Bradford Literature Festival (BLF) is an annual festival and year-round cultural engagement programme encompassing the best of literature, music, theatre, discussions, lectures and family events. BLF is unique in the UK for its diverse and imaginative approach to high-quality arts and cultural programming. BLF’s Ethical Ticketing Policy guarantees large audiences – festival tickets are low cost (from £5), free concessions are available, and many family events are free.
Festival programming encompasses important literary and historical anniversaries, celebrated through the lens of newly commissioned works that offer a fresh perspective, and annually recurring strands including The Brontë’s, Poetry, World Affairs & Politics, Hockney, Global Futures, Comicon, and Film and Comedy.
Bradford Literature Festival is proud to have played a significant role in the revitalisation of the local culture sector (Bradford has been named UK City of Culture 2025) and in creating a profile for Bradford regionally, nationally and internationally.
Bradford Literature Festival Impact
BLF is making an impact
Bradford Literature Festival 2024 delivered an incredible programme to record-breaking audiences. Our representative festival gives a platform to diverse and marginalised voices to create a supportive space for even the most challenging conversations.
Bradford Literature Festival’s Reach
Our Mission
Bradford Literature Festival is an annual arts event and year-round cultural outreach programme. We are leaders in social inclusion, accessibility and representation, delivering exceptional arts and culture for both local communities and international audiences, and showcasing trailblazing voices from the UK and beyond. Our events not only represent our city, but also reflect contemporary Britain.
We create spaces that are welcoming and inclusive for all. Our representative programmes give a platform to diverse and marginalised voices and stories and create a supportive space for even the most challenging conversations. To make sure everyone can access our work, we have pioneered ‘Ethical Ticketing’ – this means our events are free for people who otherwise would not be able to afford to attend arts and cultural events.
We do this because we believe arts, culture and literature have the power to change lives.
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