Savannah Book Festival 2027: dates, free Saturday, tickets

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Dates, venues, prices and rules come from the Savannah Book Festival and its tips and FAQ page. This page is updated for each year’s festival at the same address.

The Savannah Book Festival is Thursday, Feb. 4, to Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027. The big day is free: Festival Saturday, Feb. 6, runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with more than 40 authors in churches, museums and theaters around Telfair, Wright and Chippewa squares. Three headliner talks at the Trustees Theater are ticketed at $30.

Know before you go

• When: Thursday, Feb. 4, to Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027
• Free Festival Saturday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, seven downtown venues
• Headliners: Thursday, Friday and Sunday at the Trustees Theater, $30 tickets
• Authors: being announced every Tuesday from Oct. 6, 2026
• Late entry: not allowed once a talk starts; arrive five minutes early
• Festival office: 912-598-4040, savannahbookfestival.org

What it is

The festival began in 2008 at Trinity United Methodist Church and now draws more than 10,000 people a year, its history page says. More than 650 authors have appeared, among them Stephen King, John Grisham, James Patterson, Diana Gabaldon, Colson Whitehead and Jodi Picoult. The festival is run by a nonprofit and depends on more than 200 volunteers.

It has three parts: ticketed headliner addresses, the free Festival Saturday and SBF@Schools, which sends visiting authors into middle school, high school and college classrooms.

The 2027 schedule

The festival has not yet published start times for the headliner addresses. Each is a 45-minute talk followed by questions and a book signing.

Who is coming: the festival began naming its 2027 authors on Oct. 6, 2026, with “Book-It Tuesday”, and says it will name a few more every Tuesday until the list is complete. The headliners page says the 2027 headliners are still to come. In 2026 they were Sean Dietrich, Brad Thor with Ward Larsen, and Leigh Bardugo.

Savannah Book Festival 2027 authors: when they are named

The 2027 lineup is coming out in stages, according to the festival’s Meet the Authors page:

• Festival Saturday authors are revealed every Tuesday, “Book-It Tuesday,” on the festival website, its social media and its weekly newsletter. Round one went out Tuesday, Oct. 6, and round two Tuesday, Oct. 13. The festival says the announcements end in November 2026, so the next rounds are due Tuesday, Oct. 20, and the Tuesdays after it. The festival posts each round as an image on its news page and on Instagram, @savbookfestival.
• Headliners: the opening (Thursday, Feb. 4), keynote (Friday, Feb. 5) and closing (Sunday, Feb. 7) addresses were all still listed as “To Be Announced” when we checked on Oct. 17. Headliner ticket sales follow the names.
• Panels and the Saturday timetable are posted on the festival’s schedule page closer to February.

The 20th festival: the festival calls 2027 its 20th annual festival, and Savannah artist Luba Lowry is designing the official poster. A Georgia Color Plein Air reception on Oct. 16, 2026, gave 10% of art sales to keep Festival Saturday free, according to the festival’s news page.

Authors and publicists, beware: the festival has warned that impostors are emailing authors with offers to appear at the festival, or a “virtual festival,” for a fee. The festival says it never charges authors and invites them only from an @savannahbookfestival.org address. Report a suspicious email to info@savannahbookfestival.org. Authors who want to be considered can read the festival’s submission guidelines.

Festival Saturday venues

The free talks are 30 minutes each, with questions and a signing after, and run side by side in seven venues:

• Jepson Center, Neises Auditorium
• Trinity United Methodist Church sanctuary
• Ben Tucker Theater at the Otis S. Johnson Cultural Arts Center
• The Savannah Theatre
• First Baptist Church sanctuary
• Lutheran Church of the Ascension sanctuary and fellowship hall

The festival lists the Lutheran church’s sanctuary and fellowship hall as two of the seven. Food trucks park around the festival grounds between talks. Some sessions are panel discussions.

Rules at the door

The festival’s tips are strict, because popular talks fill up:

• No late entry. Doors open only after the previous talk has ended and the room has cleared. Arrive at least five minutes before a talk begins.
• No saving seats. To stay for the next talk, ushers will ask you to move forward.
• Leaving for the restroom: get a pass from an usher to get back in.
• Food and drink are not allowed in the church venues or the Jepson Center. The Savannah Theatre has a concession stand.
• Get the SBF app and turn on alerts. It tells you when a venue is full so you can head to another talk.
• Signed books must be bought at the festival or from its partner booksellers. For headliners, the bookmark you get with your purchase sets your place in the signing line.

Accessibility: ADA passes are handed out at the Information Tent in Telfair Square. They give priority entry and preferred seating at the Saturday venues.

Parking

The festival says parking downtown is very limited on Festival Saturday and advises leaving plenty of time. Its parking page, drawn from City of Savannah information, says:

• City garages: a $5 flat rate per day on the weekend at the Bryan Street, Liberty Street, Robinson, State Street and Whitaker Street garages.
• Street meters: enforced Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. north of Liberty Street. Pay at the meter or with the free ParkSavannah app.

The city’s Mobility and Parking Services department answers garage questions at 912-651-6470.

What this means for you

• Saturday costs nothing, but the best-known authors fill rooms early. Pick a backup talk for every slot.
• Headliner tickets are the only way into the Thursday, Friday and Sunday talks. Watch the festival site for the names and the on-sale date.
• Volunteer if you want to be on the inside: the festival recruits more than 200 each year.

More: things to do this month, the Historic District guide and free things to do in Savannah.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Savannah Book Festival 2027?

Thursday, Feb. 4, to Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027. Ticketed headliner addresses are Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and the free Festival Saturday is Feb. 6.

Is the Savannah Book Festival free?

Festival Saturday is free and open to the public, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, 2027. The three headliner addresses are ticketed at $30, the festival says.

Where is the Savannah Book Festival held?

Headliner addresses are at the Trustees Theater on Broughton Street. Festival Saturday talks are in seven venues around Telfair, Wright and Chippewa squares downtown.

Is 2027 the 20th Savannah Book Festival?

Yes. The festival calls 2027 its 20th annual festival. Savannah artist Luba Lowry is designing the official poster.

Who are the 2027 Savannah Book Festival authors?

The festival began naming 2027 authors on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, and says it will add a few every Tuesday until all are announced. Headliners are still to come.

When will all the 2027 Savannah Book Festival authors be announced?

The festival says its weekly Book-It Tuesday announcements of Festival Saturday authors run from October and end in November 2026. The three 2027 headliners were listed as to be announced on Oct. 12.

Does the Savannah Book Festival charge authors to take part?

No. The festival says it never charges authors, and invitations come only from an @savannahbookfestival.org email address. It has warned of fake emails offering paid spots.

Where do I park for the Savannah Book Festival?

The festival says City of Savannah garages charge a $5 flat rate a day on the weekend: Bryan Street, Liberty Street, Robinson, State Street and Whitaker Street.