Bhopal Set to Celebrate Ideas, Literature and Art
8th Edition of Bhopal Literature and Art Festival from January 9 to 11
prativad 
Bhopal, January 7: The City of Lakes is once again set to become a vibrant centre of ideas, literature, art and culture with the 8th edition of the Bhopal Literature and Art Festival (BLF) 2026, scheduled to be held at Bharat Bhavan from January 9 to 11. The announcement was made by Festival Director Raghav Chandra during a press conference.
Addressing the media, Raghav Chandra said the three-day festival will bring together eminent writers, thinkers, artists and intellectuals from India and abroad on a single platform, giving new momentum to intellectual dialogue and cultural engagement. He added that the festival has been consistently working towards establishing Bhopal as a strong cultural and intellectual hub.
During the festival, a wide range of programmes will be organised, including author interactions, panel discussions, book launches, cultural performances, art exhibitions and special sessions for students. Renowned writers, diplomats, historians, military officers, parliamentarians, artists and academicians from India and overseas will participate.
The festival programme includes author interactions, discussions, book releases, art exhibitions, cultural performances and student-focused activities, with participation from writers, historians, diplomats, military officials, artists and scholars from India and abroad.
Platform for Rich Intellectual Discourse
As part of the festival, in-depth discussions will be held on themes such as India’s civilisational journey, global politics and conflicts, India–China relations, constitutional values, technology-driven governance, environmental challenges, tribal history, women’s leadership, cinema and popular culture, and the future of democracy.
Prominent speakers include William Dalrymple, Ashwin Sanghi, Neera Chandhoke, Salvatore Babones, Gautam Mukhopadhyay, Syed Akbaruddin, Sujan Chinoy, Ashok K. Kantha and Probal Dasgupta.
Tribal Art Camp and Fair
Under the festival, Bharat Bhavan will organise the Tribal Art Camp and Fair 2026, featuring over 60 tribal artists from 10 states. The fair will showcase Gond, Baiga, Bhil, Pithora, Warli and Bharia paintings, along with bamboo, wood and iron crafts. Special focus will be given this year to rare art traditions such as Godna and Muria art.
Special Programmes for Youth
To encourage creativity and cultural participation among young people, special workshops will be organised by the Madhya Pradesh School of Drama. In addition, storytelling, painting and poetry competitions for students will be held under the ‘Youngrang’ programme.
The festival will also feature a rich range of performing and visual arts presentations, including Dastan-e-Guru Dutt, Kavyaraag—When Poetry Meets Music, Shaam-e-Kalaam and Dastan-e-Shankar. A special exhibition of artworks by Padma Shri awardee Durga Bai Vyam will be held at the Modern Art Gallery
