Festival 2026 - Friday, 12th to Sunday, 14th June

2026 will be the 89th year, and we are pleased to confirm the dates for our 3-day festival. Friday, 12th to Sunday, 14th June

Charles Dickens visited Broadstairs in Kent regularly from 1837 until 1859 and immortalised the town as "Our English Watering Place".

In 1937, to commemorate the centenary of the author's first visit, Gladys Waterer, the then resident of Dickens House, conceived the idea of putting on a production of David Copperfield and of having people about the town in Victorian dress to publicise it.

Thus the festival was born and, with the exception of the years of World War 2, has been held annually ever since.

The Broadstairs Dickens Fellowship was formed the same year - 1937 and constitutionally 'requests' the festival ...