Hay Festival 2017

Three brilliant speakers, all with something completely different to say. Enjoy the range and variety of Hay Festival packaged into one entertaining session. Presenter Dallas Campbell reveals why space flight is built on science fiction. Actor and author Tony Robinson tells us why history is the best thing on Earth. And legendary author Katherine Rundell discusses the power of reading for pleasure in a time of AI. Hosted by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, who’ll open the Festival with poetry.

Join Clive Anderson and guests for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy in this special live recording of Radio 4’s long-running variety show.

Hear first-hand from a pioneer who changed the world. Visionary inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee tells the remarkable story of how he created the World Wide Web. He reveals This is for Everyone as part memoir, part manifesto, reminding us that he gave the web freely to the world, and urges us to work together to protect it as a force for good. He talks to John Thornhill, innovation editor at the Financial Times.

Barbara Erskine’s Lady of Hay became an instant best-seller on its publication in 1986, and has remained in print ever since. Devoted and new fans alike will be delighted with her new edition that now includes an extra chapter. Erskine celebrates the book’s 40th anniversary and discusses bringing the story right up to date, with Emma Corfield-Walters, owner of independent bookshop Bookish.

The iconic novel blends historical fiction with fantasy, when a journalist debunking the idea of past-life regression submits to hypnotism and finds herself reliving the experiences of Matilda, Lady of Hay, the wife of a baron at the time of King John. As the unspeakable treachery of the past becomes entwined with the present, it becomes clear that, 800 years on, the story is beginning again.

Buckle up for a riotous evening of boyish banter, rugby reminiscence and surprisingly personal stories of life beyond the pitch with James Haskell, Alex Payne and Mike Tindall. Haskell is a former rugby international; Payne is an experienced rugby broadcaster; and Tindall is widely considered to be one of the finest rugby players ever to put on an England shirt. In this energising mix of storytelling, friendship and mischief, the trio discuss everything from how they each started out in their careers to what’s wrong with the current game, via how to make a decent cup of tea. A great way to start the evening for anyone who enjoys authentic conversation with heart and humour. They talk to sports journalist Lauren Salter, one of the most recognisable faces in Welsh rugby broadcasting.

Join Andy Zaltzman for a recording of Radio 4’s flagship topical comedy show as he grabs the week’s headlines and hurls them at four of the nation’s best comedians and journalists.

Hear from one of our best-loved historical experts and actors, Sir Tony Robinson, about his debut novel for adults, an epic story of greed, ambition and betrayal. The House of Wolf moves between multiple characters across Rome, Wessex and Lindisfarne, and is a witty recreation of the Anglo-Saxons, Alfred the Great and the making of England.

Robinson discusses drawing on his own knowledge of history, how his acting career impacted his book, and moving from writing for children to adults. Robinson was the original presenter of Time Team, and has had a long acting career, including playing Baldrick in Blackadder and the Sheriff of Nottingham in Maid Marion and Her Merry Men, which he also wrote.

After a day of devouring ideas, get a taste of Mediterranean warmth and settle down to an evening of cooking and conversation with chef, food writer and stylist Georgina Hayden, as she demonstrates recipes from new cookbook MEDesque and talks to food editor Holly O’Neill.

Hayden’s fifth book travels through Spain, Italy, the Balkans and beyond to unearth everyday recipes with Mediterranean roots. With delightfully oozy gnocchi puttanesca, ‘nduja, pepper and three cheese lasagne, and salted honey butter madeleines, the recipes in the book are infused with her love of food, family and storytelling, inspired by a childhood spent in her grandparents’ Greek Cypriot taverna.

Pussy Riot bravely and flamboyantly harnessed the power of art and culture to resist Putin’s oppression. This is a rare chance to hear first-hand from its founder member Maria Alyokhina. She served time in a brutal Russian prison after performing the punk prayer ‘Virgin Mary, Banish Putin’ with her friends at the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. In the face of a new prison sentence, she eventually escaped from Russia dressed as a food delivery driver.

Providing inspiration to a new generation of activists, Alyokhina, author of Political Girl, shares first-hand experiences of the way Russia treats dissidents, emphasises the importance of grassroots opposition and explains how she continues to oppose Putin’s regime. And as the UK government tightens restrictions on protests, we can learn from Alyokhina why standing up to state-sanctioned repression is vital. She speaks to investigative journalist Oliver Bullough.

Great conversation interspersed with music from the Manics’ lead singer – an unforgettable way to hear the band’s story. Bradfield and Wire talk to Keith Cameron, the author of this definitive history of the band. They chart their rise to fame starting in the late ’80s in the stricken mining communities of south Wales, the tragedy of their bandmate’s disappearance, and their remarkable rebirth with the award-winning album Everything Must Go. An unmissable chance to hear from the legendary band that revolutionised the 1990s music scene.

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. You’ll be joined by local experts who will give their insights into this treasured landscape.

Hay-on-Wye is located within 520 square miles of beautiful countryside that makes up the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The National Park is driving change to bring about a sustainable future, meeting our needs within planetary boundaries. Their Hay Festival series of walks take you into the town’s local environment while offering the opportunity to learn more about the Park’s work.

