Dua Lipa announced as curator of 2026 London Literature Festival in the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year

The Southbank Centre today announces Grammy and Brit award-winning global superstar and founder of the Service95 Book Club, Dua Lipa, as curator of its 2026 London Literature Festival (Wednesday 21 October – Sunday 1 November). Dua will curate a series of events in the opening weekend (Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 October) as well as events across the whole festival with her Service95 Book Club.

Presented as part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary year, and taking place during the National Year of Reading, this year marks the nineteenth edition of the London Literature Festival, the longest running literature and spoken word festival in the capital. 

In 2023, Dua launched the Service95 Book Club, part of her global culture platform Service95. Each month, she selects a book she loves and sits down with the author for the book club’s accompanying podcast. As a passionate advocate for reading, she also speaks up for marginalised readers who face barriers to books, including those affected by book bans or incarceration.

“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.”

Dua Lipa

Dua’s curatorship of the London Literature Festival will be in partnership with the Service95 Book Club, and will include events that feature a mix of Dua’s favourite writers – both established and emerging – along with an array of free programming.

Find out more about London Literature Festival