The Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) is a three-day book and ideas festival held every February at the Beach Luxury Hotel in Karachi. The most recent edition, the 17th, ran from 6 to 8 February 2026, and entry was free with no registration required. Dates for the 2027 edition had not been announced when this was written, but the festival has long kept to the same early-year slot, so it is worth watching the official site from the winter onwards.
This guide covers what KLF is, where it is held, what the 2026 programme looked like, and how to fit it into a trip to the city.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Latest edition | 17th KLF, 6 to 8 February 2026 |
| Venue | Beach Luxury Hotel, Moulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road, Karachi |
| Entry | Free and open to the public; no registration needed (2026) |
| Organiser | Oxford University Press Pakistan |
| Languages | English, Urdu and other Pakistani languages |
| Next edition | Not announced yet; check the official KLF website |
What is the Karachi Literature Festival?
In short, it is a free, three-day public festival where writers and readers meet, and it sits alongside the city's other cultural events.
KLF was first held in March 2010 and was organised by Oxford University Press (Pakistan), with Ameena Saiyid and Asif Farrukhi as its founders. It was the first festival of its kind in Pakistan, and it has since become the country's best-known literary gathering.
The programme is built around conversations, panels and book launches rather than lectures. Authors, poets, historians, journalists and filmmakers from Pakistan and abroad appear on stage, and audiences can ask questions. There are also mushairas, performances, film screenings and a youth section.
Since 2011 the festival has also given an annual prize for non-fiction in English. The festival began at the Carlton Hotel and has been held at the Beach Luxury Hotel since 2013.
When is the Karachi Literature Festival held?
In recent years it has been held in early February, over a Friday to Sunday weekend. The 16th edition began on 7 February 2025 and the 17th on 6 February 2026.
Because the dates are announced only a few weeks ahead, do not book flights or hotels on the strength of last year's dates alone. Wait for the announcement, which has usually appeared on the festival's own website and in the Karachi press.
Where is it held?
The venue is the Beach Luxury Hotel on Moulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road in the Lalazar area, close to the centre of the city. The sessions are held in halls and outdoor spaces within the hotel grounds, running in parallel, so you choose between talks rather than seeing everything.
Allow extra time for the arrival. Large public events in Karachi usually involve security checks at the gate, and it is sensible to leave a margin for traffic in the area.
What was on in 2026?
The 17th edition was held under the theme "Literature in a Fragile World", about how writing responds to social and political uncertainty. Organisers and press reports gave slightly different session counts, from more than 75 to more than 90, so treat it as roughly that range. The main figures reported were:
- more than 200 delegates from eight countries
- about 28 to 30 book launches in three languages
- two documentaries and two feature films
- mushairas in Urdu and English, and a Sindhi mushairo
- a Youth Pavilion with storytelling, theatre and workshops
- new sessions such as the Great KLF Debate and an interschool debate
Guests named in the announcements included the filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the writer Mohammed Hanif, the historian Sam Dalrymple, the novelist Laline Paull and the legal scholar Richard Susskind. The programme also marked the 150th birth anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the 250th of Jane Austen, and looked at Allama Iqbal's legacy.
Sessions were live-streamed on Oxford University Press's social media channels, which is useful if you cannot attend in person.
Beyond the sessions
Alongside the stage programme, the festival has traditionally included creative writing workshops, author meet-and-greets and book signings, and a book fair where publishers sell titles. Browsing the stalls is a good reason to arrive with a bag and some cash, although what is on sale changes from year to year.
Two literary awards for Pakistani authors were announced at the 2026 opening ceremony, so the first session of the festival is worth catching if you follow Pakistani writing.
How to plan a visit
KLF is easy to add to a Karachi weekend, but it is crowded, and a few habits help.
- Get the programme first. The schedule is published shortly before the festival. Pick two or three sessions you care about and build the day around them.
- Arrive early for popular speakers. Halls have limited space, and the festival draws large crowds.
- Carry your CNIC. It is a sensible habit at any large public event in the city.
- Keep the whole weekend loose. Many people come for a single day and combine it with the rest of the city. Our two-day Karachi itinerary and our list of places to visit in Karachi work well around it.
- Book a hotel early once dates are out if you are coming from another city. Our guide to where to stay in Karachi explains the main areas.
If you have never visited the city, our post on whether Karachi is safe for tourists covers the practical side. For other cultural events, see our experiences page.
Who is it for?
KLF suits readers, students, writers and anyone curious about Pakistani culture. It is not only for people who read in English: Urdu and Sindhi sessions and mushairas form a real part of the programme, and the youth section makes it workable for families with older children.
It is less suited to anyone who dislikes crowds, or who wants a quiet browse of a bookshop. The atmosphere is closer to a busy fair than a library. Attendance has grown from about 5,000 in 2010 to a reported 225,000 by 2018, so expect crowds.
If you cannot make it in February, the live streams and the city's other book events are a fair substitute. Our Karachi International Book Fair post covers the larger book-buying event.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Karachi Literature Festival?
The 17th edition was held from 6 to 8 February 2026. The festival is normally held in early February, but the 2027 dates had not been announced at the time of writing.
Is the Karachi Literature Festival free?
Yes. The 2026 edition was free and open to the public, and the organisers said no registration was required. Some workshops or special events may have separate arrangements, so check the programme.
Where is the Karachi Literature Festival held?
At the Beach Luxury Hotel on Moulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road in Karachi, which has been the venue since 2013.
Who organises the Karachi Literature Festival?
Oxford University Press Pakistan. It first held the festival in 2010 with Ameena Saiyid and Asif Farrukhi.
Can I watch the Karachi Literature Festival online?
In 2026 the organisers said sessions would be live-streamed on Oxford University Press's social media channels. Check the official site for the arrangement in later years.
