The Dosti Peshawar Literature Festival (DPLF) is a free, volunteer-run book and ideas festival held in Peshawar, usually in February, with smaller chapters in other Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cities. The fifth edition ran in the week of 9 to 15 February 2026. Entry is free, sessions are held in Pashto, Urdu, Hindko, English and Arabic, and the organisers say the festival is non-commercial.
It is not a tourist event in the way Basant or an urs is. It is a festival for readers, students and writers, and a visitor gets the most out of it by treating it as a window onto Peshawar's literary life. This guide covers the dates, the programme, where it is held, and the security point you need to weigh before planning a trip around it.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Organiser | Dosti Welfare Organisation, with university and community partners |
| When | Usually February; 5th edition was 9 to 15 February 2026 |
| Next edition | Reported for March 2027, unconfirmed |
| Entry | Free |
| Languages | Pashto, Urdu, Hindko, English, Arabic |
| Main venue | Changes by year (see below) |
| Regional chapters | Several KP cities, including Swat in 2026 |
When is the Peshawar Literature Festival?
The fifth edition, with the theme "Harf-e-Tamanna" (the word of desire), was held in the second week of February 2026. The festival's own site gives 9 to 15 February, while a Dawn report on the opening describes a week-long programme starting on 10 February, so check the official programme for the exact first day of any future edition.
The previous edition, the fourth, was longer: 12 days from 11 to 22 February 2025, with the theme "Rana-e-Khayal" (the radiance of thought). Its organisers listed more than 120 programme events. The length and shape of the festival change from year to year, so don't assume a fixed number of days.
For 2027, we found a report that the sixth edition is planned for March rather than February, with Dr Aslam Mir named as chief organiser. We could not confirm that on the festival's own site, so treat it as provisional and look at the festival's website and social media pages from the New Year.
The festival follows the Gregorian calendar, so there is no moon sighting to wait for. Do keep Ramadan in mind when you plan, though. In 2027 Ramadan is expected to start in early February, and a literature festival timed for March would fall at or just after it. Another reason to confirm dates late.
How the festival began
According to the festival's own account, the idea came up around 2011, when literature festivals were appearing in other Pakistani cities. An early attempt in 2014 did not work out. The festival was revived with the Dosti Welfare Organisation, and the first DPLF was held in 2022 after planning meetings in late 2021.
That is a short history, and it shows in the way the festival describes itself. It started as a modest three-day event and has grown into a multi-day programme that moves between universities and public spaces across the province. The organisers say they chose public and university venues rather than expensive hotels so that anyone can walk in.
What is on the programme?
The format will be familiar if you have been to the Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad festivals, but the balance of languages is different. Pashto and Hindko sit alongside Urdu and English, and many sessions are about the culture of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa itself.
Reports of the 2026 edition list these kinds of session:
- Author talks and panel discussions
- Book launches and bookstalls
- Workshops
- Children's literature sessions
- Mushairas (poetry recitals)
- Theatre performances
- Cultural conversations on subjects such as peace, environment, women's rights, youth and interfaith harmony
The 2025 edition added a children's festival, Pashto and Arabic language courses, and exhibitions on science, culture and handicrafts. Not every one of these will return in every year, so read the current schedule rather than relying on a past edition.
If you have been to the Islamabad Literature Festival, expect something less polished and more local. Venues are university halls and institute auditoriums, the audience is mostly students and teachers, and a good deal of the discussion is in Pashto. Visitors who do not speak Pashto or Urdu should look at the schedule for English-language sessions before deciding how much time to give it.
Where is it held?
The venue moves. In 2025, Peshawar's main events were reported at the Area Study Centre of the University of Peshawar. For 2026, Dawn reported the opening at the Brains Institute in Peshawar. The festival's site describes the event as taking place "in Peshawar and across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa", so expect the programme to name a different hall for each session.
Regional chapters carry the festival to other cities. The 2025 list included Mardan, Karak, Chitral, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat and Bannu. In 2026 the University of Swat held a Swat chapter session on 12 February, with a talk on Swat's culture and history, an academic book talk and a tribute to the poet Roghani Baba.
