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Cheltenham Literature Festival 2025
Ten days of talks, readings and debate in Cheltenham, with more than 400 events and a relaunched Big Read campaign.
- Dates
- 10–19 October 2025
- Where
- Cheltenham, England
- Type
- Festival
- Organiser
- Cheltenham Festivals
The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival is organised by Cheltenham Festivals, a Gloucestershire charity. It is widely regarded as the oldest literature festival in the world and returns to the town each October.
The 2025 edition ran from 10 to 19 October with more than 400 events under a Read the World theme, bringing international writers to the festival both in person and digitally. The festival also relaunched The Big Read, a shared reading campaign built around a single debut novel, alongside family events, a schools programme and dining events around town. The organisers later reported record ticket sales for the year.
It suits readers who like a long, varied programme, and writers interested in how debut fiction is championed to a general audience. Families and schools are well catered for.
Sources: Cheltenham Festivals: 2025 full programme announcement; Cheltenham Festivals: 2025 festival review.
Organised by Cheltenham Festivals. Tingle Press lists it as an event worth your time and is not the organiser. Check the organiser's website for final details.