What is the Literary Arts Festival?
Save the date: Friday 12th - Saturday 13th September 2026
At Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, our mission has always been about more than putting on a show. As a charity-run arts venue at the heart of this town, we exist to foster creativity, champion local talent and make the arts accessible to everyone in our community. This year, we're doing something we've never done before, and we couldn't be more excited to share it with you.
Why we’ve created it
Sutton Coldfield has a rich and vibrant creative community of poets, authors, storytellers, artists, and more - and they deserve a stage. The Literary Arts Festival has been created to shine a light on exactly that. Not just the creativity within our town, but the wider world of literary arts that we're proud to bring to Sutton Coldfield for the very first time.
Our aim has been to create a programme that speaks to all ages, all cultures and all tastes, in one place, across one incredible weekend.
The Daytime Programme
Your free daytime ticket grants you access to a full weekend of literary and creative arts activity. Here's a taste of what to expect:
Live readings: hear poetry and prose brought to life by the writers behind the words, in intimate, memorable performances that remind you why language matters.
Collaborative workshops: whether you've been writing for decades or have never put pen to paper, our workshops are open to everyone. Come along, get involved and discover something new about your own creativity.
Creative performances: experience the spoken word and the literary arts in their most dynamic, living form, with performances that entertain, provoke and inspire.
Community arts and crafts: we'll also be welcoming local arts and crafts groups to the festival, hosting interactive sessions and giving you the chance to get hands-on with community creative projects. A brilliant option for families and younger visitors especially.
Your daytime ticket is completely free, because great art should be for everyone.
The Saturday Evening Show
We’re excited to bring a spectacular variety showcase that brings together some extraordinary live talent from our community.
Expect live theme tune music composition, live jazz and more - a night designed to celebrate the full spectrum of creativity that makes this festival so special.
Tickets for the Saturday Evening Show are £10 per adult and £5 for under 16s, and can be booked here.
Line-Up coming soon
We’ll be announcing our line-up in phases - keep an eye on our website and our social media to be the first to know about what’s in store.
Book a Free Saturday Day space