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BLF 2025

Festival Highlights

Bradford Literature Festival (BLF) 2025 welcomed over 187,300 audiences to 752 events, including 11 exhibitions, and 52 Education Programme sessions for Primary and Secondary students.

From panel discussions to workshops and live performances, 524 artists delivered incredible events, including John Cooper Clarke, Ash Sarkar, Jeremy Corbyn, Reeta Chakrabarti, Celia Imrie, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Lemn Sissay, Grace Dent and Steph McGovern.

The Big Tasty Read – a new national celebration of reading and collaboration between national charity The Reading Agency and BBC Arts – launched at BLF 2025, using the universal appeal of food to inspire reading and bring communities together.

Browse the 2025 Festival Programmes

Main Festival Programme

Free Family Events Programme

Key Stats

61%

of audiences accessed events for free with the Ethical Ticketing Policy

58%

of audiences reported incomes below the national average

54%

of audiences identified as ethnically diverse

31,690+

children and young people engaged

99%

of audiences would recommend visiting BLF

72%

of audiences interacted with people from different ethnic and social backgrounds

In The News

Bradford Literature Festival Welcomes Over 187,000 Visitors Across 2025 Programme

BBC and The Reading Agency launch the Big Tasty Read at the Bradford Literature Festival

Bradford Literature Festival made the city feel like the centre of the universe by focusing on peace – Frank Birch

No topic off limits at city literature festival

Gallery

A young child dances alongside Punjabi Roots in City Park

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