Tickets for the star-studded 2026 Isle of Wight Literary Festival are now on sale.
Big names on the bill
Leading Broadcaster Clare Balding, ex-Corrie and Carry On star Amanda Barrie, BBC newsreader and journalist Sophie Raworth, top football commentator Clive Tyldesley, chef and activist Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, beloved actress Celia Imrie and ex-EastEnders and Gavin and Stacey star Larry Lamb are at the top of the bill.
Queen of Shops Mary Portas, crime writer Ann Cleeves, and wine- expert and TV star Helen McGinn are other big names coming to the Festival based at Northwood House, Cowes, from 8th to 11th October 2026.
Festival organisers have kept tickets affordable for all the top speakers across the four days of the event.
To book your tickets visit the website.
As well as the headliners, there are lots of specialist talks on offer, from Bob Dylan’s Isle of Wight connections to the great rivers of Europe and from military strategy to Britain’s coastal heritage.
Talks, tastings and special events
More than 40 speakers will be attending and, as well as author sessions, there are a host of amazing special events including Helen McGinn’s popular wine tasting, a new whisky tasting event with well-known whisky writer Ian Buxton, Festival favourite Fizz Quiz, Seabourn’s Ruby afternoon tea with former Royal butler Grant Harrold, a murder mystery written by Ann Cleeves especially for the Festival and a musical evening with Cowes resident and G4 performer Mike Christie.
LitFeast: a taste of the festival
LitFeast features demonstrations from Michelin starred chef Chris Galvin, Great British Bake-Off finalist Miranda Gore Brown, Eric Lanlard, a French pâtissier and celebrity chef, along with talks by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, who is on a mission to improve people’s health through food, and Professor Tim Lang, who offers solutions to Britain’s food problems.
The demonstrations take place in the LitFeast professional kitchen, which is sponsored by Island education and training provider HTP.
Supporting local writers
Write on Wight, which celebrates the local writing community, is also back. Sponsored by IW communications company Robertson Foster, authors can sell their books in the writers’ Marketplace, share their works in Author! Author! find out about residencies with Maggie Sawkins, and attend the launch of The Figlet issue six, which showcases Island writers, artists and photographers.
This year the Festival’s schools’ programme is incorporating every school on the Island and bringing over more than 20 top children’s authors in the designated Year of Reading.
How to book
For more authors and special events, visit the website.
News shared by Alan on behalf of Isle of Wight Literary Festival. Ed
