There are evenings that remind you why live events matter.
Saturday’s Big Church Poetry Slam Live Semi-Final was one of them.
Hosted at KCBC London, friends, family members and spoken word lovers gathered to support the twelve semi-finalists, all hoping to earn one of eight places in this year’s Grand Final at Big Church Festival.
Presented by Big Church Festival, AStepFWD, POETIC UK and Urban Wordsmiths, the competition continues to grow year after year. Judging by the standard on display, Christian spoken word in the UK is in a very healthy place.
The brief was simple. Every poet had two minutes to respond to the theme, “Valley and the Mountain Top”. What followed was anything but predictable as every writer approached the theme from a different angle, making it impossible to predict who would progress. That uncertainty was shared by the judges.
Poetess Jess, Storm Cecile and reigning champion Jaykspeaks (alongside two random audience judges per poet) were full of praise throughout the evening. Their feedback reflected just how difficult the decisions had become. The scores remained incredibly close, with only small margins separating a number of the poets.
After an evening of outstanding performances, the following eight poets secured their place in the Big Church Poetry Slam Grand Final at Big Church Festival on 28th August.
2026 Finalists
- * Blessed Poetry
- * Dominic Aj
- * Godlovesnatalieandyou
- * Ilo
- * Marie Verheul
- * Rosamund Frances
- * Rhema_reciter
- * Tobi
Congratulations to every finalist! Just as importantly, congratulations to everyone who entered this year’s competition. Whether you made the live semi-final or not, you’ve helped raise the standard once again. Every poet who stepped onto that stage deserved to be there.
A special mention also goes to Saskia Bassey, who hosted the evening with confidence, warmth and plenty of personality. Fresh from AStepFWD’s Presenter Search 2026, she kept the event moving at exactly the right pace, giving every poet their moment while making the audience feel part of the journey from start to finish.
After the final scores had been announced by Big Church Festival’s Artists & Partnerships Manager – Gareth Brocklebank and AStepFWD’s Founder & CEO – O’Neil Dennis, the audience were treated to performances from all three headline judges. Jaykpeaks, Storm Cecile, and Poetess Jess each brought something completely different to the stage. It wasn’t simply a showcase of technical ability; it was a demonstration of their immense performance experience, why they are at the forefront of the spoken word scene in the UK. It was the perfect way to end an evening that celebrated faith, creativity and community.
The stage now moves to Big Church Festival, where eight finalists will compete to become the 2026 Big Church Poetry Slam Champion.
If the semi-final is anything to go by, the Grand Final is going to be something truly special.
