Dua will curate a series of events in the opening weekend (Saturday, October 24 & Sunday, October 25) as well as events across the whole festival with her Service95 Book Club.

Presented as part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year, and taking place during the National Year of Reading, this year marks the nineteenth edition of the London Literature Festival, the longest running literature and spoken word festival in the capital.

In 2023, Dua 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 marginalized readers who face barriers to books, including those affected by book bans or incarceration.

Commenting on her curatorship, Dua Lipa said: “Reading has anchored me through every chapter of my life – from being the new kid at school in a new country to finding quiet refuge on tour. Curating the Southbank Centre’s London Literature Festival is a dream come true. I’m thrilled to indulge one of my greatest obsessions: books and the brilliant minds behind them. I can’t wait to dive into the imaginations of some of my favourite authors in one of London’s most iconic cultural spaces.”

Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre, said: “The Southbank Centre was borne out of the 1951 Festival of Britain – a moment that galvanised the nation using art, music, science and design to imagine a brighter future. 75 years later our anniversary programme is capturing that optimistic spirit of ‘51 by inviting global creative talent to help us celebrate the unifying power of arts and culture and to conjure up visions of the future.

Dua Lipa is a global cultural force with millions of fans around the world, and her passion for the written and spoken word has inspired a new generation of readers. We’re absolutely thrilled that Dua will take the reins of our flagship London Literature Festival, applying her incredible creative talent, her advocacy and her reach to connect audiences to our finest writers.”

Ted Hodgkinson, Head of Literature & Spoken Word at the Southbank Centre, said: “Books and reading belong to us all and Dua is the ultimate champion of the role they can play in our lives. From her thoughtful interviews with writers to her appetite for arresting new voices, Dua’s passion and insight have sparked a global conversation around books and shone a light on reading as a creative and collaborative act.

In the National Year of Reading, we’re delighted to be collaborating with Dua for the Southbank Centre’s London Literature Festival, to draw fresh audiences into our iconic spaces. It promises to be a momentous year for the festival and a highlight of our 75th anniversary.”

Dua’s curatorship of the London Literature Festival will be in partnership with the Service95 Book Club, and will include events that feature a mix of Dua’s favorite writers – both established and emerging – along with an array of free programming.

Dua Lipa’s London Literature Festival is a highlight of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary program. The program includes You Are Here – a spectacular takeover of the site created, directed and designed by Danny Boyle, Paulette Randall, Gareth Pugh and Carson McColl (May 3), Harry Styles’ Meltdown (June 11-21), Goalhanger: The Rest Is Fest (September 4-6) and Anish Kapoor returning to the Hayward Gallery (June 16 – October 18).

The onsite activity is joined by a national program of art, literature and music – aiming to reach 1 million people in over 40 towns and cities across all four nations of the UK.

Dua Lipa’s London Literature Festival takes place from Wednesday, October 21 – Sunday, November 1. Full line-up and dates for ticket releases will be announced in Summer 2026.

London Literature Festival is the longest-running literature festival in the city that celebrates prestigious authors alongside rising literary stars and cultural icons. The festival was previously curated by Self-Esteem in 2025, and headliners in prior years include Ai Weiwei, Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai, Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman, Tom Hanks and Yulia Navalnaya.

A survey by the National Literacy Trust in 2025 found that just one in three children aged eight to 18 read in their spare time (33%) – a 36% decrease from 2005. The survey indicated a particularly steep drop over the last year among primary school children, and that reading continues to be less popular among boys than girls. The London Literature Festival – which takes place across the Southbank Centre’s iconic 11 acre site – will feature events designed to engage young people with books and storytelling – with some creative collaborations from the world of gaming and special workshops, and a program of free events.

For more information about the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary celebrations, visit the 75th Anniversary page here.