Dua Lipa to curate 2026 London Literature Festival for Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary

Grammy and Brit Award-winning global superstar Dua Lipa has been announced as the curator of the 2026 London Literature Festival, at the Southbank Centre in October 2026. This year’s festival forms a central part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary celebrations and coincides with the National Year of Reading. Dua will lead a series of events during the festival’s opening weekend on 24 and 25 October, alongside programming from her Service95 Book Club, which she launched in 2023 as part of her global culture platform.

Dua Lipa, curator of the London Literature Festival in the Southbank Centre's 75th year. Image credit Madison Phipps.

Dua Lipa described curating the festival as “a dream come true,” highlighting the importance of reading throughout her life. Her Service95 Book Club selects a monthly book and pairs it with discussions with the authors, while also championing reading access for marginalised communities. The festival will feature a mix of established and emerging writers, free events, and creative collaborations designed to engage audiences of all ages across London and beyond.

Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre, praised Dua’s global influence and passion for literature, calling her the perfect choice to guide the festival in this milestone year. Ted Hodgkinson, Head of Literature & Spoken Word, emphasised Dua’s dedication to reading as a creative and collaborative act, noting that her involvement will help draw new audiences to the Centre’s iconic spaces and reinforce the unifying power of arts and culture during the 75th anniversary celebrations.

The 2026 London Literature Festival continues the legacy of the city’s longest-running literature and spoken word festival, previously curated by Self-Esteem in 2025 and featuring luminaries such as Ai Weiwei, Malala Yousafzai, Margaret Atwood, and Philip Pullman. With programming aimed at young readers, interactive workshops, and a national programme across 40 towns and cities, the festival seeks to inspire a new generation of readers while celebrating 75 years of the Southbank Centre as a cultural hub, supported by Bukhman Philanthropies.

Festival Dates: Wednesday 21 October – Sunday 1 November 2026. Location: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX. southbankcentre.co.uk