Leeds Storytelling Festival is set to return with a fresh programme celebrating the National Year of Reading 2026, bringing a citywide mix of events designed especially for children and families.
Running from Saturday 14 February to Sunday 8 March, the festival is delivered by Leeds Libraries in partnership with Wrongsemble and LIVEwire Poetry. Organisers said the programme aims to ignite imagination, promote reading for pleasure and offer shared experiences that bring communities together.
The festival is aligned with the National Year of Reading 2026, a UK-wide campaign led by the National Literacy Trust and The Reading Agency, supported by the Department for Education. The initiative aims to reignite enthusiasm for books and help reverse a decline in reading for pleasure by making reading a joyful, everyday habit for people of all ages.
This year’s Leeds Storytelling Festival features a wide range of activities across the city, including interactive storytelling sessions, creative workshops, author talks, pop-up performances and live theatre. The festival opens on Saturday 14 February with ‘Likkle Lit Fest’ by ‘Out of Many People’, hosted at the historic Leeds Central Library. The launch event spotlights Black literature and writing for children and young people, showcasing Black narratives, histories and characters created by Black writers and illustrators — offering stories intended for everyone to enjoy.
A special guest appearance is also planned from Leeds-born musician and author Corinne Bailey Rae, who will share her debut children’s picture book at 1pm in the Music Library. Other programme highlights include CBeebies Read and Rave on Monday 16 February at the Tiled Hall Café in Leeds Central Library, and ‘A Little Birdy Told Me’ with Leeds Arts University — an installation of miniature ‘bird boxes’ hidden among library shelves across the city for children to discover.
Families can also look forward to performances from Fladam and Hoglets theatre companies, BookTrust Storytimes, and a special event with Leeds Book Award-winning author and illustrator RAMZEE as part of World Book Day celebrations.
Councillor Asghar Khan, executive member for communities, customer service and community safety said:
“Leeds Storytelling Festival is a fantastic way for families across our city to come together, celebrate creativity and discover the joy that reading can bring. By working with partners like Wrongsemble and LIVEwire Poetry, the festival offers children and young people opportunities to experience stories in ways that spark imagination and build confidence. It’s wonderful to see such a vibrant programme returning for 2026, helping to inspire a love of reading that lasts a lifetime.”
Elvi Piper, artistic director of Wrongsemble said:
“Wrongsemble is thrilled to return as a partner for Leeds Storytelling Festival as it enters its second year. Last year’s edition reached thousands of families across the city, and we’re excited to build on that success with playful, imaginative experiences that inspire children and young people. This year we will be presenting an adaptation of Rapunzel from Bethan Woollvin, and free access to our digital theatre experience Aladdin and the Stolen Stories, thanks to support from Arts Council England.”
Matt Abbott, founding owner of LIVEwire Poetry said:
“LIVEwire Poetry has always been about inspiring a wide range of voices and making expression through words feel accessible and engaging for as many people as possible. This festival is the perfect vehicle for reaching all ages and backgrounds!”
Alongside the public programme, Leeds Libraries’ School Library Service is running a spring-term author programme for schools, offering affordable visits from nine creative professionals, all based in the North. The line-up includes Leeds authors Salomey Doku (2 March), Kate Pankhurst (4 March) and Mark Bradley (6 March), supporting creativity and literacy in classrooms in the lead-up to the festival.
Festival organisers said the programme brings together the three partner organisations in a shared commitment to imagination, diversity and accessibility, using storytelling to connect communities across Leeds through welcoming, inclusive experiences www.libraries.leeds.gov.uk
For programme details and booking information visit the Leeds Storytelling Festival collection on Leeds Inspired and follow @LeedsStoryFestival on Instagram for updates and behind‑the‑scenes previews.
