Dua Lipa is officially curating Southbank’s London Literature Festival

London’s Southbank Centre is like the cool kid of cultural spots in the capital, teaming up with big starry names on a semi-regular basis now, and the latest announcement is another slam dunk. Barely a month after Harry Styles was confirmed as the curator of Meltdown Festival, Dua Lipa was announced as this year's curator of the London Literature Festival.

This year marks the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary, so it’s not entirely surprising that they’re planning to pull out all the stops. Dua Lipa will be curating the lineup of the 19th annual London Literature Festival, which is set to take place from 21st October, running until 1st November. She’ll also be popping up at the Royal Festival Hall on 24th-25th October.

Lipa is no stranger to perusing the paperbacks, having founded the Service95 Book Club back in 2023. Each month, she selects a book she loves and sits down with the author to chat on the book club’s accompanying podcast.

As well as being a big reader, Lipa frequently advocates for marginalised readers who face barriers to books like bans and incarcerations. Later this year, she’ll be bringing her love for literature to an even bigger stage, curating a line-up of her favourite established and emerging writers.

Dua Lipa - Training Season (Live from the Royal Albert Hall) [Official Performance Video] - YouTube

Watch On

For those not in the know, the London Literature Festival runs every year with a completely stacked programme of events and even performances, all celebrating the written and spoken word. We don’t yet have the schedule for 2026’s festival, but we’re in for a range of events from workshops to readings to live talks from authors. If previous years are anything to go by, we’ll also be in for live performances, discussions, and even a smattering of slam poetry.

Speaking about curating the lineup, Dua Lipa said: ‘Reading has anchored me through every chapter of my life – from being the new kid at school in a new country to finding quiet refuge on tour. Curating the Southbank Centre’s London Literature Festival is a dream come true.

I’m thrilled to indulge one of my greatest obsessions: books and the brilliant minds behind them. I can’t wait to dive into the imaginations of some of my favourite authors in one of London’s most iconic cultural spaces.’

• London is getting a new restaurant where absolutely nothing is wasted

Skip the search — follow Shortlist on Google News to get our best lists, news, features and reviews at the top of your feeds!