12th International Audio Drama Festival
30Mar-3Apr 2026

This is the UNOFFICIAL WEBSITE for the International Radio Drama Festival. The latest news is posted at the TOP of the page; older information is lower down.

Official stuff (entry forms, admin, etc) is on the OFFICIAL festival website: radiodramafestival.org.uk .

How does the festival work? 2026 2025 2024 2023 2023 2022 2021
Detailed notes for LAST year for reference (about 20 pages): 2025 full programme

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ABOUT THIS EVENT
The UK International Audio Drama Festival is back. A unique chance to hear wonderful audio drama lasting from 1 minute to 1 hour. A whole range of languages but English translations provided . A rare chance to hear work from other cultures and other countries. Everyone welcome to join the jury discussion at the end of the day and even to join the jury and make awards. Thanks to our sponsors: ALCS, Arts Council England, Canterbury BID and Nigel and Alison Deacon.

Location: Canterbury Cathedral Lodge, 30 Mar - 3 Apr 2026. We look forward to welcoming producers and audience alike for an exciting and stimulating week of listening and discussion.

ONLINE LISTENING SESSIONS
The UK International Audio Drama Festival 2026 will be available for real-time collective online listening in our new hybrid festival format

Listening to audio drama with others is a rare treat! After the success of last year's online festival, we are offering those who cannot make the journey to Canterbury, the opportunity to enjoy the spirit of the festival but online. Hosted, collective zoom sessions will bring the festival to you where you are and enable you to share the joy with others around the world. We hope also to enable remote participation in the jury sessions too.

Here's part of an interview on Indie AF from 2025 where Mel Nock and Nicholas McInerny talk about last year's festival.

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WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE LANGUAGES?

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UK INTERNATIONAL AUDIO DRAMA FESTIVAL, CANTERBURY

This year we will be using the Cathedral Lodge, in the grounds of what is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England.

Canterbury Cathedral was completed in 1077 and added to over the centuries until 1498. It is a masterpiece of stone and stained glass. The magnificent crypt is a thousand years old.

This video gives a flavour of the event from a couple of years ago, when were based in another ancient building in Canterbury: the Eastbridge Hospital; nearly as old as the Cathedral. .

The venue may have changed, but the festival itself has not. It is a showcase for some of the best audio and radio dramas in the world. Plays featured here have frequently been amongst the winners of the BBC Audio Drama Awards.

Here's the video link:

Festival video

25 Nov 25

THE 2026 FESTIVAL IS NOW OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS

We're excited to announce that our 2026 Festival has opened for submissions with a closing date of 17 Jan 2026.

There are two categories for this year's event: full length and short form. Cash prizes are available in both categories for the winning works chosen by the jury. Application forms and regulations are available on the website.

The regulations and applications forms can be found on the Festival website, here .

And we are very much looking forward to welcoming everyone back in person for a week of wonderful listening, and conversation.

25 Nov 25

Deacon Award
We are delighted to announce that this award will continue; it is for young producers under the age of 30. The Deacon Award will chosen by the jury from the shortlisted works. This award is generously sponsored by our long time supporters, Nigel and Alison Deacon.

Back to Canterbury

We are very much looking forward to welcoming everyone back to Canterbury for an in-person event. There is no substitute for a conversation over a cup of coffee or pint of beer and the opportunity to get to know people and their work in more depth. And we know how much audiences love listening to audio drama together.

But we also understand that a range of constraints will always prevent some people from travelling so we are building on the success of last year’s online festival and will ensure that anyone can tune in remotely too.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

SUBMISSIONS
Deadline will be 17 January 2026.

We can't wait to listen to the amazing works you send us this year. Hope to see you all in Canterbury!

To get in touch with the Festival team, please email radiodramafestival@gmail.com

COVID ISLAND DRAMAS
Imagine you're in quarantine, or lockdown, with a mystery virus preventing you from going anywhere or doing very much. Which eight radio dramas would you take with you to your 'Covid Island' to hear again and again, to keep you sane? That's the question we thought about during lockdown, and we made four programmes where radio drama enthusiasts were quizzed about their lives and asked about their favourite plays.

We hope you have fun listening to them.

COVID ISLAND DRAMAS, 4
Andy Jordan, producer of more radio plays than we can count, interviewed by Karen Archer.
Covid Island, episode 4

COVID ISLAND DRAMAS, 3
Jonathan Keeble, radio actor, and voiceover artist, interviewed by Clive Perrott.
Covid Island, episode 3

COVID ISLAND DRAMAS, 2
Jack Klaff, actor, writer and academic, interviewed by Maureen Younger.
Covid Island, episode 2

COVID ISLAND DRAMAS, 1
Nigel Deacon, radio drama collector, chemist and apple breeder, interviewed by Jack Klaff.
Covid Island, episode 1



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