Cheltenham Poetry Festival
Cheltenham Poetry Festival
📌About the Event
The International Poetry Competition (UK) 2026 is a global poetry contest by Cheltenham Poetry Festival, inviting poets from around the world to submit their best unpublished poems in English. The competition has no fixed theme, making it suitable for writers of all styles, subjects, and poetic voices. The 2026 edition is judged by Rosie Garland, and winning poems will be published on the Cheltenham Poetry Festival website.
City Lights Art Challenge 2026 is an international online art competition hosted by Ten Moir Gallery. The challenge invites artists to showcase their creativity around the theme of city life, including glowing skylines, busy streets, architecture, night lights, and everyday urban moments. It is suitable for students and young artists who want to build their portfolio, get global visibility, and participate in a curated online art showcase.
ℹ️ Event Details
- Mode of Conduct: Online submission
- Category: Poetry / Creative Writing / Literary Competition
- Theme: Open theme — participants can submit poems on any subject.
- Submission Type: Single poem submission
- Language: Poems must be in English.
- Maximum Length: Poems must be unpublished and not more than 50 lines.
📅 Important Dates
- Opening Date: 5 May 2026.
- Last Date to Enter: 6 September 2026
- Current Status: Open for entries as of 27 May 2026
🎯 Eligibility & Rules
- Eligibility: The competition is open to entrants from all over the world.
- Poem Requirement: Entries must be original, unpublished poems in English.
- Line Limit: Each poem should be 50 lines or fewer.
- Theme Rule: There is no theme, so poets can submit their strongest work on any topic.
- Entry Limit: Participants can submit multiple poems by paying the required entry fee.
- Evaluation Process: All eligible entries will be read by Rosie Garland, and the judge’s decision will be final.
- Publication: Winning poems will be published on the Cheltenham Poetry Festival website.
🏆 Prize Details and Value
- First Prize: £300
- Second Prize: £100
- Third Prize: £50
- Performance Opportunity: Winners may get the opportunity to appear at the 2026 Cheltenham Poetry Festival, either online or in Cheltenham.
- Publication Benefit: Winning poems will be featured on the Cheltenham Poetry Festival website.
- Recognition: A strong opportunity for poets to gain visibility in an international UK-based literary competition.