Working at the Hay Festival

All the work is pretty demanding, but the atmosphere is great and the friendships formed do seem to have survived flood, tempest, euphoric romance and the close scrutiny of the US security services...

The Festival is run by a tight team who’ve worked together for between 5 and 15 years. It is – like Tony Benn’s famous description – a bit like gathering for Christmas, with new family joining every year.

Help as a steward

All the Festival events are stewarded by teams of between 4 and 10. The main job is to make sure the audiences are safe and happy before, during, and after each event.

Stewards work shifts of 3–4 hours. It’s voluntary but fun and you’ll make lots of good friends.

If you are interested in stewarding at Hay Festival 2012 in Wales, visit this page again from October 2011 and complete our online form (below) to let us know which parts of which days you would be available to help.

Apply as a steward

Stewarding at the Hay Festival

Working in the box office

The Box Office takes on an extra 10 box office staff in May. The Box Office team are the first point of contact for the public once the brochure is published. You need to be calm, good on the telephone, familiar with computers and to enjoy working with the public. Retail experience, a sense of humour and rhino-hide help. Very long hours and fair pay.

For enquiries about working in 2012, applications will open in November 2011: please email Penny or Andy after this date.

Apply as an intern

For enquiries about interning in 2012, applications will open in October 2011: please email Rhodri for internships in the Green Room and Hannah for internships in the Press Office after this date, including your CV and a cover letter telling us why you’d like to intern at Hay.

Join the site crew

Fred Wright looks for site crew to assist with the construction of the festival site in the weeks running up to and after the festival has finished. The 2012 team will be recruited from January 2012: please email Fred from this date.

Work with concession-holders

Concession-holders (e.g. food and drink stands) on the Festival site recruit for short-term employees in the run-up to the Festival. Information on applying for jobs as Bar & Catering Staff in 2012 will be available here in early 2012.

Working at the Hay Festival