What’s On

Upcoming Events

Box Office & FAQ

Tickets for most Manchester Literature Festival events can be booked through our main Box Office agent Quaytickets. You can book online or by phone on 0343 208 0500. The box office phone line is open Monday – Friday: 9am – 6pm, Saturday – Sunday 10am – 6pm. For all events booked through Quaytickets there is a one-off e-ticket transaction fee of £1.75 but no additional booking fees on tickets.

Tickets for MLF events at Contact, HOME and Z-arts are sold directly by the venue and additional booking fees may apply.

Contact Box Office is open Tuesday – Saturday: 12pm – 10pm for in-person or phone bookings on 0161 274 0600. You can also book online 24-7.

HOME Box Office is open Monday – Sunday: 12pm – 8pm for in-person or phone bookings on 0161 200 1500. You can also book online 24-7.

Z-arts Box Office is open Tuesday-Friday 9.30am – 5pm and Saturday 9.30-6pm for in person or phone bookings on 0161 226 1912. You can also book online 24-7.

You can purchase an MLF Get Closer Membership, which will give you 48 hours priority booking for all MLF events, here.

Concessions and Discounts

Where a concessionary ticket is listed for an event, this is available to: recipients of Pension Credit, full-time students, jobseekers, and disabled people.

Access Requirements

All the venues we use for Manchester Literature Festival events are wheelchair accessible. Please visit the links on our events listings for further information and details about individual venues.

Concessionary rates for customers who identify as Disabled are available for most events and we offer Carer Goes Free tickets. To book Carer Goes Free tickets for events on sale via Quaytickets please phone the box office on 0343 208 0500. If it's not possible to book by phone, please email your requirements and we will forward the information onto the relevant Box Office.

If you would like to request a BSL interpreter for an event or have any particular access needs that you would like to make us aware of, do please email our Admin Assistant, Mel on office@manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk to let us know, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs and make sure your experience of attending the event is as enjoyable as possible.

Festival staff and volunteers will be on hand to provide information and assist at events.

For a map and list of disabled parking bays in Manchester city centre, please visit the Manchester City Council website: manchester.gov.uk

For information about Changing Places toilet facilities, please visit: changing-places.org

MLF Digital Events

You can watch a selection of previous #MLF Digital Events and New Commissions on the MLF Vimeo Channel.

Cancellation Policy

Tickets cannot be refunded except on the cancellation or substantial alteration of an event. If an event has to be cancelled by MLF due to any reason, including artist incapacity or new government restrictions, you will be offered a full refund. You can also purchase optional Ticket Refund Protection at the Quaytickets checkout, enabling you to apply for a refund if you are no longer able to attend an event due to personal illness/circumstances.

What to expect when you attend MLF events

• Events at Contact, HOME and The Lowry all feature Reserved Seating so if you'd like to sit with friends at an event, please book all seats together in the same transaction.

• Latecomers may be admitted at a suitable break in an event; however, this is at the discretion of the venue and Festival.

• Masks are no longer mandatory under Government guidance but we recognise that some artists and audience members are continuing to wear masks in busy venues.

• MLF and venue staff may request audiences to wear masks for book signings.

• Where possible, we will operate a one-way flow of people in and out of events and book signings.

How you can help us

• Please don't visit if you have any symptoms of coronavirus.

• Arrive 15 minutes before the event start time and follow instructions from Festival/venue staff and volunteers who will be on hand to help you find your seat.

• Continue to wear a mask or face covering if requested.

• Wash your hands regularly and sanitise on entering the venue.

This is my first Manchester Literature Festival. How do I find out about future live and digital events?

You can join our mailing list here.

You can also follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram.

How can I make a donation to Manchester Literature Festival?

You can make a one-off or regular donation here.

Thank you for your support!

Tickets for most Manchester Literature Festival events can be booked through our main Box Office agent Quaytickets. You can book online or by phone on 0343 208 0500. The box office phone line is open Monday – Friday: 9am – 6pm, Saturday – Sunday 10am – 6pm. For all events booked through Quaytickets there is a one-off e-ticket transaction fee of £1.75 but no additional booking fees on tickets.

Tickets for MLF events at Contact, HOME and Z-arts are sold directly by the venue and additional booking fees may apply.

Further Information

Plan Your Visit

All our venues are near good public transport links, and we strongly encourage audiences to support our efforts in reducing the Festival’s carbon footprint by traveling to events by public transport if at all possible. We recommend using the Transport for Greater Manchester Journey Planner to plan your journey via train, tram and bus.

Manchester is one of the UK's most exciting, vibrant and multicultural cities. A designated UNESCO City of Literature, Manchester has a wealth of talented writers, independent publishers and a nurturing literature scene as well as beautiful Libraries, historic performance spaces and literary landmarks. Check out the Manchester City of Literature's What's On page and Visit Manchester website for the latest cultural offerings and activities.

Alongside stunning architecture, distinctive venues and acclaimed restaurants, bars and cafes, the city offers a wide variety of places to stay, from historic luxury hotels to midrange and budget hotels, apartments and hostels.

If you are looking to book a trip to Manchester, we highly recommend booking a stay with one of our iconic hotel partners.

Winner of 'Leading Hotel of the Year 2019', The Edwardian Manchester brings redefined five-star luxury to the city's beautiful Grade II-listed Free Trade Hall. Their spacious rooms and stunning suites feature sweeping city views and you can enjoy award-winning contemporary Japanese and Mexican small plates at Peter Street Kitchen and a Parisian-inspired menu at The Library curated by Assouline.

Originally built to serve rail travellers from London, The Midland Hotel has been a much-loved part of this magnificent city's life for over 115 years. Step into its timeless elegance and experience award-winning restaurants and an idyllic urban spa.

Past Festivals

The 2023 Manchester Literature Festival took place 7 – 22 October with Bookend events in September and November and featured 43 live events and masterclasses.

The programme showcased the rising stars of literature alongside award-winning writers and featured special conversations with national and international novelists, poets, musicians, artists and activists.

Programme strands included Fiction (Naomi Alderman, Richard Armitage, Deborah Levy, Kate Mosse, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Max Porter, Elif Shafak, Zadie Smith and Jeanette Winterson), Culture (Jeremy Deller, Afua Hirsch, Michael Lewis, Doon Mackichan, George Monbiot, Lisa Nandy, Thurston Moore and Yanis Varoufakis), Poetry (Simon Armitage, Kwame Dawes, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Arlo Parks and Lemn Sissay), Young Readers (Little Reads Family Day with Nathan Bryon & Dapo Adeola, Michael Morpurgo’s I Believe in Unicorns and a Skateboard Drawing Club) and New Commissions (Jason Allen-Paisant, Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir and young Manchester and Danish poets from our Cities Untold project). We also delivered a series of Masterclasses (How to Write Historical Fiction with Kate Mosse, and poetry/editing workshops with Kwame Dawes, Anthony Vahni Capildeo and Will Harris).