Readers, writers and allies are heading to Brighton this October for The Coast Is Queer, a four-day celebration of LGBTQ+ literature, performance and film. Taking place from 15 to 18 October 2026 at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts, the festival mixes major literary names with emerging voices, practical workshops and lively conversations.

Essential Takeaways

  • Four days of events: The festival runs from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 October 2026.
  • A packed programme: Expect panels, readings, workshops, film screenings, performances and conversations.
  • Big literary names: Sarah Waters, Dean Atta, Nikita Gill, Juno Dawson, Shon Faye and Susan Stryker are among the announced guests.
  • Wide-ranging themes: Sessions explore publishing, queer histories, body image, nature, parenting, masculinity and hidden drag stories.
  • Brighton setting: Events take place at the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts on the University of Sussex campus.

Brighton’s queer literary celebration returns

Brighton’s LGBTQ+ literature festival is back with a programme that feels both ambitious and welcoming. The Coast Is Queer brings together established authors, poets, performers and new writers, creating the sort of weekend where a serious discussion can sit comfortably beside a film, a reading or an impromptu conversation over coffee.

Now in its seventh year, the festival has become a notable fixture in Brighton’s cultural calendar. VisitBrighton lists the event as part of the city’s autumn programme, while local event guides point audiences towards the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts as its home. (According to VisitBrighton and Brighton Insider.)

The venue should suit the festival’s varied format, with space for intimate conversations as well as larger panels and screenings. It’s a thoughtful choice for an event that wants to feel substantial without losing its community atmosphere. (Event details are also listed by Enjoy.ly and Oazis.)

Sarah Waters, Dean Atta and more headline the programme

The guest list stretches across fiction, poetry, theatre, activism and popular culture. Sarah Waters, known for novels including Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith, appears alongside BAFTA-winning writer Dean Atta and Sunday Times bestselling poet Nikita Gill.

There’s also a particularly strong focus on conversations that connect literature with lived experience. Juno Dawson’s Lovely Trans Sofa brings together Jordan Gray, Nicola Ninan and Fizz Sinclair, while a rare discussion between Shon Faye and transgender historian Susan Stryker promises to be one of the festival’s most anticipated moments.

Martin Sherman, Megan Jayne Crabbe, Julia Armfield and Kirsty Logan are also part of the wider programme. The result is a line-up that moves easily between literary prestige, cultural debate and accessible popular conversation. (The festival programme is highlighted by QX Magazine, with listings also appearing through the event directories.)

Film, poetry and publishing give the weekend plenty of variety

The opening night sets the tone with a screening of Dean Atta’s BAFTA-winning short film Two Black Boys, followed by a conversation with Neil Bartlett and readings from emerging writers Ray Filar and Remi Graves. It’s a strong beginning: cinematic, literary and rooted in new voices.

Friday turns towards the mechanics of publishing, with a Meet the Agent panel, discussions about children’s and young adult books, and a look at radical queer republishing. University students will also explore self-publishing and queer histories, bringing an energetic academic and grassroots perspective to the day.

Poetry takes centre stage on Friday evening in Poetry Paradise, curated by Dean Atta. Meanwhile, the festival’s launch programme, Roots, Routes, Futures, signals a broader interest in how queer writing carries memory while imagining what comes next. (The launch event is listed by Coast Is Queer, while QX Magazine details the wider schedule.)

Expect conversations about family, bodies and queer history

Saturday’s programme moves through difficult and revealing territory, including discussions of obsession and addiction, lesbian custody battles in the 1980s and the idea of standing against the odds. A film screening adds historical texture, giving audiences another way into stories that can easily be overlooked.

The day also looks outdoors, with sessions on Queer Nature and Radical Gardens. That shift is more than a change of subject. It reflects the way contemporary queer writing increasingly connects identity with place, ecology and the spaces people build for themselves. (The festival listings and programme summaries identify these Saturday themes.)

Sunday focuses on queer mothering, with Jessica and Claudia Kellgren-Fozard, Kirsty Loehr and Kirsty Logan among the contributors. Discussions on hidden drag histories and further in-conversations with Susan Stryker, Shon Faye, Sarah Waters and Julia Armfield round out the festival with a blend of personal, historical and literary perspectives. (Further programme information is shared by QX Magazine and event listing sites.)

How to make the most of The Coast Is Queer 2026

With so many formats on offer, visitors may want to choose a balance rather than trying to attend every headline conversation. Pairing a major author event with a workshop, student panel or emerging-writer reading could offer a fuller sense of what the festival is trying to achieve.

It’s also worth checking the latest schedule and ticket information before travelling, as individual sessions may have separate availability. The Attenborough Centre is on the University of Sussex campus, so planning your route in advance should make the day feel much less hurried. (Venue and event information appears across VisitBrighton, Enjoy.ly and Oazis.)

The appeal is simple: this isn’t only a festival for people who already know every name on the bill. It’s a chance to discover a new writer, hear a challenging idea or find a room where queer stories are treated as central rather than peripheral.

From bold conversations to soft-spoken readings, The Coast Is Queer looks set to make Brighton’s autumn cultural calendar feel brighter.

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