The 20th anniversary of the Bloomsbury Festival will launch on 1 October 2026, expanding for the first time into a full month-long celebration of culture, arts, and community. Running through 31 October across 40 venues in Bloomsbury and Camden, the landmark festival features over 150 events encompassing theatre, music, literature, science, and visual art under the theme Create and Celebrate.
This year’s festival marks the final edition for Festival Director Rosemary Richards, who is stepping down after leading the creative team for six years. To honor the 20-year milestone, the festival will showcase retrospective street galleries featuring two decades of festival photography by Stuart Keegan, displaying the history and diverse participants who have shaped the event.
The 2026 programme includes an extensive science and family lineup, anchored by the Discovery Hub at Holborn Library from 22 to 24 October, featuring interactive workshops on robotics, solar power, and space origami. Stargazers can also join UCL astronomers on the rooftop of the Imperial London Hotel for specialist telescope sessions overlooking the city skyline.
Artistic and literary highlights include EM Forster's Legacy of Connection: Unseen Memorabilia at Holborn Library, displaying previously unreleased materials alongside paintings by Jim Buckingham. At St Pancras Church, award-winning photographer Jonathan Banks presents Enrich Me With Your Difference, celebrating humanitarian efforts worldwide. Meanwhile, Holy Cross Church hosts Moments of Grace, an immersive 24-hour sound and light installation reflecting a century of nursing and midwifery stories.
The theatrical offering features From the Labyrinth at Holy Cross Church, a choral reimagining of the Minotaur myth, alongside Listen at UCL Bloomsbury Theatre, performed by The Aphasia New Music Group in collaboration with speech therapists. Film highlights include the premiere of What We Were and What We Are at Bertha Dochouse, exploring Sahrawi culture through documentaries created by refugee filmmakers.
Full ticketing details, Pay What You Can options, and event schedules are available via the official Bloomsbury Festival website.
