Cheltenham Poetry Festival

Cheltenham Poetry Festival offers an annual 10 day program of exciting live literature events throughout Cheltenham.

As well as the Spring programme, the Festival celebrates the power of words throughout the year at readings, performances and workshops.

Launched by poet Anna Saunders in 2011, the Festival kicked off with a sell-out performance by iconic punk poet John Cooper Clarke at Cheltenham Town Hall. It has since gone from strength to strength with audiences growing rapidly.

In the last ten years the Festival has offered events featuring our greatest living poets, spoken word artists, musicians, actors, dancers, writers and film makers.

The Festival also offers an extensive outreach programme for those who suffer economic, physical and other barriers to cultural inclusion.