The Anne Lister Festival is back for 2026, celebrating the life and legacy of the famous landowner, entrepreneur, mountaineer, scholar, traveller, and lesbian, in her birthplace of Halifax.
Anne Lister was born on 3 April 1791 and died on 22 September 1840. Her relatively short life was eventful and unconventional, and her fascinating diaries of over five million words detail her life and loves. Her story became world-famous through Sally Wainwright’s BBC/HBO series, Gentleman Jack.
Now in its fifth year, the 2026 Anne Lister Festival will run from Monday 30 March until Monday 6 April (inclusive) to celebrate what would have been Anne’s 235th birthday.
Calderdale Council is organising the packed programme of events and activities, and the festival will once again incorporate the Anne Lister Society (ALS) conference as well as the Anne Lister Birthday Week (ALBW) celebrations.
The programme of events for 2026 has now launched, with details and booking information available to view at annelisterofhalifax.co.uk(external link). To avoid disappointment, early booking is advised as events sell out quickly.
Through the festival’s events, Anne’s story will be brought to life, with opportunities to walk in her footsteps, exploring some of Halifax’s finest heritage buildings. This includes her family home of Shibden Hall, with special private tours featuring areas usually not accessible to the public.
As an exciting first for 2026, the festival includes a coach trip to watch Northern Ballet’s production of Gentleman Jack, in Sheffield.
The brand-new ballet will be the first time Anne Lister’s story has been told on stage through dance. The Council has provided extensive support and advice to the production company as part of the creative process, including organising a research visit to Shibden Hall for all of the dancers and many of the rest of the staff.
The ballet will have its world premiere in Leeds in March, before touring the country. As the Sheffield performances fall during the birthday festival, an exclusive Anne Lister community afternoon trip has been organised from Halifax to visit Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre on Thursday 2 April
Many further events are taking place throughout the festival week, including walks, talks and art and craft activities. The Calderdale archives will also be open at Halifax Central Library, offering the chance to see Anne’s famous diaries in person.
The annual flower-laying will take place at the Anne Lister sculpture in the Piece Hall on Friday 3 April from 9.30am, to mark Anne’s birthday. Members of the Halifax Choral Society and the Anne Lister Singers will perform, and will be joined by the Anne Lister Dancers following their successful debut at the festival last year.
In addition to individual events, the Anne Lister HQ, at Northgate House, will be open throughout the festival as a space to relax, ask questions, or purchase Anne Lister merchandise. The HQ will host a number of film screenings, and this year the space will also feature two special exhibitions from members of the Anne Lister and lesbian community.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, Cllr Danielle Durrans, said:
“The Anne Lister birthday festival is always an annual highlight in Calderdale’s cultural calendar. We’re delighted to welcome visitors from near and far to Halifax to enjoy events as part of a packed programme of activities.
“Anne’s incredible story and the fascinating heritage of Halifax continues to inspire and entertain, and the festival programme includes new additions every year. We’re delighted to be working with local organisations and the passionate and dedicated Anne Lister community to once again put together such a comprehensive programme.
“This year, we’re incredibly excited by the prospect of the new Gentleman Jack ballet. This groundbreaking production, with same-sex leads, demonstrates Anne’s enduring legacy and how her story continues to be trailblazing, even 235 years after her birth!”
Visit www.annelisterofhalifax.co.uk(external link), the home of all things Anne Lister, for more information and details of the festival.
The Anne Lister Festival celebrates Halifax’s heritage, and showcases the town as a welcoming place, full of creativity and opportunity. These are key themes of the Vision 34(external link) for the borough – a shared, long-term ambition to work towards over the next 10 years to make Calderdale a better place for everyone, based on the stories that unite us.
Through these themes, organisations and people from all walks of life are encouraged to share their positive stories about life in Calderdale. To share a great story about life in Calderdale, visit My Calderdale Story(external link).
Anne Lister’s legacy is part of the borough’s cultural history, and the UK Town of Culture bid for Halifax would pave the way for culture to play an even bigger part in Calderdale’s future. For more about culture in Calderdale, visit culturedale.co.uk(external link)