Jaipur Literature Festival

The Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) is a five-day programme of conversations, debates, readings, poetry and music held every January in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Its directors are the writers Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple, and it is produced by Teamwork Arts. The organisers say the festival has run since 2008 with the support of the Government of Rajasthan, and that each year it features more than 250 speakers and more than 100 artistes. Sessions cover literature, history, politics, science, economics, law, food, fashion and the arts, and the festival has a long commitment to writing in Indian languages as well as English.

This edition

The 20th edition runs from Thursday 14 to Monday 18 January 2027 at Hotel Clarks Amer on Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg, which the organisers call the Festival Hub. Talks take place across several sub-venues inside the hotel grounds, and entry and seating at sessions are first come, first served. The first list of speakers, published on 8 October 2026, includes the Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Olga Tokarczuk, along with Meera Syal, Lyse Doucet, James Wood, Isabella Hammad, Marcus du Sautoy, Geetanjali Shree and Sudha Murty. The organisers say the full schedule will be posted on the festival's Programme page closer to the festival, and that the programme may change.

Around the talks

The Jaipur Music Stage runs from 14 to 16 January 2027, and JLF's publishing strand, Jaipur BookMark, runs alongside the festival on the same dates. Holders of a Friend of the Festival package can add the Heritage Evening at Amber Fort on 17 January 2027 and the closing Writers' Ball on 18 January 2027.

• Five days of sessions: talks, readings and debates across the sub-venues of Hotel Clarks Amer from 14 to 18 January 2027, with more than 250 speakers a year according to the organisers.
• A 20th-edition line-up: the first speakers announced include Esther Duflo, Olga Tokarczuk, Meera Syal, Lyse Doucet and Marcus du Sautoy, alongside writers in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Konkani, Kannada, Marathi and other Indian languages.
• Jaipur Music Stage: music performances from 14 to 16 January 2027, ticketed separately; the artistes for 2027 had not been announced when this page was checked.
• Morning music: the festival programmes classical, folk and contemporary performances to open each day.
• Heritage Evening and Writers' Ball: the Heritage Evening at Amber Fort on 17 January 2027 and the closing Writers' Ball on 18 January 2027, both available only as add-ons to a Friend of the Festival package.

• Durgapura and Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg: the festival venue is here. The organisers list Jaipur Marriott Hotel and Lalit Traveller as festival hotels about 3 minutes' drive from the venue. Rooms at Hotel Clarks Amer itself are limited and offered only to buyers of 5-day Friend of the Festival packages.
• Malviya Nagar and Tonk Road: two more festival hotels are here, The Lalit and Fairfield by Marriott Jaipur Tonk Road (about 15 minutes' drive from the venue, according to the organisers).
• C-Scheme and MI Road: central Jaipur, with a wide choice of hotels and restaurants; a taxi ride to the festival each day.
• Old City: stay inside the walled Pink City near Johari Bazaar and the other historic markets if you want to sightsee around the festival; it is further from the venue, so allow time in traffic.

By air: Jaipur International Airport (JAI) is at Sanganer and has a domestic and an international terminal. India's official tourism site, Incredible India, lists direct international flights to Jaipur from cities including Muscat, Singapore and Abu Dhabi; there are no direct flights from the UK, so connect through Delhi (DEL), another Indian city or a Gulf hub. At the airport there are prepaid taxis at the domestic terminal, private taxi counters and metered auto-rickshaws at both terminals, app-based cabs, and city buses run by Jaipur City Transport Services Limited (JCTSL).

From Delhi: Jaipur Junction (JP) has direct trains from Delhi, including Shatabdi, Rajdhani, Duronto and Mandor Express services; book on the Indian Railways site, IRCTC. By road, Incredible India puts Jaipur about 5 hours from Delhi on NH 8, with private and state-run buses.

Getting around during the festival: the venue is Hotel Clarks Amer on Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg. The organisers say Jaipur has plenty of public transport, and that Uber and other taxi services are available. Festival-run transport, including shuttles between the venue and festival hotels and airport transfers, is offered only to Friend of the Festival package holders who also book a festival hotel through the organisers.

See our Jaipur guide, Delhi guide and India guide.

Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights.

Entry is by paid registration, made online through the festival website. General registration for 2027 is ₹200 a day on 14, 15 and 18 January and ₹500 a day on 16 and 17 January (₹300 under a limited-time weekend offer), or ₹1,200 for all five days (₹800 early bird). These prices exclude taxes, and online transaction charges may apply. There is a cheaper student category, and children aged 11 and under can attend free on a parent's registration.

Once registered you receive an M-badge with a QR code by email and WhatsApp; there is no physical badge to collect. Everyone, including children, must carry valid photo ID. Friend of the Festival packages, with lounges, meals and Music Stage access, cost ₹14,500 for one day to ₹60,000 for five days, including taxes. Paid registrations are non-refundable and non-transferable, except that Friend of the Festival packages get a 75% refund if cancelled by 20:00 IST on 15 December 2026. Tickets for the Jaipur Music Stage are sold through jaipurmusicstage.com.

Timing: daily session times for 2027 had not been published when this page was checked; the organisers will post the schedule on the Programme page closer to the festival. Seats at sessions can't be reserved and are first come, first served, so arrive early for the talks you most want to see. Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 January are priced higher than the weekdays.

Weather: Incredible India gives a January temperature range of 3.5–27.6°C for Jaipur, so mornings and evenings can be cold while afternoons are warm. Bring layers for the outdoor venues.

Air quality: the FCDO says severe air pollution is a major health hazard in India from October to February, with north Indian cities most affected. If you have a heart or respiratory condition or are pregnant, it suggests speaking to a medical practitioner before you travel.

What to bring: your M-badge on your phone and photo ID for everyone in your group. Food stalls at the Festival Hub sell snacks and meals, and the festival bookshop and merchandise store are on site.

Local food: Incredible India names dal bati churma, a platter of lentil curry, ghee-soaked baked dumplings and a sweet crumble, as Jaipur's signature dish, along with kachoris, mirchi bada and, for non-vegetarians, laal maas (mutton curry).

The organisers say a wheelchair facility is available at the Festival Hub, Hotel Clarks Amer. They haven't published further accessibility information, such as step-free routes between the sub-venues or accessible seating. Before you go, ask through the festival's contact page or email info@teamworkarts.com.

Jaipur is not in an area the FCDO advises against travelling to; its advice against travel covers the area within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border, Jammu and Kashmir, and Manipur. The FCDO says British citizens need a visa for India unless they hold an OCI card, and that you may be able to apply for an e-visa through the official Indian visa portal; your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after arrival and have 2 blank pages.

The FCDO warns of a high threat of terrorism in India, including at markets, stations and tourist attractions, and advises avoiding large gatherings; stampedes have occurred at some crowded events. It also advises using app-based or prepaid taxis rather than hailing them on the street, especially at night, and warns that scams and card skimming are common. See the FCDO India travel advice.

• Before you go, read the UK government's FCDO travel advice for India (entry requirements, safety and local laws).
• Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights and live alerts.