Falmouth Book Festival 2026, Your Complete Guide | St Michaels Resort

Falmouth Book Festival 2026: Your Complete Guide

Falmouth Book Festival 2026 runs from Sunday 18 to Sunday 25 October, bringing eight days of author talks, readings, conversations and children’s events to venues across Falmouth, including The Poly and Princess Pavilion. This year’s line-up includes Ruby Wax, Michael Morpurgo, Luke Harding, Patrick Gale, Esther Freud, Satish Kumar and Maria Alyokhina of Pussy Riot, alongside some of Cornwall’s most distinctive writers.

What is the Falmouth Book Festival?

The festival was founded in 2021 by the team behind the literary stages at Port Eliot Festival, and in six editions it has become one of the most anticipated cultural events in Cornwall’s calendar. It is supported by the Falmouth Bookseller, Falmouth BID and St Michaels Resort.

The programme pairs internationally known names with local voices, and the conversations range widely: fiction, politics, history, the ocean, nature and ideas. Past speakers include Alexander McCall Smith, Prue Leith, Irvine Welsh, Dawn French and Raynor Winn.

Falmouth Book Festival 2026 dates and programme

The 2026 festival runs from Sunday 18 to Sunday 25 October. Highlights include:

Sunday 18 October, 1pm, Princess Pavilion: Ruby Wax opens the festival with I’m Not as Well as I Thought I Was

Monday 19 October, 7pm, The Poly: Luke Harding on Betrayal: Trump, Putin and the New Age of Conquest

Tuesday 20 October, 7pm: Cathy Rentzenbrink on The Agatha Christie Cure

Wednesday 21 October: Satish Kumar on Peace Is Possible

Thursday 22 October: Charlie Higson on James Bond and King Zero

Friday 23 October, 7pm, The Poly: Esther Freud and Patrick Gale in conversation

Saturday 24 October: Natasha Carthew (2pm), Peter Moore (4pm) and Maria Alyokhina of Pussy Riot (8pm, The Poly)

Sunday 25 October, 2pm, Princess Pavilion: Michael Morpurgo with Clare Morpurgo on Down Burrow Lane

Sunday 25 October, 6pm: poet Joelle Taylor closes the festival

The full programme, times and tickets are on the Falmouth Book Festival website.

Festival venues

Events take place at venues across Falmouth town. The two main stages are:

Princess Pavilion: the Edwardian pavilion and gardens on Melvill Road, between the town and Gyllyngvase Beach, hosting the larger headline talks

The Poly: the historic arts centre on Church Street in the town centre, hosting many of the evening events

Falmouth is compact, so most venues are within walking distance of each other. That makes it easy to see a lunchtime talk, browse the bookshops, and return for an evening event without needing the car. Check each event listing for its venue before you book.

What to expect at Falmouth Book Festival

Author talks and in conversation events with novelists, journalists, broadcasters and thinkers

Poetry and readings, including the closing event with Joelle Taylor

Cornish voices, with writers such as Natasha Carthew, Luke Thompson and Philip Marsden

Children’s events with writers and illustrators Gillian Burke, Rebecca Cobb, Tom Palmer and Clare Welsh, including free children’s events

A mix of free and ticketed events throughout the week

Planning your visit: practical tips

Book tickets early. Headline talks at Princess Pavilion are the most popular. Tickets are available through the festival website and The Poly box office.

Plan around the weekends. The festival opens and closes on a Sunday, and Saturday 24 October has events running from afternoon into the evening, so a long weekend lets you see several talks.

Walk between venues. Most events are in or close to the town centre, and the walk from Gyllyngvase Beach to Princess Pavilion is short.

Pack for the coast. October in Falmouth is usually mild, but a layer and a waterproof will keep you comfortable on walks between events.

Make more of October. Earlier in the month the town hosts the Falmouth Oyster Festival, and if you are planning further ahead, our Falmouth Week guide covers the town’s summer regatta.