Guides Bloomsbury Festival 2026 Thu 1 to Sat 31 October Updated 25 Sep 2026
Bloomsbury Festival is normally a concentrated few days in mid October. 2026 is its twentieth anniversary and runs across the month, so check the programme for the date of the part you want.
Bloomsbury Festival 2026: 150 events across 40 venues, a lot of it free
The festival's twentieth year, running across October in the squares, museums and university buildings of Bloomsbury. Much of the programme costs nothing.
Across October, in about forty venues, for its twentieth year. More than a hundred and fifty events in the squares, museums, university buildings and back rooms of Bloomsbury, with a good part of the programme free.
It is the sort of festival that uses the place it is in rather than hiring a field. The venues are the point: buildings that belong to UCL, the Foundling Museum, the Brunei Gallery, the garden squares, and a number of rooms that are not otherwise open.
What is in it
Science and research from the university departments alongside music, poetry, theatre, visual art and walks. The mix is unusual: it is one of the few London festivals where a talk on immunology and a jazz set are on the same afternoon within five minutes of each other.
What it costs
A substantial share is free, particularly the talks, the outdoor work and anything in the squares. The ticketed events are mostly small and cheap rather than expensive, and they sell out because the rooms are little.
Doing it well
Bloomsbury is walkable end to end in twenty minutes, which is the whole advantage. Pick an afternoon, look at what is on within a few streets of each other, and treat the festival as a route rather than a list of things to travel between.
Getting there
Russell Square is in the middle of it. Holborn, Euston Square and Goodge Street all put you on an edge of it and are often quieter.
Bloomsbury Festival: what is on
Tue 13 to Sat 31 OctoberTuesday
13 October-
Talks
Bloomsbury Festival
Until 31 Oct
Bloomsbury Festival's twentieth year: 150 events through October in the squares, churches and colleges around Russell Square.
Friday
16 October-
Theatre £20, £12 and £6
Bloomsbury Festival: We Love and Then We Drown
Part of the Bloomsbury Festival, which runs across October in its twentieth year and puts about a hundred and fifty events into the museums, churches, libraries and squares of Bloomsbury. £20, £12 and £6.
-
Gigs £12 to £20
Bloomsbury Festival: Double Bill: Soraya Verjee and No More Girl Friday
Part of the Bloomsbury Festival, which runs across October in its twentieth year and puts about a hundred and fifty events into the museums, churches, libraries and squares of Bloomsbury. £12 to £20.
Thursday
22 October-
Talks Free
Bloomsbury Festival: Discovery Hub 2026
Part of the Bloomsbury Festival, which runs across October in its twentieth year and puts about a hundred and fifty events into the museums, churches, libraries and squares of Bloomsbury. Free, walk in.
Thursday
29 October-
Talks Free
Bloomsbury Festival: The Science of Growing Minds
Part of the Bloomsbury Festival, which runs across October in its twentieth year and puts about a hundred and fifty events into the museums, churches, libraries and squares of Bloomsbury. Free, walk in.
-
Gigs £10 to £15
Bloomsbury Festival: Sankofa
Part of the Bloomsbury Festival, which runs across October in its twentieth year and puts about a hundred and fifty events into the museums, churches, libraries and squares of Bloomsbury. £10 to £15.
Friday
30 October-
Film £15
Bloomsbury Festival: Nosferatu (1922) with live organ improvisation
Part of the Bloomsbury Festival, which runs across October in its twentieth year and puts about a hundred and fifty events into the museums, churches, libraries and squares of Bloomsbury. £15.
Saturday
31 October-
Gigs Free
Bloomsbury Festival: AKDC Diwali takeover
Part of the Bloomsbury Festival, which runs across October in its twentieth year and puts about a hundred and fifty events into the museums, churches, libraries and squares of Bloomsbury. Free, walk in.
Free
All free events-
Talks Free
Bloomsbury Festival: Discovery Hub 2026
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Across October, in about forty venues, for its twentieth year. More than a hundred and fifty events in...
London month by month
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What is on right now
All 2170 listingsThis guide is rewritten each year before the dates come round. For what is actually happening this week rather than what happens every year, the listings below are dated, checked against the venue and carry the venue's own link.
Next up
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Soho Covent Garden Islington Bloomsbury Camden Shoreditch Dalston Battersea Fitzrovia Crouch End
Questions people ask
When is the Bloomsbury Festival 2026?
Across October, for the festival's twentieth anniversary. Its usual shape is a concentrated few days in mid October, so check the programme for the part you want.
Is the Bloomsbury Festival free?
A good part of it is, particularly talks, outdoor events and anything in the garden squares. Ticketed events are mostly small and inexpensive.
Where does it take place?
Around forty venues across Bloomsbury: university buildings, museums, galleries, garden squares and a number of rooms not otherwise open to the public.
How many events are there?
More than a hundred and fifty in 2026, across roughly forty venues.
What is the nearest station?
Russell Square is in the middle of it. Holborn, Euston Square and Goodge Street sit on the edges and are usually quieter.
Every listing on this page is checked against the venue's own page and the page is rewritten each year, usually six to eight weeks before the dates. Times and prices can change on the night; the venue link on each event is the one to trust. How we choose what goes in.