Cheltenham lineup adds Lumley and Tulisa

Cheltenham Literature Festival unveils a star studded 2025 lineup including Joanna Lumley and Tulisa Contostavlos.

Cheltenham lineup features Lumley and Tulisa

The Cheltenham Literature Festival, founded in 1949, is one of the world’s oldest literature festivals. The 2025 edition runs from October 10 to 19 and features more than 400 events. The program includes talks from Graham Norton, Katie Piper, Sir Michael Palin and BBC director general Tim Davie.

Dame Joanna Lumley will be interviewed about her forthcoming book, while Tulisa Contostavlos will discuss Judgement, a new book about the highs and lows of her career.

The festival expanding its guest list to include Lumley and Tulisa suggests a strategy to attract broader audiences while preserving a serious literary core. Celebrity names can draw first time attendees and younger readers, but the event still hinges on thoughtful conversations about books, ideas and culture.

Balancing pop culture appeal with literary credibility is delicate. If the program leans too heavily on fame, it risks eroding its scholarly reputation; if it becomes too niche, it may lose the broad public reach that helps fund its longevity.

Highlights

As Cheltenham frames its future, the question is how well it keeps readers and casual audiences in the same room