These chapters are mainly local events for local audiences, often hosted by a university department. They are a way to see how far the festival reaches, not a reason to plan a trip. Check the schedule for venue, time and who may attend, because a university session can have its own gate rules.
Is the Peshawar Literature Festival safe to attend?
This needs a frank answer. The UK government's travel advice, last updated on 22 September 2026, advises against all travel to Peshawar and against all but essential travel to Mardan and Nowshera. Many other districts where the festival has chapters, including Kohat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan, are on the list of places it advises against visiting at all. There have been serious attacks in the province in 2026, including one at the Kohat Police Lines on 18 September.
Pakistani families do live in and visit Peshawar every day, and the festival has run for several years in the city. If you are Pakistani and decide to go, do it the way local people do:
- Check local news and the official festival pages in the days before, not just the week before.
- Ask the organisers or your host which gate to use and whether bags are searched.
- Keep your CNIC with you, and expect checks at the door.
- Avoid unplanned detours, and have your return plan fixed before you arrive.
Visitors travelling on a foreign passport should read their own government's advice first. In the UK's case, travelling against it can invalidate travel insurance. Our guide on whether Peshawar is safe goes into the picture for the city as a whole.
Getting there and where to stay
Peshawar is reached from Islamabad on the M-1 motorway, and our Islamabad to Peshawar guide covers the road. You can also arrive by air at Bacha Khan International, covered in our Peshawar airport guide. Our notes on hotels in Peshawar describe the main areas to stay.
Because the festival is held in several places, check the venue for each session the evening before and choose a hotel with that in mind. For a wider sense of which months suit the city, see the best time to visit Peshawar and Peshawar weather by month. February evenings are cold, so bring a proper jacket.
What to wear and how to behave
There is no dress code printed on the festival's pages, but the audience is mostly students and academics, and many sessions are in university halls. Modest, ordinary dress is the norm in Peshawar: shalwar kameez is common, and women visitors usually cover their heads when moving about the city. Our note on Pashtun etiquette covers the basics of greetings and hospitality.
Photography at sessions is usually fine, but ask before filming speakers or photographing women in the audience. Some sessions are open to everyone; some are aimed at particular groups, such as children or students, so look at the programme.
Is it worth planning a trip around it?
If you already read Pashto, Urdu or Hindko poetry, or you work in writing, publishing or teaching, yes, the festival is a good reason to spend a few days in Peshawar. It brings together writers who rarely appear at the big-city festivals, and the free entry makes it easy to drop into.
If you are mainly after sightseeing, it works better as an addition to a Peshawar trip than as its purpose. Pair it with an old Peshawar walking tour and the Peshawar Museum, and keep the programme loose, because venues and times can change at short notice.
If you want a fixed, well-publicised festival schedule, the Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad festivals are easier to plan: see our posts on the Lahore Literary Festival and Karachi Literature Festival. For other events across the year, our list of the best festivals to visit in Pakistan is a good place to start, and our experiences page shows what we can arrange.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Peshawar Literature Festival held?
It is usually held in February. The fifth edition was in the week of 9 to 15 February 2026, and a sixth edition has been reported for March 2027, which is not yet confirmed.
Is the Dosti Peshawar Literature Festival free?
Yes. The organisers describe it as non-commercial and volunteer-led, with free admission. Some workshops or courses may have their own arrangements, so check the programme.
Where is the Peshawar Literature Festival held?
In Peshawar and other Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cities. The main Peshawar venue has changed between editions, from the Area Study Centre at the University of Peshawar in 2025 to the Brains Institute in 2026.
Which languages are used at the festival?
Pashto, Urdu, Hindko, English and Arabic. Check the programme for English-language sessions if you do not speak the others.
Is it safe for visitors to attend?
The UK advises against all travel to Peshawar. Pakistani visitors still attend, but should follow local news and security guidance, and overseas visitors should check their own government's advice and insurance cover first.
