Hay Festival's first Sports Day
To mark this Olympic year, we present our first ever Hay Festival Sports Day on Wednesday 29 May. Worlds collide as leading thinkers join sports stars for a showcase of creative talent, an exploration of the Olympic spirit and its classical roots.
Join the conversations
Our Sports Day conversations offer inspiration, celebration and speculation.
With unrivalled experience of the world of sport, Lord Sebastian Coe discusses its past and future with journalist Matthew d’Ancona.
We’re joined by Gŵyl Cymru Festival for an event celebrating the special relationship between sport and culture in Wales.
England legend and Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker discusses his career in sport, media and storytelling with historian and broadcaster David Olusoga.
Sport ecologist Madeleine Orr considers how climate change is changing sport.
Scottish National Coach and mother of champions Judy Murray presents her debut thriller The Wild Card, a tale of intrigue on the tennis courts.
Three inspirational cyclists, Lee Craigie, Rebecca Lowe and Kate Rawles, discuss their adventures at home and abroad, from cycling through the Middle East and the Andes to engaging marginalised young people.
Hay Festival President Stephen Fry joins cricketing experts Azeem Rafiq and Claire Taylor to discuss the big issues in the game with scientist Adam Rutherford.
Get active with us
Join our free, drop-in activities around the site, or book for an off-site adventure!
You can try a variety of free sporting activities on the Festival site throughout the day, such as fencing with Fencing Cymru, badminton and football.
Join Polly Clark of Mountain Yoga Breaks and Lee Craigie of The Adventure Syndicate for an off-site mountain biking session. Clark and Craigie are passionate about showing more people, especially women, that mountain biking is for them. See events on Wednesday 29 May at 10am–12pm and 2pm–4pm.
Come for a wild swim with adventure specialist Angela Jones, author of Wild Swimming the River Wye. Learn about protecting and respecting the river, and gain a wealth of knowledge on acclimation and technique. Wild swimming sessions take place throughout the week.