Festival Info
Welcome to one of the UK’s friendliest festivals
Borders Book Festival hosts more than 100 events in June each year. With the latest fiction, current affairs, history, and politics, along with personalities from sport, music and entertainment, there is something for every age and interest. We also host a range of health and wellbeing sessions to take part in during the festival.
Our family-friendly site is free for all to explore, where you can enjoy local artisan food and drink, browse the bookshop and marketplace, and be entertained by local artists and musicians, all in the beautiful surroundings of the Scottish Borders.
HARMONY GARDEN
Harmony Garden is the festival hub, where you will find our main event venues, the box office and bookshop, along with the Harmony Bar, Luckie Beans Coffee, and Over Langshaw Farmhouse Ice Cream offering drinks and refreshments throughout the festival.
THE ORCHARD
The Orchard is home to the JRW Hogg & Thorburn Marquee, Davidson Chalmers Stewart Storytelling Tent, Creative Hub and the Abbotsford Tent. You will also find a wide range of artisan food providers in the food village along with our main bar, where you can relax and socialise, and enjoy free entertainment throughout the festival.
NEW FOR 2025: The David Young SIgning Tent
Enjoy a more relaxed book signing experience in the new Signing Tent, located in the Orchard.
Authors from the JRW Hogg & Thorburn Marquee, Davidson Chalmers Stewart Storytelling Tent, and Creative Hub will be signing here. Books for the just-finished events will be available at the tent. No booking needed - just join the queue.
And more good news!
We’ve put in a special order for endless sunshine over the festival weekend, but in case of the occasional episode of ‘refreshing weather’, our new vast transparent canopy will keep you (and your food and drinks!) dry.
THE HEARTLAND MARKET
We host The Heartland Market over the festival weekend. The market was established by three passionate women to celebrate the artisan makers and shakers of Galashiels and the surrounding area. Their aim is to bring the heart back into the local community and offer shoppers a unique experience of buying directly from local creative producers. With something for everyone, you will certainly find a distinct offering!
BSL EVENTS
Events marked with the BSL icon will be supported by a British Sign Language interpreter.
BRING THE KIDS
The Family Book Festival programme sponsored by Blackport Investments offers a wide range of free activities and a wonderful selection of events with some of today’s best-loved authors for children.
There is no charge for adults accompanying children to our Family Book Festival. All events are ticketed (unless otherwise stated), so please do remember to put your free adult ticket in the basket at the time of booking.
DOGS
Well-behaved dogs are permitted in The Orchard and Harmony Garden, with the exception of the marked fruit and vegetable gardens. Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times. Please clean up any fouling, which can be disposed of in the general waste bins located next to the toilets.
Assistance dogs only will be admitted to event venues.
TV, RADIO & PHOTOGRAPHY
TV crews and microphones might be spotted on site - you could end up on the news!
Event Recordings
Some events will be recorded and available to watch on demand. Details are on the website and via our mailing list.
Photography & Video
Our media team will be capturing the action throughout the weekend.
Bloom Media Project
We’re thrilled to continue this initiative for age 16+ creatives keen to explore media production and storytelling. Look out for our youth production team at the festival.
Please Donate
As a charity, Borders Book Festival relies on the generous help of our supporters. This is even more important now at a time when we are under even greater financial pressure than ever.
* Please help to keep Borders Book Festival the place where words come alive by donating what you can.
Donate £5
Text BBF to 70970
Donate £10
Text BBF to 70191
* Fundraising, payments and donations will be processed and administered by the National Funding Scheme, operating as DONATE, a charity registered in England and Wales (1149800) and Scotland (SC045106). In addition to any text donation, you will incur your standard network message charge (based on your service provider rates).
For Terms & Conditions, see www.easydonate.org