FAQs

Bradford Literature Festival (BLF) runs for 10 days in July each year. The 2026 festival takes place from Friday 3 – Sunday 12 July 2026.

Printed programmes for 2026 are now available to pre-order. Programmes are distributed through Waterstones across West Yorkshire and during the festival you can collect a programme from the Box Office (BLF tent) in City Park in central Bradford.

All family events that take place on the weekend in Bradford’s City Park as part of our Family Fun Day series are free and no booking is required. All other events are ticketed, and prices start from just £7. Please check each event for more information.

BLF’s Ethical Ticketing Policy applies to all paid events apart from the following: Brontë Heritage Tour, Northern Noir at the Bar, Mushaira: An Evening of Poetry, Silk Road Slippers Writing Masterclass, An Evening of Romani Music, Re:Imagine Faith Conversations with Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Symposium: Jameel Prize 7, The Brontës’ Journey to Thornton, and The Invention of Charlotte Brontë.

To learn more, please visit our Booking Information page.

All of our events are unallocated seating offered on a first come first, served basis. This is to avoid disruption and ensure gaps aren’t left between seats.

All tickets are sent by email in advance of the event. Please check your inbox and spam/junk. Search for Bradford Literature Festival or Ticketsolve (our ticket agent).

To learn more, please visit our Booking Information page.

To learn more, please visit our Booking Information page.

All tickets are sent by email in advance of the event. Please check your inbox and spam. Search for Bradford Literature Festival or Ticketsolve (our ticket agent).

Refunds 
Refunds are available for Purchased Tickets as follows, for any reason: 

• A full refund is available if requested at least 7 days before the Event 

• A 50% refund is available if requested between 72 hours and 7 days before the Event 

• No refunds will be issued less than 72 hours before the Event 

Refunds may take up to 14 business days to process. 

Refunds are also offered for Purchased Tickets under the following circumstances: 
(a) the Event is cancelled by us; 
(b) the Event is rescheduled to a new date and you do not wish to retain your Booking; 
(c) the Event is ‘significantly changed’ after your Booking is placed. 

Definition of a ‘Significantly Changed’ Event 
A ‘significantly changed’ Event includes: 

• A change of venue 

• A change of headline speaker or main participant 

• A change to the Event’s published start time of more than 30 minutes 

The following are not considered ‘significant changes’: 

• A change to the Event start time of 30 minutes or less 

• A change to supporting speakers 

• A change in the Event running order 

Event Cancellation 
If the Event is cancelled by us for any reason, we will automatically refund the value of your Ticket. You do not need to notify us. 

Rescheduled or ‘Significantly Changed’ Events 
If the Event is rescheduled to a new date or is ‘significantly changed’, we will notify you using the email address listed in your account. If your contact details are not updated, we are not responsible for any missed notifications about your booking. 

If you wish to request a refund following a reschedule to a new date or a ‘significantly changed’ Event, you must notify us within the following timeframes: 

• If we notify you more than 48 hours before the original published Event start time, you must notify us by 4pm on the working day before the Event.

• If we notify you within 48 hours of the original published Event start time, you must notify us no later than 1 hour before the new start time of the Event.

• If we notify you on the day of the Event, you must notify us as soon as possible and no later than 30 minutes before the new start time of the Event.

• If the original published Event start time is on a Saturday, Sunday, or Bank Holiday Monday, you must notify us by 4pm on the Thursday before the Event. 

Refunds may take up to 14 business days to process. 

If you do not notify us within the relevant time period, you will be deemed to have accepted the change, and your Booking will remain valid. No refund will be issued. 

If you choose to retain your Booking following a reschedule or ‘significantly changed’ Event, you will not be eligible for any refund or compensation. 

Should an event be cancelled, you will be notified in advance by email and by text message (if you supplied a mobile number when booking your ticket). If we notify you that an event has been cancelled then BLF will refund your ticket price within 14 days of the end of the festival. If you did not pay by a credit/debit card please email [email protected] for refund information.

If you would like to change the event session you have booked (such as for a workshop) please contact [email protected] with your booking information and which session you want to swap to.

Please note, BLF can’t guarantee there will be tickets available for your preferred session. Alternatively, you can request a refund. Refunds may take up to 14 business days to process.

To purchase a ticket using cash, please visit our Box Office in the Festival Hub, located in the Bradford City Park during the festival dates. Payment must be made in person at the Box Office, as cash payment cannot be accepted through our website or by phone.

We always endeavour to work with accessible venues. Please include information about your accessibility requirements when booking your event ticket(s) so that we can understand your requirements and advise the venue of your needs.

Alternatively, please contact the Box Office by email [email protected] in advance of the event.

If you require additional support during your visit to the festival such as a chaperone please let us know in advance by emailing [email protected].

Please make sure to arrive at events early, and make yourself known to a member of staff on arrival.

We are always delighted to welcome special guests to our events. While we have been able to accommodate walk-ins at previous festivals, BLF now has over 155,000 visitors and events sell out quickly. We therefore ask VIPs to let us know well in advance which events they plan to attend, so tickets can be booked, subject to ticket availability.

Please contact [email protected] with your name and email address to request VIP tickets. 

If you are an artist taking part in BLF 2026 you will receive a discount code in your schedule information pack which you can use to book tickets. Use of this code is subject to ticket availability.

Members of the press, bloggers, and influencers are welcome. To attend our events with media/press accreditation, you must register in advance of the festival. Register for accreditation here: Press Accreditation at BLF 2026.

When completing the form, please share as much information as you can about how you intend to cover the festival in your media outlet. All applications are subject to ticket availability and approval. 

Please arrive at the venue 15 minutes before the start of the event. Your ticket will be scanned. If you have a concession ticket please bring evidence. BLF reserves the right to refuse entry.

The event location is on your ticket. Our events take place across multiple venues in central Bradford and the Bradford district. Please take the time to plan your journey and arrive 15 minutes before the event begins. This is to ensure we have time to check your ticket and any supporting documents (concessions only).

BLF is a not-for-profit CIC. All ticket revenue and support from sponsors and partners is invested into our events, education and cultural outreach programme. You can support BLF by making a donation and encouraging local businesses to sponsor us.

Bradford Literature Festival offers an expansive, free Education Programme tailored to the national curriculum. You can find more information here: Education Programme.

At Bradford Literature Festival, we rely on the support of dedicated volunteers to help us deliver a successful event each year. If you’re interested in volunteering with us, we would love to have you on board. Please visit our Volunteers page to sign up and for more information.

When you book an event ticket you agree to our Terms and Conditions. This includes the photography, audio and video recording of BLF events. If you wish to be excluded from images and video recordings please speak to the Stage Manager to request a yellow lanyard.

Selected events are recorded and published on our Watch & Listen page. The Bradford Literature Festival podcast, explore words discover worlds, features live recordings from festival events.

For a written copy of our complaints procedure please email [email protected].