The Southbank Centre has announced that Dua Lipa is set to curate its 2026 London Literature Festival.
Presented as part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year, this year – also the National Year of Reading – marks the 19th edition of the London Literature Festival, making it the longest-running literature and spoken word festival in the capital.
Taking place from Wednesday 21 October to Sunday 1 November, the ‘Radical Optimism’ pop star will curate a series of events in the opening weekend (October 24 – 25 October), as well as events across the whole festival with her Service95 Book Club.
In 2023, Lipa launched the Service95 Book Club, and each month selects a book and sits down with its author for an accompanying podcast. Well known for being a passionate advocate for reading, a new press release notes her vocal advocacy for marginalised readers who face barriers to books, including those affected by book bans or incarceration.
Commenting on the curatorship, Lipa said: “Reading has anchored me through every chapter of my life – from being the new kid at school in a new country to finding quiet refuge on tour.
“Curating the Southbank Centre’s London Literature Festival is a dream come true. I’m thrilled to indulge one of my greatest obsessions: books and the brilliant minds behind them. I can’t wait to dive into the imaginations of some of my favourite authors in one of London’s most iconic cultural spaces,” she added.
Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre added that Lipa’s “passion for the written and spoken word has inspired a new generation of readers”, adding that they were thrilled she could apply “her incredible creative talent, her advocacy and her reach to connect audiences to our finest writers”.
Lipa’s curatorship of the London Literature Festival will be in partnership with the Service95 Book Club, and is set to include events that feature a mix of her favourite writers along with an array of free programming.
Full line-up details and dates for ticket releases are expected to be announced this summer.
On a recent episode of her aforementioned book club podcast, Lipa hit out at the media coverage of the Epstein files, saying it was largely “doing such a disservice to all the victims”.
