Events

What is the Gibraltar Literary Festival and when is it held?

Short answer

The Gibunco Gibraltar Literary Festival is an annual week of talks and interviews with international and local authors, historians, journalists and broadcasters, held each November. The 2026 festival runs from Monday 9 November to Sunday 15 November 2026, with sessions at venues including the Garrison Library and the John Mackintosh Hall Theatre, and tickets on sale through buytickets.gi.

Detailed answer

What it is

The Gibunco Gibraltar Literary Festival is organised by Gibraltar Cultural Services on behalf of the Ministries of Culture and Tourism, with the Gibunco Group as title sponsor. The 2026 programme covers politics, travel, music, health, sport, crime and literary fiction, alongside Gibraltar history and local authors. The John Mackintosh Educational Trust supports a children's and schools' programme.

When

The 2026 festival runs from Monday 9 November 2026 to Sunday 15 November 2026.

Venues

Sessions in 2026 include events at the Garrison Library and at the John Mackintosh Hall Theatre, which hosts the headline event with Dame Prue Leith. Venue details for each session are in the pocket guide and on gibraltarliteraryfestival.gi.

Events added on Friday 9 October 2026

All at the Garrison Library on Tuesday 10 November 2026:

  • 10am: Richard Garcia, Useless Mouths; Gibraltarians at War, an additional session after his original lecture sold out.
  • 12 noon: Nhean Haynes de Domecq in conversation with Dr Jennifer Ballantine Perera on Rock Cakes and Other Delights, recipes and stories from the Saccone family notebooks.
  • 2pm: Richenda Power in conversation with Dr Jennifer Ballantine Perera on The Clown and the Dancer, inspired by her parents' letters from Gibraltar between 1956 and 1960.

Tickets

On sale since Thursday 3 September 2026 at buytickets.gi or the Garrison Library Box Office, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. Individual talks cost £13 for adults and £9 for students and pensioners. The Dame Prue Leith event costs £15 and £10. Pocket guides are available at the City Hall and John Mackintosh Hall receptions, the Garrison Library Box Office and online. Enquiries: [email protected].

Visitor tips

Book early. Popular sessions sell out, as Richard Garcia's original lecture already has.