Sale Festival Poetry Trail returns for 2026

The Sale Festival Poetry Trail is returning for 2026, inviting people of all ages to help “flood Sale with poetry” during this year’s festival month.

Sale Festival itself is set to return in June with a packed, community-led programme across the town for the month.

What is the Poetry Trail?

The idea is simple: poems submitted by the public will be displayed in Sale businesses, turning everyday shopping trips and town-centre wanders into a pop-up poetry experience.

Who can enter?

Entries are welcome from all ages and backgrounds, whether you’re a professional poet or a schoolchild.

Rules and key dates

Poems should be no more than 40 lines.

The deadline to enter is 30 April 2026. Selected poems will then go on display in Sale town centre from 01-30 June 2026, with a poetry reading evening on 24 June as part of the festival celebrations.