Poetry International Festival 2026 celebrates the ‘people’s poet’ Benjamin Zephaniah as part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary celebrations

The Southbank Centre’s longest-running festival Poetry International Festival returns (Friday 10 – Sunday 12 July) and includes a celebration of the life and work of the trailblazing poet Benjamin Zephaniah, as well as a celebration of Allen Ginsberg at 100.

The festival programme brings together multi-art events, workshops and on-site activity as a key part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary celebrations as the centre marks its creation during the 1951 Festival of Britain.

Mark Ball, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre, says: “In our 75th anniversary year this latest edition of Poetry International Festival reminds us of poetry’s power to hold a multitude of artistic and social influences, as we look to legendary voices such as Benjamin Zephaniah and AllenGinsberg whose poetry was infused with music and social activism. At the Southbank Centre we aim to ignite a love for poetry and creativity not just on our site, but across the UK too, and we’re delighted that the work of of our brilliant National Poetry Library will engage more than 3,500 school children around the UK with our A Poet in Every Port and the Imagine the Future projects”.

Find out more about Poetry International Festival