Twelve days, 251 films, 88 countries. The BFI London Film Festival turns 70 this year and the whole thing is anchored about five minutes from our front door.
Wednesday 7 to Sunday 18 October 2026.
If you’re doing more than one screening – and most people do – the useful question isn’t what to watch. It’s what to do in the two hours between a 2pm at BFI Southbank and a 7pm at the Royal Festival Hall.
The Galas
Opening Night, Wednesday 7 October: Elsinore, directed by Simon Stone, international premiere at the Royal Festival Hall. A biographical drama about the Scottish actor Ian Charleson, with Andrew Scott in the lead.
Closing Night, Sunday 18 October: The Debut, directed by Jesse Eisenberg, UK premiere, also at the Royal Festival Hall.
In between: Danny Boyle’s Ink for the Mayor of London’s Gala, Tony Gilroy’s Behemoth! as the Patron’s Gala, and Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial on 11 October. There’s also new work from Taika Waititi, Mike Leigh, Martin McDonagh, Andrew Haigh and Brad Bird.
Screen Talks
There are thirteen Screen Talks this year: Andrew Scott, Ava DuVernay, Cynthia Erivo, Mahershala Ali, Sofia Coppola, John Malkovich, Naomi Ackie, Danny Boyle, Brad Bird, James Gray, Jesse Eisenberg, Javier Bardem and Robert Eggers.
They are the best value in the festival and, as of now, every one of them has sold out. Danny Boyle’s is at HOME in Manchester rather than London. Don’t write them off entirely though – see the returns section below.
The Numbers
251 titles across features, shorts, series and immersive work, from 88 countries. Thirty-three world premieres, sixteen international, twenty European. Forty-three per cent are by female filmmakers.
Venues
Seven London venues, and three of them are on the South Bank:
- BFI Southbank – the festival hub, and where most of the programme screens
- BFI IMAX – on the roundabout outside Waterloo station
- Royal Festival Hall – both galas
The others are Curzon Soho, the ICA, the Prince Charles Cinema and Vue West End, plus a new Expanded venue at St Martin-in-the-Fields and ten partner venues around the UK.
So if you’re festival-going properly, you’ll be in Waterloo a lot.
Tickets
General sale opened at 10am on Thursday 17 September, and a fair amount has gone since.
Standard screenings at the six ordinary London cinemas are £13 weekday matinees and £18 weekend matinees and evenings, with some tickets from £10 and £6 for anyone 25 and under.
Everything else costs more. Screen Talks are £21. Galas run £21 to £30, and the Opening and Closing Night galas are £40. Special Presentations are £16 to £21. Royal Festival Hall screenings aren’t covered by the standard pricing at all.
What’s Already Gone
As things stand, all thirteen Screen Talks are sold out, as is the Surprise Film. Both galas have sold out at standard prices – only the £1,000 fundraising tickets remain for Elsinore and The Debut. Also gone across every screening: Ink, Artificial, Behemoth! (except the 14 October 11am), Club Kid, Wild Horse Nine, Ray Gunn, I Love Boosters, Minotaur, La Bola Negra, Paper Tiger, Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, Fjord and Wildwood.
How to Still Get In
Three things worth knowing, and most people don’t:
- Extra tickets are released at 10am on Thursday 1 October. Set an alarm.
- More £10 tickets go on sale every Friday at 1pm through the festival.
- Standby queues form 30 minutes before the start at BFI Southbank and the Royal Festival Hall, and 15 minutes before at the other venues. Returns do come back, particularly for the big ones.
Still available at the time of writing, mostly morning and matinee repeats: The Beloved, Bunker, Being Heumann, Prima Facie, Possible Love, A Long Winter, Fatherland, Tender Loving Care and Klara and the Sun.
The Gap Between Screenings
This is the practical problem with a film festival. You’ve got a 2pm and a 7pm, both on the South Bank, and three hours to fill. The BFI bar is rammed for the entire fortnight. So is everywhere on the riverside.
We’re Draughts Waterloo, Arch 16, Leake Street, SE1 7NN – inside the graffiti tunnel under the station, and about ten minutes’ walk from BFI Southbank. Two minutes from BFI IMAX.
Bar, full kitchen, food to your table, and over 1,000 board games. Which is a considerably better way to spend three hours than queuing for a second flat white and reading the programme again.
It also works at the other end of the day. Late screenings finish around eleven and we’re open.
Book a table at draughtslondon.com – the festival fortnight is busy across the whole area, and we fill up.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the BFI London Film Festival 2026?
Wednesday 7 to Sunday 18 October 2026. This is the 70th edition.
What is the opening film of the 2026 London Film Festival?
Elsinore, directed by Simon Stone and starring Andrew Scott, receives its international premiere at the Royal Festival Hall on 7 October. The festival closes on 18 October with the UK premiere of The Debut, directed by Jesse Eisenberg, at the same venue.
Where does the BFI London Film Festival take place?
Seven London venues: BFI Southbank, BFI IMAX, the Royal Festival Hall, Curzon Soho, the ICA, the Prince Charles Cinema and Vue West End, plus St Martin-in-the-Fields for the Expanded programme. Ten partner venues across the UK also screen selected films. The three South Bank venues form the festival’s core.
How much are London Film Festival tickets?
Standard screenings at the six ordinary London cinemas are £13 for weekday matinees and £18 for weekend matinees and evenings, with some from £10 and £6 for anyone aged 25 and under. Screen Talks are £21, galas £21 to £30, the Opening and Closing Night galas £40, and Special Presentations £16 to £21. General sale opened at 10am on 17 September 2026.
How many films are at the London Film Festival 2026?
251 titles from 88 countries, including 33 world premieres, 16 international premieres and 20 European premieres. Forty-three per cent are directed by women.
Who is doing Screen Talks at LFF 2026?
Thirteen in total: Andrew Scott, Ava DuVernay, Cynthia Erivo, Mahershala Ali, Sofia Coppola, John Malkovich, Naomi Ackie, Danny Boyle, Brad Bird, James Gray, Jesse Eisenberg, Javier Bardem and Robert Eggers. Danny Boyle’s takes place at HOME in Manchester. All thirteen are currently sold out.
Are London Film Festival tickets sold out?
Many are. All Screen Talks, the Surprise Film and both galas have sold out at standard prices. Extra tickets are released at 10am on Thursday 1 October, further £10 tickets go on sale every Friday at 1pm, and standby queues form 30 minutes before the start at BFI Southbank and the Royal Festival Hall (15 minutes at other venues).
Where can I eat near BFI Southbank during the film festival?
Draughts Waterloo is at Arch 16, Leake Street, SE1 7NN, around ten minutes’ walk from BFI Southbank and two minutes from BFI IMAX. We serve food and drinks to your table alongside over 1,000 board games, which makes it a good place to spend the gap between screenings. Book at draughtslondon.com.
How do I get to BFI Southbank?
Waterloo station is the closest hub – around ten minutes’ walk, served by the Jubilee, Northern, Bakerloo and Waterloo & City lines plus National Rail. Embankment and Charing Cross are a short walk across the Golden Jubilee Bridges.
