This Weekend, the L.A. Times Brings the Festival of Books to You – Live

An anticipated 155,000 people will gather for L.A. Times’ annual Festival of Books – the largest literary festival in the nation – this weekend on the USC campus in the heart of the downtown arts and education corridor. The festival will bring together more than 550 writers, celebrities, experts and storytellers, and hundreds of exhibitors on the 226-acre campus. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.

Despite the free admission, central location and huge crowds expected, many people will be unable to attend and may experience #bookfest FOMO. The L.A. Times will be bringing highlights of the festival far and wide, over the internet, to everyone who’ll be missing out on the in-person experience. Rolling coverage will publish on latimes.com with real-time highlights shared across social media (Instagram, Facebook and X). And, for the first time, the L.A. Times will livestream the recipe demos and conversations on the Cooking Stage and panel discussions on a range of topics, as well as scenes from around the festival as the beloved springtime celebration unfolds, on a dedicated video feed dubbed Festival of Books Live.

Festival of Books Live will stream April 20-21, while the festival’s in session, via latimes.com. Tune in beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific Time on Saturday as the festival kicks off and check in throughout the weekend until the celebration comes to a close on Sunday at 5 p.m. The lineup of chefs, food personalities and culinary influencers will be carried live from the Cooking Stage, as will panel discussions on topics including world affairs, social justice and guns in America taking place in the Newman Recital Hall. Between author talks and recipe demos, the channel will showcase the little moments and big ideas that have made the festival a treasured civic event for almost 30 years.

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is presented in association with USC. General admission to the festival is free, including seven outdoor stages, multiple activity areas and hundreds of author appearances and book signings. Individual conversation tickets to reserve seats for the indoor sessions are available now. For more information about attending in person with Friend of the Festival packages, conversation tickets or any special ticketed events happening during the festival, and for the complete program schedule and list of exhibitors, go to latimes.com/festivalofbooks.