Bloody Scotland's 2026 Programme is LIVE!

 
2026 Line Up is Finally Revealed...

Bloody Scotland's 2026 Programme is now officially live and all tickets are on sale! The festival, which takes place across Stirling from Friday the 18th to Sunday the 20th of September, features the great and the good of the crime fiction world including: Richard Osman, Liz Nugent, Sarah Pinborough, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, Steve Cavanagh, Nadine Matheson, Gregg Hurwiz, Robert Bryndza China’s bestselling crime writer, Cai Jun, bestselling Irish crime writer, Andrea Mara and broadcasters Robert Peston, Olly Smith, Jeremy Vine and an appearance from the cast of the criminally good Netflix crime drama, Department Q.

Our brilliant Guest programmer, Denise Mina, has revealed her full list of special guests including Irish comedian and actor, Ardal O’Hanlon, Australian idol Jane Harper, Jane Casey, Lucy Foley, Tana French and S A Cosby.

If Bloody Scotland 2026 is even half as much fun as I had helping to put this festival together then it’s going to be bloody brilliant. See you there!’

This year, there will also be some fascinating non-fiction events including: Where does free speech end and extremism begin? with Professor Lara Frumkin, How to Clean a Crime Scene with Ben Giles, How to Pitch Your Book with Sheila M Averbuch and A History of Modern Britain in Twenty Murders with Professor David Wilson.

It wouldn't be Bloody Scotland without a few fun fringe events and this year is no exception. We'll be bringing you a Royal Stirling-themed procession led by Denise Mina, our Saturday night game show, Eight Out Of Ten Crime Writers Do Countdown, an interactive murder mystery experience led by New York Times bestselling author, Antony Johnston, a literary take on Desert Island Discs with Desert Island Crooks, a screening of the film The Maltese Falcon introduced by the author’s granddaughter, a play You the Jury starring real-life lawyers and forensic experts in Stirling Sheriff Court,the ever popular True Crime Walking Tour and our annual cabaret night, Karaoke at the Coo.

For the first time the festival includes a partnership with Helsinki Noir, welcoming Finnish authors to Stirling this year and sending Scottish authors to Helsinki for a 'Bloody Scotland' panel in 2027.

We hope that’s enough to whet your appetite! Grab your tickets now and see you in September.

Bloody Scotland | International Crime Writing Festival