AbstractLet be a measurable function on with . We introduce the variable Hardy–Lorentz space for via the radial grand maximal function. Under the assumption that satisfies the log‐Hölder condition, we establish a version of Fefferman–Stein vector‐valued inequality in variable Lorentz space by interpolation. We also construct atomic decompositions for , and develop a theory of real interpolation and formulate the dual space of the variable Hardy–Lorentz space with and . As a byproduct, we obtain a new John–Nirenberg theorem. Furthermore, we get equivalent characterizations of the variable Hardy–Lorentz space by means of the Lusin area function, the Littlewood–Paley g‐function and the Littlewood–Paley ‐function. Finally, we investigate the boundedness of singular operators on for and .