February, 10, 2026
The HSBC Ceylon Literary & Arts Festival is set to begin its third edition from 13 to 15 February 2026 as the 'Festival on Beira' at Cinnamon Lakeside, bringing together 45+ speakers across 30+ sessions featuring both international and local literary voices. Renowned Bollywood names including Shabana Azmi, Kalki Koechlin and Rahul Bose will take the stage in Sri Lanka alongside award-winning international authors Alice Albinia, Bridgerton author Julia Quinn, Edith Hall, and Helen Macdonald. Celebrated local authors including Ashok Ferrey and Shyam Selvadurai complete the exceptional lineup.
Edition 3 brings a more dedicated ‘Experience CLAF’ transforming the festival area into an immersive destination with a vibrant of creativity and community that is open to the public for free entry. Set against the stunning backdrop of Beira Lake, visitors will be able to explore a variety of food and beverage pop-ups, discover Sri Lankan handcrafted artisan treasures at the artisan market, browse festival merchandise, and access dedicated hydration stations and a women's empowerment space.
This year's expanded programming includes a more curated Art Festival. The Art Exhibit held in association with the John Keells Foundation is based on the theme 'The Resilient Isle'. Curated by Kasun Jayamanne, the exhibition brings together 15+ artists and is open to the public with free entry. The festival will also feature "Nicolas Bouvier in Ceylon: 70 Years Later", an immersive photo exhibition showcasing Bouvier's rare photographs from the Fonds Bouvier / Musée de l'Elysée Lausanne, supported by the Embassy of Switzerland.
The Children's Festival, under its theme 'Create. Play. Grow', features 15+ curated workshops across three days for children aged 4-16 years. From puppetry to creative workshops, book readings to music and theatre, there is a session designed for every child.
The Performing Arts pillar encompasses music, theatre and film. The first-of-its-kind intensive 10-day theatre workshop by the Emma Rice Company, supported by the British Council began the festival early February. Theatre lovers can join festival panels this week as part of the workshop experience. The festival will also host a dynamic jazz concert by the renowned Quintetto Denner from Italy, supported by the Embassy of Italy. The festival will screen the documentary 'Pettah', directed by Sulochana Peiris and supported by ICES. The film explores the role of minority communities in Sri Lanka's busiest commercial hub.
True to the festival's commitment to nurturing youth, all students can access the festival with free student passes. A focused volunteer program has already begun with 50+ young participants gaining hands-on festival experience throughout the planning and execution of the event.
Passes for literary sessions, the Children's Festival, and special events are available for purchase at www.ceylonliteraryfestival.com and will also be available at the festival gate.
The HSBC Ceylon Literary & Arts Festival serves as more than a celebration of creativity, it is a testament to Sri Lanka's resilience, cultural richness, and dynamic spirit. The festival is supported by a host of distinguished partners. HSBC, as the title partner. The venue and hospitality partner, Cinnamon Lakeside. Key partners include the Rukmini Tissanayagam Trust, John Keells Foundation and Synamon Global. Knowledge partner British Council along with Goethe-Institut. The Embassy of Italy in Colombo and Embassy of Switzerland to Sri Lanka and Maldives for their support with cultural collaborations. The festival is supported by Sarasavi, Clouds by SOZO, Acorn Group and Teardrop Hotels along with merchandise partner Arienti. The festival also receives invaluable support from Wijeya Newspapers, Daily FT, Daily Mirror, Sunday Times, Hi!! Online, Hi! Magazine, Hi! and Hardtalk.
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