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Event Details
Welcome to the 26th International Literature Festival Berlin
From 3 to 16 September 2026, Berlin transforms for the 26th time into a hub of international contemporary literature. Under the motto "You are born with your face turned everywhere," the international literature festival berlin (ilb) brings together more than 100 authors from over 40 countries, including established voices and literary newcomers. The main program runs from 3 to 12 September, and the Young Program for children, teenagers and families runs from 6 to 16 September.
Highlights
- Around 150 events with over 240 participants from literature, music and academia
- Readings and conversations with Nobel laureate Han Kang
- Appearances by Dave Eggers, Douglas Stuart, Amitav Ghosh, Adania Shibli and Cornelia Funke
- Curator in Residence Jeet Thayil curates a "festival within the festival" featuring ten events
- For the first time, authors perform alongside the ilb House Band (a jazz trio led by Diego Piñera)
- Young Program including a Graphic Novel Day, staged readings and workshops
- Patronage of Algerian French writer Boualem Sansal
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Program
The main venue is the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, with its stages (Große Bühne, Seitenbühne, Studiobühne, Foyer and Upper Foyer); during the festival, the Kassenhalle becomes the "Festival Kitchen". Individual events also take place at the Gropius Bau, the Berlin Philharmonic and the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion and Reconciliation. Under the "Literaturwelten" strand, five events bring together authors from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America, including Han Kang, Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, Julia Fiedorczuk, Daniela Catrileo, Dave Eggers, Katie Kitamura and Christian Kracht. The "Dialoge & Diskussionen" format invites audiences to engage with key contemporary debates. The Young Program runs from 6 to 16 September, also at die gelbe Villa and Theater an der Parkaue.
Tickets
Regular tickets cost 12 euros, reduced 8 euros; selected special events have special prices of 18 euros (regular) and 12 euros (reduced). A festival pass covering the entire program costs 150 euros (reduced 75 euros), though it does not apply to all special events. Single tickets for the Young Program cost 12 euros (full price) and 8 euros (reduced); school classes pay 5 euros per student. Tickets are available through the Berliner Festspiele website and at the box office at the Gropius Bau; evening box offices open one hour before each performance.
Visitor Tips
- Popular readings with well known authors often sell out quickly; early booking is recommended.
- Discounts are available for students, people under 27 in education, retirees and people with a disability rating of 50 percent or more.
- The Haus der Berliner Festspiele is well connected by public transport.
- Families with children should check the separate Young Program, which uses its own venues.
- Program booklets for both the main and Young Program are available for download on literaturfestival.com.
Note: The information on this page was researched at the time of writing and may have changed since then (e.g. date, venue, or program). Visit the organizer's official website →
The photo used is illustrative and does not necessarily depict the actual event.
Things to Do in Berlin
Weltballon Berlin
The Weltballon near Checkpoint Charlie lifts visitors 150 metres above Berlin in an open gondola for sweeping views over the city centre. The ride of about 15 minutes combines a spectacular panorama with a view over the former Wall strip.
Alexanderplatz
Alexanderplatz is one of Berlin's busiest squares, defined by the television tower, the World Clock and the distinctive postwar East German architecture around it.
AlexBalkon
On the 37th floor of the Park Inn Hotel at Alexanderplatz, the AlexBalkon offers a calmer panoramic view over Berlin than the nearby TV Tower.
Allied Museum Berlin
The AlliiertenMuseum in Dahlem documents the history of the Western Allies in Berlin from 1945 to 1994 with original objects such as the airlift aircraft.
Alte Nationalgalerie Berlin
The Alte Nationalgalerie Berlin displays 19th-century masterpieces from Caspar David Friedrich to the Impressionists in a temple-like building on Museum Island.
Altes Museum Berlin
The Altes Museum on Museum Island displays ancient art from Greece, Etruria and Rome in a neoclassical masterpiece by Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
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