Tickets

How to book tickets for the Oxford Literary Festival.

Tickets can be bought online up to the last minute before the event.

You will receive an email ticket, which is all you require for entry. The tickets will arrive from a TicketSource email address. You can also add a free mobile ticket sent by SMS that can easily be added to your Google or Apple wallet. We will also have a record of your name and purchase on the door. Optional posted tickets are also available for purchase from our box office agent TicketSource for a small extra charge for those who purchase online or at the telephone box office.

Any returned tickets for sold-out events will go straight back on public sale. We do not have waiting lists. For enquiries about tickets you have purchased email: tickets@oxfordliteraryfestival.org

There is a student price category available to students with a recognised student card and to under 18s in education.

Online: Please visit www.oxfordliteraryfestival.org

Telephone: 0333 666 3366.

Festival box office: The festival box office will be open during the festival. A booking fee of £2 will be added to all festival box office sales. Please note, the festival box office takes card payments only. Opening times are: Mon-Tues 11am-12pm and 1pm to 6pm; Weds-Sat 9.30am-12pm and 1pm-6pm; Sun 9.30am-12pm and 1pm-4pm.

Note: We strongly recommend that all festival-goers purchase their tickets well before the events to avoid disappointment. Many events do sell out. The festival box office can get busy, particularly in the run-up to events starting. Remember, you can now buy tickets online up to the last minute before the event starts and you need only present your email confirmation.

Disabled access: All venues have disabled access. Wheelchair spaces can be booked online and include a place for a carer.

As always, please make sure you arrive in plenty of time, particularly for the big events at the Sheldonian Theatre.

As with any large event involving hundreds of participants, it is inevitable that some speakers will have to cancel at the last minute due to illness, bereavement or other circumstances beyond their control. Full refunds will be made for any cancelled events, and the festival will try to find alternative speakers if time allows. Refunds for cancelled events can only be made through the original point of sale.

Unless otherwise stated, events and panel discussions last one hour.

The Oxford Literary Festival reserves the right to change venues, alter the programme or substitute writers if circumstances dictate. We will email you in advance to warn you of significant changes, such as to venues, times and speakers. Please also check the website for the latest details about the venue for your booked event as these are sometimes subject to change. Tickets are not refundable and cannot be exchanged.

Credits

To purchase tickets using a credit you claimed for cancelled events at the 2020 festival:

  • enter the code you received by email in the box for discount codes when buying online
  • quote the code when buying over the telephone or in person.

Codes are valid until 30 September 2024.

If you paid for an event with a credit code and the event was subsequently cancelled, the amount of credit has been reinstated to your code.

Children’s Events

Ticket prices shown are for children and adults. There are no concessions. Children under two are admitted free. Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult (aged 18 or over); the festival cannot accept responsibility for the safety of unaccompanied children. The accompanying adult must have a valid ticket.

Children over 13 cannot be responsible for younger children, although they may attend events alone as long as they are taken to and collected from the specific event venue.

Disabled access

Please check our location and travel page for information on disabled access for each event. Please advise of any special requirements when booking or by emailing tickets@oxfordliteraryfestival.org Wheelchair spaces are available through the normal booking process.

The Oxford Literary Festival sponsors, donors & partners

The Telegraph Festival media partner University of Oxford Netflix European Union Supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the UK Cultural Relations Platform Supporter of the festival's Voices of Europe programme BBC World Service International radio partner Owen Mumford Supporter of programme of science and medicine and annual science and innovation award Bodleian Libraries Festival cultural partner Oxford Martin School Festival ideas partner Oxford Mathematics Spanish Embassy The Spanish Embassy: supporters of the programme of Spanish literature and culture Cervantes Institute, London The Cervantes Institute, London Italian Embassy The Italian Embassy: supporter of the programme of Italian literature and culture The Dorchester Hotels Collection Festival London hotel partner International Literary Properties Festival literary heritage partner Blackwell’s Festival on-site and online bookseller The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels Festival hotel Old Bank Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Old Parsonage Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Jim Mellon John Roberts Lady Hatch Patron donor for the programme of Irish literature and culture Tim and Marion Stevenson Martin and Elise Becket Smith Miles Young Masumi and Jonathan Dobson Pank Koria CEO of Project People Carole and John Allen David Isaac Mary and Cecil Quillen Supporters of the programme of American literature and culture Anna Hunter Rhys and Kerry Phillip Exeter College Exeter College: college home of the festival. Founded 1314 New College New College founded 1379 Worcester College Worcester College founded 1714 Lincoln College Lincoln College founded 1427 St Cross College St Cross College founded 1965 Trinity College Trinity College founded 1555 Magdalen College Magdalen College founded 1458 Critchleys Accountants to the festival Pasture to Plate Compassion in World Farming Human Ecology Project MACROVegan Symington Wines of the Douro Valley Princeton University Press Prestige publishing partner. Celebrating 25 years in Europe in 2024 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Sponsor of the EBRD Literature Prize since 2018 ROOMS Georgia's leading lifestyle hotel brand since 2012. Supporters of the programme of Georgian literature and culture Jewish Book Week Partner of Oxford Literary Festival Foodbuy Thje Menu Partners Institute of Hospitality Goldmoney Properties Project People Oxford Brookes University Oxford International Centre for Publishing Confucius Institute Pusey House British Academy Festival academic partner Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies Oxford United Football Club Racalia Olive Oil Olive oil from Sicily BBC Radio Oxford Local radio partner Bear Ram Elk Festival Digital Strategy & Web Design Paul Bloomfield Ltd University of Oxford Alumni Office Alumni Office Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Conference Oxford Felicity Bryan Associates CAV Oxford The Sheldonian Theatre Oxford University Images Oxford University Images Oxford University Department for Continuing Education Oxford Georgian Translation Project Supporter of the programme of Georgian literature and culture Force4Good Consultancy Corporate communications OX magazine Ox in a Box K T Bruce Photography K T Bruce Photography The Litmus Partnership Schoolreaders Windrush Group James Currey Society