The JLF 2026 Dates, Venue & more, that you should know
Are You Prepared for JLF 2026? Uncover Dates, Venue & What to Expect.
The cool January weather usually welcomes the arrival of a different type of (electric) buzz when it settles into Jaipur; a buzz of ideas, stories and conversations from across the world. For those who travel not just to visit and see but also to understand, think and debate, that buzz can only mean one thing: the Jaipur Literature Festival is approaching.
Dubbed the greatest literary show on Earth, the festival brings together writers from Nobel and Booker Prize-winners to evolving voices, and readers and listeners. For entertainment, the early mornings and late evenings are replete with music concerts and dance performances. If you are a traveller with cultural curiosity, and plan to be part of this magnificent celebration of words and ideas, we have listed all that you need to know to track the approaching edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival 2026.
JLF 2026: The Essential Details
- Dates: January 15 – 19, 2026
- Jaipur Literature Festival Venue: Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur
A Glimpse into the Festival's Schedule
Even though the actual speaker schedule won’t be announced until closer to the event (and many participants search the schedule to try to understand what the festival will look like), the amazing experience is in the vibrant and broad-based format of the festival: a sprawling programme spread out over five days. Between that and the huge audiences that throng the venue day after day, it can all be somewhat overwhelming, but in a welcoming way!
Mornings begin with some uplifting music, helping to set a reflective tone for a day full of back-to-back sessions. The program is multifaceted:
- Panel Discussions: Provocative debates and conversations on every topic imaginable, including geopolitics, AI, climate action, history, and mental health.
- Book Launches: Be the first to celebrate new works from your favorite author.
- Poetry Readings: Intimate and powerful readings that are at the heart of the festival.
- Jaipur BookMark (JBM): This B2B platform runs alongside the host festival, hosting publishers, agents, and translators to discuss the “business of books”.
- Jaipur Music Stage (JMS): After a long day of literary sessions, the separately-ticketed Jaipur Music Stage offers the best performers from around the world. You’ll be entertained throughout the night.
The Venue: Hotel Clarks Amer
For many years, JLF was tied to the old-world charm of Diggi Palace. But to address its incredible growth, the official jaipur literature festival location was moved to Hotel Clarks Amer.
This contemporary venue is built to accommodate the global-scale festival. The huge lawns, large auditoriums, and various parallel venues are what allow for such a vast and diverse programme. The atmosphere is buzzing with energy, a true “Maha Kumbh” of ideas, where you are in almost constant motion between tents, meeting new authors and conversing with other readers.
Find Your Sanctuary: The Savista Experience
The Jaipur Literature Festival is an intense and wonderful experience—a true banquet for the mind. After a stimulating day of intellectual camaraderie, and battling the crush of the enthusiastic crowds (!), your mind and soul want for only one thing, and that is a place to breathe, ponder, and really digest the day’s ideas. The perfect place for this is Savista Retreat, one of the acclaimed heritage countryside boutique hotels in jaipur.
Just a short 40-minute drive from the busy city, Savista is located in a little village in the countryside, a “hidden gem” for eco-literate and culturally zealous travelers looking for a lifestyle destination. The essence of Savista’s philosophy is listening and living in response to the rhythms of nature.
Escape the stimulating but sensory overload of the festival, and return to the quiet countryside to remind yourself that connecting with nature is the only sure route to connecting with your true inner self. Experience a healthy and fresh farm-to-table meal put together from our organic vegetable garden. Reflect in solitude on your experience of the day’s explosion of ideas, or meet other guests to exchange festival notes with them. Allow the sounds of chirping crickets to put you to sleep, and wake up to the calls of birds.
Engage in the exciting literary world during the day and return to your own peaceful retreat in the evening. We invite you to make Savista your sanctuary during JLF 2026!