What To Expect At Cliveden Literary Festival 2025

We love literary festivals of all shapes and sizes, but our favourites are those imbued with a heady historical atmosphere thanks to their setting in gorgeously old country estates like Cliveden House. That said, the first Cliveden Literary Festival took place only a few years ago in 2017, thanks to the committee of writers and historians – Andrew Roberts, Natalie Livingstone, Catherine Ostler and Simon Sebag Montefiore – who joined together to breathe new life into the property’s literary history.

Here’s a brief history of Cliveden Literary Festival, plus what to expect in 2025.

Cliveden Literary Festival 2025: A Guide

The History

Cliveden Literary Festival may only date back to 2017, but the house itself has a much longer history. A mansion has stood on this plot since 1666 (transformed then from two hunting lodges), but the first burned down in 1795 and its replacement not long after in 1849. The third iteration of Cliveden was completed in 1851, and the sandy coloured English Palladian marvel has stood proudly ever since. It sits amid 400 acres of greenery, with gardens leading down to the River Thames.

In all of this time, Cliveden has gathered literary significance. In the 1700s, Alexander Pope described the second Cliveden as ‘the bower of wanton Shrewsbury and love’ – a reference to its conception by the Duke of Buckingham as a love monument to his mistress, the Countess of Shrewsbury. The third iteration of the mansion has hosted artistic premiers, housed Royals (from a grieving Queen Victoria to Meghan the night before she wed Harry), and attracted eminent guests including Charlie Chaplin, the Asquiths, Arthur Balfour, Lawrence of Arabia, the pioneer aviator Amy Johnson, Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill and FD Roosevelt. Perhaps most significantly, Cliveden set the stage for the infamous Profumo Affair between Christine Keller and John Profumer, which ultimately toppled the government.

As Cliveden Literary Festival’s website suggests, ‘With the Festival, which gathers together writers and intellectuals from around the world for a weekend every year, the spirit of Cliveden is renewed.’

What’s On In 2025

Cliveden Literary Festival’s 2025 line-up is yet to be revealed, but we expect a typically jam-packed weekend of star-studded guests. Last year, everyone including Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan, Tom Holland, Rachel Weisz, William Boyd and Emily Maitlis entertained guests across a thrilling weekend. Stay tuned for the 2025 details.

Food & Drink

Cliveden is home to a bounty of delicious food options for festival goers, including:

• Cliveden Dining Room, with a set lunch in a formal setting
• Astor Grill, with a set lunch in a more informal setting
• Parea Artisan Cafe, offering hot and cold refreshments for breakfast, lunch and tea in the Festival Food Tent
• Rosie the Citroen H-Van, pouring Laurent-Perrier to be enjoyed in deckchairs
• Citroen Brew Box, serving delicious coffees, teas, cold drinks and homemade cakes on the Forecourt
• Coopers Coffee, for more drinks options
• Greeklicious, serving souvlaki
• Scandilicious, for authentic Scandi street food (think subs, bagels, French fries, milkshakes and mulled wine)

When Is The Cliveden Literary Festival 2025?

The 2025 festival will take place on the slightly later date of Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 October, a few weeks after the usual September date.

Where Is It?

Cliveden House is a country house hotel located in Berkshire countryside, just outside of London. The gardens are managed by the National Trust, meaning guests are very welcome. The House itself, however, is a luxury hotel; get a taste of what a visit is like here.

Address: Cliveden House, Taplow, Berkshire SL6 0JF

How To Get Tickets

Tickets are not yet on sale for Cliveden Literary Festival 2025, but we will update this page when they’re available.

Last year, tickets were priced as follows: Saturday (£120pp), Sunday (£110pp) or the whole weekend (£195pp). The ticket price includes entry into all of the events on the day of entry, though it does not guarantee a seat; you should arrive in good time for any session your heart is set on.

Once they’re released, tickets will be available at clivedenliteraryfestival.org