Bradford Literature Festival (BLF) is an annual festival and year-round cultural engagement programme encompassing the best of literature, music, theater, 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 £7), a wide range of discounts and 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.
How BLF 2023 made an impact in numbers:
🌎 Europe’s Most Diverse Literature Festival
🏆 In the UK’s Top 3 Largest Literature Festivals
👫 Record-breaking 116,225 audiences from 18 countries
📚 63,350 children and young people, families and teachers reached
💙 Pioneered Ethical Ticketing, giving free access to events to those who need it most
📈 97% said that BLF improves West Yorkshire’s National Reputation