Cheltenham Literature Festival 2024 welcomes 100,000 ticket-holders
The 75th Cheltenham Literature Festival took place last week consisting of 400 events with more than 500 speakers across 10 days. More than 100,000 ticket-holders attended events at Montpellier Gardens from 4-13 October, along with 12,500 school children.
The headline event was Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s talk at the Centaur at Cheltenham racecourse to launch his memoir, Unleashed, on Thursday 10th October. Organisers said that although "well attended", the event was not sold out.
Nicola Tuxworth, head of programming at Cheltenham Literature Festival said: "More than ever, this year’s Festival has shown the enduring power of words and storytelling to shape our future and the world around us."
She added: "The arts are central to sparking people’s curiosity in something, whether that’s a thought, a conversation or an entire story. Our mission is to bring together a vibrant, nuanced and broad experience of literature to our audiences, and we celebrate our 75th anniversary, we are reminded of the power of reading to inspire the next generation of writers. Here’s to the next 75!"
The festival concluded with a reception on Tuesday 15 October, hosted by 10 Downing Street. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "It was an honour to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Cheltenham Literature Festival—the longest running of its kind in the world.
"The festival has played a vital role in promoting the diversity of thought and has acted as a champion for writers, thinkers and new talent. I am grateful to have been a part of marking this incredible milestone and celebrating the strength of the UK literature and publishing industry."
