The Festival will begin on Thursday, May 28, and will run through May 31 at Mystetskyi Arsenal (28–30 Ivan Mazepa St.)
Book Arsenal traditionally remains a place to compare notes and discuss the current state of the world.
This year, the Festival will bring together more than 150 fair participants, star guests, thought leaders, acclaimed authors, and emerging voices. Book Arsenal 2026 means books-books-books (thousands of titles), 240 relevant events including discussions and lectures, readings and workshops, meetings with authors and presentations of new publications, as well as music and performance programs, exhibitions, delicious food and drinks, and many other attractions.
More details about what we are preparing for you:
The first floor of the Old Arsenal building will host the book fair, featuring major publishing houses, independent publishers, the bookshop book.ua, partner stands, military and volunteer initiatives, as well as the illustrators’ fair, introducing visitors to the work of artists, graphic designers, and illustrators.
240 Festival events will combine aesthetic experience with intellectual engagement. Among the Focus Theme Program, the Main Program, music and performance programs, as well as special curated programs and publishers’ events, you will certainly find topics and conversations that resonate with you personally.
“Bear Your Freedom” is the Focus Theme of the 14th International Book Arsenal Festival. We will speak about freedom and its limitations, about captivity and occupation as one of its forms, about heroization and the fragility of heroes. The curator of this year’s Focus Theme is Ukrainian journalist, human rights activist, serviceman, and former prisoner of war Maksym Butkevych.
This year, the Festival also marks the return of the Writer’s Program, curated by Ukrainian Armed Forces serviceman, volunteer, poet, novelist, and translator Andriy Lyubka. The curator invites visitors to reflect on our neighbors.
Among other highlights, the artistic component of the XIV Book Arsenal Festival will feature 15 exhibition projects.
The full event program will be available on the website soon.
How and where can I buy a ticket?
Tickets for the Festival can be purchased online or at the ticket office of Mystetskyi Arsenal on the day of your visit.
Ticket Prices:
Full ticket — UAH 300
Concession ticket (for pensioners and school students aged 12–18) — UAH 150
Family ticket* — UAH 700
Festival pass (four days)** — UAH 700
* The family ticket is valid for one-time entry for 2 adults and 2 children aged 12 and above.
** The festival pass is valid for one person and grants access to all Festival days.
Please note!
When purchasing tickets online with a premium Visa card from PrivatBank, you will receive 15% cashback. To receive the cashback, you need to enter the “Pryvit” loyalty program in Privat24 and activate the offer from Book Arsenal before purchasing tickets. Cashback will also apply to offline ticket purchases during the Festival, so you can use it when paying for tickets by card at the box office.
Free admission on any day is available for:
- children under 12
- adults and children with disabilities and one accompanying person*
- combatants, military service people*
- family members of fallen Defenders of Ukraine*
- museum workers*, holders of ICOM and CIMAM cards
*A valid ID must be presented at the entrance.
Loyalty Hours:
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM — free admission for pensioners and school students under 18 upon presentation of a valid ID.
In the event of an air raid alert, you may reuse your ticket on the same day to return to the Festival after the all-clear announcement. Please keep your ticket until the end of your visit to the Festival.
Work Schedule:
May 28 — 5:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m (entrance to the territory from 4.00 p.m.)
May 29 — 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m
May 30 — 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m
May 31 — 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m
In the event of an air raid alert, please proceed immediately to the designated shelter and remain there until the all-clear is announced. A shelter is available on-site at Mystetskyi Arsenal.
The Festival will resume 30 minutes after the alert ends. If the all-clear is given at 8:00 p.m. or later, the Festival will not resume that day.
Evacuation plans and safety guidelines during the Festival are available via this link.
The general media partner of the 14th International Book Arsenal Festival will be Suspilne.
Book Arsenal is organized in cooperation with Art Arsenal Community NGO. The Festival is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation and Mnozhyna Foundation.