York Book Fair

York Book Fair 2026

The York Two Day Book Fair takes place on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 September 2026 at the Knavesmire Suite, York Racecourse, York YO23 1EX. Organisers describe it as Europe’s largest rare, antiquarian and out-of-print book fair, with more than 200 booksellers and over 100,000 books, plus maps, prints and ephemera.

Opening hours

• Friday 11 September 2026: 12:00–19:00
• Saturday 12 September 2026: 10:00–17:00

Admission on the door is £2.00 per person; children under 16 are free. Complimentary tickets are promoted on the official website. Tickets can be reused all weekend.

Venue and access

The fair is in the Knavesmire Suite at York Racecourse (YO23 1EX). Free parking is available along the public roads to the racecourse, with disabled parking in the forecourt of the Knavesmire Suite. A free shuttle bus (York Pullman) runs from the Memorial Gardens coach stand near York Station about every 30 minutes (from 10:30 on Friday and 09:30 on Saturday). Last buses back to the station are 19:15 Friday and 17:15 Saturday.

What to expect

Exhibitors include specialist antiquarian and second-hand booksellers plus book-related trades (hand-decorated papers, calligraphy, computing, library associations and academic projects). Ground-floor café food and drinks are available. Bags (except small handbags) and overcoats must be checked; purchased books are sealed and checked on exit. Only assistance dogs are allowed.

The York Antiquarian Book Seminar runs 6–10 September 2026, immediately before the fair. The fair is organised by the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA).

Press contacts listed by the organiser include Tony Fothergill ([email protected], +44 7960 350909), Janette Ray and James Hallgate.