After weeks of submissions from spoken word artists across the UK, the audition stage of the 2026 Big Church Poetry Slam has officially come to a close.
The focus now shifts to the live semi-final at KCBC London on Saturday 18 July, where a selection of this year’s entrants will perform their pieces in front of a live audience for a place in the Grand Final at Big Church Festival on 29 August.
Delivered through a partnership between Big Church Festival, Urban Wordsmiths, Poetic UK and AStepFWD, the Poetry Slam has become one of the UK’s leading opportunities for Christian poets to perform on a major festival platform. This year’s auditions invited entrants to create an original spoken word piece around the theme ‘Valley and the Mountain Top’, with each performance submitted as a single two-minute video.
Now the challenge moves from the camera to the stage.
The live semi-final promises an evening of creativity and compelling storytelling as poets share their work before judges and a live audience. From personal testimony and social commentary to reflections, every performance will bring a different perspective to the microphone.
For those who progress, the reward is significant. Finalists will go on to perform at Big Church Festival on 29 August, appearing on the 35,000-attendee festival’s Spoken Word Stage in front of festivalgoers.
The competition has already helped shine a light on some outstanding voices. Previous editions have introduced audiences to emerging spoken word artists who have gone on to perform at Big Church Festival, while last year’s winner, Jaykspeaks, delivered a memorable winning performance before taking to the festival stage later that summer.
With another strong field of entrants this year, organisers are expecting another memorable evening as the next group of finalists is chosen.
Although the audition window has now closed, supporters can still be part of the journey by attending the live semi-final and encouraging the poets as they perform.
Big Church Poetry Slam Live Semi-Final
Saturday 18 July 2026
KCBC London
The road to the festival stage starts here! BOOK TICKETS NOW FOR THE LIVE SEMI-FINAL
