Welcome!
From March 7 to 22, Cologne will once again become the European capital of literature: With 196 events, lit.COLOGNE 2026 kicks off the new literary year, bringing award-winning authors from Germany and abroad, inspiring themed and portrait evenings, and high-caliber panel discussions to the city's stages.
The integrated lit.kid.COLOGNE program offers a wide range of formats for young readers, lit.COLOGNE POP welcomes well-known figures and emerging voices to discuss contemporary topics over two days, and the new DOK.COLOGNE program focuses on documentary film.
The festival kickoff features an unusual encounter between two authors with completely different biographies. Julian Barnes & Robert Habeck.
The event also marks the start of Kiepenheuer & Witsch's 75th anniversary, which the publishing house is celebrating together with lit.COLOGNE with fifteen specially curated readings.
The festival is made possible by our supporters, whom you will also encounter at many of our festival activities. The festival would be unthinkable without the strong presence of top-class authors, presenters, and actors, and without the excellent cooperation with the publishers.
We hope you enjoy discovering your personal favorite events!
Your lit.COLOGNE team
If you have any questions about ticket booking/refunds, please contact our ticket partner myticket directly: help@myticket.de.
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Photo gallery
lit.kid.COLOGNE celebrates reading!
For and with children and young people, in the mornings for school classes and at weekends in the family program and at lit.ComingOfAge.
lit.kid.COLOGNE encourages people to read, think and talk. Authors and other interesting and interested personalities read, talk and discuss with children and young people at eye level, taking them with them to cross familiar horizons and discover new worlds of reading.
The lit.COLOGNE strives to be as inclusive as possible.
For years now, the lit.COLOGNE has been actively working to enable persons with disabilities to participate. There is a wide range of barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating normally in cultural events. In its efforts to change this, the phil.cologne offers multiple fully-accessible and improved-access events every year.
Upcoming dates
The next lit.COLOGNE dates
2026: March 6 to 22
2027: February 26 to March 14
