A stellar line-up of artists, writers and poets will appear at Charleston Festival in East Sussex over the bank holiday weekend. From thrilling conversations and hard-hitting debates to family events and hands-on workshops, the 2026 programme brings together creative trailblazers in literature, art, politics and music who are shaping our world today.
Charleston Festival keeps the progressive and bohemian spirit of the Bloomsbury Group – led by artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, who lived at Charleston House in the early 1900s – alive with an eclectic programme where art meets performance, politics, literature and music.
Charleston Festival is set in the idyllic grounds of Charleston in the South Downs, once home to the Bloomsbury group and a historic meeting place for some of the most radical artists, writers and thinkers of the 20th century.
Highlights of the bank holiday weekend that closes the festival include stars of stage and screen Hugh Bonneville, Jennifer Saunders and Simon Farnaby discussing the magical world of Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree book, which is now a major movie starring Bonneville and Saunders. This family event takes place on Saturday 23 May, and later that day Irvine Welsh will discuss the return of his iconic Trainspotting characters in his new book Men in Love with Miranda Sawyer.
Actor and singer Olly Alexander will bring one of the 20th century’s most influential queer writers to life in a Charleston Festival Original production on Monday 25 May. Alexander will read from diaries, letters, memoirs and fiction in a live performance of Goodbye to Berlin: Christopher Isherwood in His Own Words.
Oscar Wilde’s grandson and biographer Merlin Holland and the acclaimed playwright David Hare discuss Wilde’s genius, tragic life and legacy in an event on Friday 22 May. Also on Friday, Jeanette Winterson, author of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and One Aladdin, Two Lamps, explores why storytelling always mattered to her — and why, in uncertain times, it still does; and Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina will be joined by Zoe Williams to discuss her book Political Girl: Life and Fate in Russia and the relationship between artistic endeavour and political activism.
On Sunday 24 May Katy Hessel, art historian and author of The Story of Art Without Men, shines the spotlight on women who have shaped art history, and investigates why they have been overlooked. And on Monday 25 May, Chinese-born British novelist Jung Chang joins Oscar nominated screenwriter William Nicholson to reflect on an extraordinary life in In the What I Believe series, inspired by E.M. Forster’s 1938 essay.
More highlights to look out for include;
Saturday 23 May
- Acclaimed novelist and critic Olivia Laing joins film critic Francine Stock to reflect on the dark underbelly of cinematic fantasy.
- Colm Tóibín and Ruth Ozeki reflect on their new collections and discuss the short story as a literary form.
- The poet, performer and playwright Joelle Taylor has been commissioned to write the annual Charleston Monologue, now in its fifth year. PURGE, which is written in the month leading up to the festival, will be performed live for the first time at Charleston.
Sunday 24 May
- Time Team presenter and Blackadder star Tony Robinson discusses The House of Wolf, his first work of historical fiction with bestselling author of Heresy, S.J. Parris.
- Lauren Elkin, author of Vocal Break joins Melissa Auf der Maur, the bassist of the Nineties alt-rock band Hole, in celebration of those women who have defied genre, capitalism and sexism through sound.
- Author Ocean Vuong, whose latest book is The Emperor of Gladness, is in conversation with poet and author of Kumukanda and A Blood Condition, Kayo Chingonyi.
- Greg Doran, former RSC Artistic Director is joined by Harriet Walter to explore how Shakespeare’s language still shapes our understanding of what it means to be human.
Monday 25 May
- Historian William Dalrymple is joined by BBC and Sky News presenter Yalda Hakim to ask what history might tell us about where we are heading next in a time of fast moving global events.
- Israeli and Palestinian co-authors of The Future is Peace — Aziz Abu-Sarah and Maoz Inon — discuss friendship and what it is to imagine a future shaped by trust rather than fear.
- Women’s Prize winner Tayari Jones and fellow American novelist Jay McInerney grapple with what it means to tell the story of a nation as the 250th anniversary of the United States approaches.
This year’s festival, unfolding during the UK’s National Year of Reading, is a bold celebration of the enduring power of words. From the most electrifying new voices in contemporary fiction to literary icons, political changemakers, world-class performers and the thinkers redefining our global conversations, Charleston will once again become a meeting place for ideas that matter. We look forward to welcoming audiences to a festival alive with imagination and possibility.”
Melissa Perkins, Artistic Director of Charleston Festival
Charleston has a rich history as a gathering place for some of the most radical artists, writers and thinkers of the 20th century, who came together to imagine society differently. Today, Charleston continues to keep the progressive spirit of the Bloomsbury Group alive with the festival programme and events throughout the year. It is our great pleasure to host speakers from all around the world and to open up the beautiful house and garden, in the heart of the Sussex countryside, to all our visitors.”
Nathaniel Hepburn, Director of Charleston
New for 2026, Charleston has also launched a brand-new podcast series, presented by Claire Ratinon, unearthing voices from over 25 years of Festival archives. The first three episodes feature conversations previously only heard live at Charleston Festival, including Patti Smith, Paula Rego, Susan Sontag, Sir Richard Attenborough and Roxane Gay. After Bloomsbury: The Charleston Podcast is available to listen to on all the usual channels including Spotify and Apple.
This year’s Festival Book Group is hosted by writer and editor Holly Dawson. The full reading list of books featured in the festival programme will be available to view online.
For those aged 30 and under, Charleston is offering 1,000 tickets at £10 available across all events.
Press images available on this link.
Photo credits for Charleston images: Lewis Ronald, Euan Baker, Emma Croman.
Explore the full Charleston Festival 2026 programme and book tickets here.
Charleston Festival dates: 13–25 May 2026
Charleston, Firle, Lewes BN8 6LL
Under 30s can benefit from discounted £10 tickets to all main festival events. Join for free at charleston.org.uk/support
