San Antonio Book Festival sets April 11, 2026 program with 110-plus authors and new kickoff

Free downtown festival expands slate of writers and adds a ticketed opening-night event

The San Antonio Book Festival has announced a 2026 lineup of more than 110 authors for its 14th annual event, returning to downtown venues on Saturday, April 11, 2026. Organizers said the festival will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the San Antonio Central Library and the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Southwest Campus.

The one-day program is scheduled to include author talks and moderated conversations, panel discussions, book sales and signings, along with activities aimed at children and teens. Food trucks and a marketplace-style mix of on-site offerings are also planned as part of the day’s public programming.

Headline names span fiction, nonfiction, and popular culture

The festival’s initial announcement listed several headline participants: novelist Julia Alvarez, writer George Saunders, actor and author Jeff Hiller, novelist Megha Majumdar and cookbook creator Arnie “ArnieTex” Segovia. Organizers also described a broader roster that includes poets, historians, and children’s and young adult authors from San Antonio, across Texas and nationally.

A complete author list and detailed schedule are expected to be released in mid-March. Festival planners have said that session seating during the day is typically handled on a first-come, first-served basis, with event-specific details to be published alongside the full schedule.

First ticketed kickoff planned for April 9 at Central Christian Church

For 2026, the festival will add a new element to its calendar: a ticketed kickoff event on Thursday, April 9, at Central Christian Church. The announced program for that evening centers on Jenna Bush Hager and her Thousand Voices imprint, highlighting the imprint’s latest title, “Liar’s Dice,” by debut author Juliet Faithfull.

Tickets for the April 9 event are expected to include a signed copy of the book, with additional purchase and access details to be released with the broader schedule update.

Expanded youth programming highlighted in 2026 plans

Organizers said 2026 will feature expanded programming for children and teens, including picture books, middle-grade series selections, graphic novels and young adult titles. Plans also include performances, character appearances and hands-on activities in the children’s area, reflecting the festival’s continued emphasis on family participation alongside adult-focused author conversations.

• Date and time: Saturday, April 11, 2026, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Locations: San Antonio Central Library and UTSA Southwest Campus (downtown)
• Kickoff event: Thursday, April 9, 2026, Central Christian Church (ticketed)

The festival was first presented in April 2013, with founding partners including the San Antonio Public Library, UTSA Southwest Campus, the San Antonio Public Library Foundation and the Texas Book Festival.

Organizers described the festival’s ongoing mission as bringing readers and writers together in a public celebration of books, libraries and literary culture, with the core daytime festival remaining free and open to all.