Tickets go on sale for Wigtown Book Festival with over 250 events promised

Over 250 events will be taking place in Wigtown as part of the town's annual book festival.

One of the largest such festivals in Scotland, the literary celebration has become one of the most well attended annual events in Dumfries and Galloway.

This year, organisers say there will be appearances from famous faces including actors Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson, performance poet Pam Ayres, novelist Irvine Walsh, and Strictly Come Dancing champion Hamza Yassin.

The ten-day festival will take place in the heart of Galloway between the 27th September and 6th October.

As well as books, there promises to be a 'festival-within-a-festival' of food, hosted by The Hebridean Baker Coinneach MacLeod.

They will be joined by Masterchef finalist Sarah Rankin and Great British Bake Off winner Peter Sawkins.

The Food Festival includes cooking demos and well as special events like Tea with the Hebridean Baker, a cake decorating demo with Peter Sawkins and a demo with Café Canna chef Gareth Cole.

Lee Randall, Festival Programmer, said: "Nothing makes me happier than bringing readers and writers together. I hope this year’s programme, with all its range and reach, proves a hit with our regular visitors while also enticing first-timers into the fold.

We make sense of our world through the stories we tell one another, and this year’s crop of authors have amazing, fascinating, even hilarious tales to share."

The Book Festival was feared to be under threat earlier this year when key sponsor Ballie Gifford pulled out of funding it after being attacked by environmental activists.

Whilst the funding withdrawal came too late to affect the 2024 festival, organisers have expressed concerns about the viability of next year's events.

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