February 17, 2026 Library to Host 26th National Book Festival in August 2026

Library to Host 26^th National Book Festival in August 2026
Festival Set for Aug. 22, 2026, at the Washington Convention Center

The Library of Congress will host the 2026 National Book Festival on Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Washington Convention Center, festival organizers announced today.

The 2026 Library of Congress National Book Festival is part of the Library’s celebration of the nation’s semiquincentennial, America 250: It’s Your Story. The Library is inviting all Americans to further appreciate American history by exploring the Library’s collections and programs on a variety of topics, including the Library’s beloved literary festival.

At this year’s festival, the Library will feature an expansion of programming to celebrate the nation’s 250^th anniversary and to showcase the Library’s offerings beyond books to include film, music, veterans’ history and American folklife. Updates on plans for the National Book Festival will be shared at loc.gov/bookfest.

“The Library of Congress National Book Festival has become one of the nation’s favorite literary traditions, and we are proud to continue hosting this popular festival in August 2026,” said Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen. “Every year, book lovers of all ages converge to celebrate reading in the nation’s capital.”

The festival is free for everyone and provides a full day of conversations with dozens of authors, poets and illustrators from a variety of genres about their latest books and book signings with each writer. The festival offers readings, giveaways, and activities for children and young adults, as well as the opportunity to purchase books from the festival’s official bookseller. For festival updates, subscribe to the Library’s Bookmarked blog.

The Library is now recruiting nonprofit partners to provide learning activities for young people in the festival’s STEM and Story Districts. More information and an application is available here.

At the 2025 festival, tens of thousands of people joined the festival’s 25^th year. Videos of author conversations and special programs are available online.

The National Book Festival is made possible by the generous support of private- and public-sector sponsors who share the Library’s commitment to reading and literacy, led by National Book Festival Co-Chair David M. Rubenstein. Information is available here for organizations interested in exhibiting at the festival.

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.