Event Details
Saturday 19 September
Sunday 20 September
Gates open at 10am*
The Queen's Reading Room Festival returns to Chatsworth for a second year with an extended two-day celebration of books and ideas, promising up-close talks, lively conversations, and memorable performances by acclaimed writers, thinkers, and literature lovers.
Within a new Festival Hub, located on the South Lawn in the Chatsworth Garden, you can experience dedicated talk theatres and an exclusive programme of festival entertainment, including The Writers' Room and The Poetry Room.
This year's headliners include Clare Balding, Harlan Coben, Lee Child, Cecelia Ahern, Meg Mason, Elif Shafak, Ann Cleeves, Louise Penny, Jeffrey Archer, Kate Atkinson, William Boyd, Jessie Burton, Reeta Chakrabarti, Daisy Fancourt, Lucy Foley, Jane Harper, Louise Kennedy, Philippa Perry, Jennifer Saint, Nussaibah Younis, and Louisa Young.
Festival passes are valid for one day and include complimentary entry to the house, where you can explore our 2026 exhibition, House of Stories: Tales from the Chatsworth Library, as well as the garden and farmyard.
Ticket information
Talk Tickets - must be booked in advance
£20 per talk (plus £25 for a festival pass)
The Festival offers the opportunity to hear from a range of world-class published authors and special guests.
To attend a talk, you must purchase a festival pass plus a ticket for each talk you wish to attend.
All talk tickets and festival passes must be booked in advance.
Festival Pass - must be booked in advance
£25 per person, per day
A festival pass includes one day entry to the Festival Hub, plus complimentary access to Chatsworth House, Garden, and Farmyard on the day of your visit.
In the Hub, you'll find the Garden Stage, the Fountain Stage, The Writers' Room, The Poetry Room, Bookshop Signing Tents, and a Catering Village.
Festival passes include free parking for one vehicle per transaction.
If you wish to attend the festival on both Saturday and Sunday, you will need to buy a festival pass for each day in separate transactions.
Festival Universal Credit Tickets
We want as many people as possible to experience Chatsworth and The Queen's Reading Room Festival.
Universal Credit Tickets are available for selected talks and entry to the Festival Hub.
What's On
Festival Headliners
View the full schedule of talks from this year's star-studded line-up.
Lee Child and Special Guests
From Reacher to Rehabilitation: Writing, Reading and Second Chances
Saturday 19 September, 7pm
An evening talk by Lee Child and special guests.
Separate ticketed event. No festival pass required.
Afternoon Tea
19 & 20 September
Add an elegant afternoon tea in the Old Duke's Glasshouse in the Chatsworth Garden to your festival experience.
Festival pass or garden ticket also required.
House of Stories: Tales from the Chatsworth Library
Until 4 October
Included with your festival pass is entry to Chatsworth House, Garden and Farmyard.
In the house, explore our exhibition 'House of Stories: Tales from the Chatsworth Library', bringing together literary treasures from the collections and archival letters, sketches, and manuscripts from famous authors to tell new stories.
The Writers' Room
Located in the Festival Hub, gain a behind-the-scenes look at the publishing world in this rolling programme of interviews, each featuring an author, publicist, publisher, editor, and literary agent.
Festival pass required.
The Poetry Room
Supported by The TS Eliot Foundation and located in the Festival Hub, the Poetry Room is a feel-good space featuring live poetry readings and relaxed conversations with special guests.
Festival pass required.
Bookshop Signings
Buy a book from our Orangery gift shop or Bookshop Signing Tent and have it signed and dedicated by its author.
Festival Pass required.
The festival is co-produced by The Queen's Reading Room and Chatsworth House Trust, the independent charity responsible for the preservation and development of Chatsworth. Proceeds from ticket sales will support the ongoing efforts of both charities.
Festival Information
Festival Food & Drink
Bring a picnic or buy sandwiches, snacks, light lunches, and drinks from one of our outlets.
Visitor Information
Download a digital festival map or a Chatsworth grounds map, check accessibility, learn about shops and dining options, and how to get to Chatsworth.
About our talk venues
Heading to a talk? Familiarise yourself with our talk venues.
Friends, Patrons and Passholders
Friends, Patrons and Passholders may book their usual member tickets to visit the house, garden and farmyard over the weekend of 19 and 20 September. Please note that the Chapel and Oak Room will be closed over the weekend.
All tickets must be booked in advance - there will be no on-the-gate entry.
These tickets do not include access to The Queen's Reading Room Festival.
Visiting the Festival as a Friend, Patron or Passholder
If you would like to attend the Festival, you will need to purchase a festival pass and relevant talk ticket/s. Festival tickets are not included in membership.
Friends and Patrons benefitted from pre-sale access to festival passes and talk tickets - booking links were sent to the email registered on your membership account at 7pm on 14 April.
For further information, please contact:
Friends: friends@chatsworth.org
Patrons and Corporate Passholders: development@chatsworth.org
Estate Passholders: chatsworth.events@chatsworth.org
FAQs
View our frequently asked questions.
Stay With Us
With miles of walks on the estate and in the national park, as well as centuries of heritage, art and design to explore, Chatsworth and the Peak District are a dream destination for an unforgettable escape. Find a stay with us in a hotel, inn, cottage, or shepherd’s hut here.
Please note: Please be aware that for technical, operational or safety reasons, some facilities may be removed or closed, or entertainment and event timetables cancelled and/or altered at any time, including at short notice. Chatsworth reserves the right to change the programme of attractions and entertainment if, at any time, it is deemed necessary or appropriate to do so, this may also include closing attractions or areas of the estate. We apologise in advance for any disappointment caused should this need arise.
All images of the Festival on these pages show the 2025 event and are included as a guide only.
* Early entry on Sunday 20 September for William Boyd talk ticketholders.