Step inside Hay Castle – a border stronghold shaped by myth, power and reinvention. Visit the current BorderLands exhibition and enjoy full access to the castle, from cellar to rooftop. Explore rooms layered with stories, including Matilda’s room, the Richard Booth space, historic costumes and the castle cellar.

Experience the new, interactive exhibit on the second floor, then climb to the viewing platform for wide views across the Wye Valley. Your ticket also includes unlimited return visits for a full year, so you can come back as the seasons – and the castle – change.

This ticket allows you to visit the castle at a time of your choice on the day selected, and also gives you entry into the BorderLands exhibition.

Step inside Hay Castle during Hay Festival 2026 and explore a place shaped by power, survival and reinvention. Led by an expert volunteer guide, this tour traces 800 years of life inside the castle – from medieval plots and royal whispers to its rescue, restoration and reimagining as a place for ideas today. You’ll move through rooms, stairways and towers, hearing stories of the people who lived, schemed, dreamed and partied here. Along the way, take in sweeping views across the Wye Valley – a reminder that this is a border castle, built to watch and be watched.

Guided tours run daily at 11am and 2pm. Tour price includes entry into the Castle for a year including the current exhibition: BorderLands.

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. You’ll be joined by local experts who will give their insights into this treasured landscape.

Hay-on-Wye is located within 520 square miles of beautiful countryside that makes up the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The National Park is driving change to bring about a sustainable future, meeting our needs within planetary boundaries. Their Hay Festival series of walks take you into the town’s local environment while offering the opportunity to learn more about the Park’s work.

Step inside Hay Castle during Hay Festival 2026 and explore a place shaped by power, survival and reinvention. Led by an expert volunteer guide, this tour traces 800 years of life inside the castle – from medieval plots and royal whispers to its rescue, restoration and reimagining as a place for ideas today. You’ll move through rooms, stairways and towers, hearing stories of the people who lived, schemed, dreamed and partied here. Along the way, take in sweeping views across the Wye Valley – a reminder that this is a border castle, built to watch and be watched.

Guided tours run daily at 11am and 2pm. Tour price includes entry into the Castle for a year including the current exhibition: BorderLands.

Malala Yousafzai became the most famous teenager in the world when she was shot by the Taliban, and as an adult she’s one of the most famous activists of our time. Join Malala as she reintroduces herself in this frank and forthcoming conversation with journalist and presenter Anna Foster. She discusses being thrust onto the public stage, the struggle to find her place and how she eventually came to understand that she could be unapologetically who she wants to be.

Malala is an education activist, the youngest-ever Nobel laureate, a best-selling author and award-winning film producer.

It is 35 years since the end of the Cold War – and the nuclear threat is once again reshaping global politics. But in the decades since the Berlin Wall fell, have we become complacent about the risks it poses? Acclaimed historian Serhii Plokhy discusses his timely new book, The Nuclear Age: An Epic Race for Arms, Power and Survival, tracing the history and geopolitics behind the nuclear arms race from the first atomic bomb to today.

The Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard talks to investigative journalist Oliver Bullough, author of Everybody Loves Our Dollars, asking what we can learn from the first nuclear arms race that can help us to stop the new one.

Comedy superstar Tom Allen is already a household name on TV, from Cooking With the Stars to Bake Off: An Extra Slice. Now he brings his acerbic wit and riotous storytelling to this discussion of his debut novel, in which all hell breaks loose in sleepy suburbia.

Common Decency chronicles the lives of one street’s residents as they band together to save a beloved oak tree from destruction at the hands of ruthless developers. As tensions rise and repressed neuroses and resentments seep out, the secrets of Oak Drive threaten to shatter the veneer of order, revealing some surprising truths.

Emerald Fennell is an Oscar-winning writer and a director known for work that sparks conversation and looks controversy straight in the face. Here she discusses her latest film, a big screen adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff.

Fennell first read the book at the age of 14, and says it quite simply “cracked me open”. As we’ve come to expect from the woman behind the controversial Saltburn, Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is provocative, sexy and primal. Is it what Brontë imagined?

Imagine a train that could take you back in time, so you can undo the mistakes you made. The best-selling author of The Midnight Library brings us another brilliant novel that asks us to consider what makes a life well-lived. The Midnight Train tells the story of Wilbur. On the brink of his death, a train arrives ready to take him back in time to relive his most important moments. If your life flashed before your eyes, where would you stop?

Join acclaimed author Katherine Rundell, the internet’s librarian and book advocate Jack Edwards, poet and author Joseph Coelho, and the Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust Jonathan Douglas, for a vital conversation on the urgency of the National Year of Reading, chaired by children’s books commentator Julia Eccleshare.

Discover how we can ‘Go All In’ to play a role in creating change, showing the power of books to transform lives, and how we can all play a part in boosting literacy levels at home, in schools and in our own communities.

Hugh Bonneville reveals the books he reads when he’s not learning lines and the stories that have inspired him and his career. A wonderful chance to hear a different side to the actor, best known for his roles in Downton Abbey and Paddington. A warm and witty journey through Bonneville’s life-story, with plenty of his trademark charm and self-deprecating humour. He’s in conversation with journalist and broadcaster Martha Kearney.

Join trail-blazing publisher, writer and activist Margaret Busby in conversation with Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo as they discuss Busby’s acclaimed memoir, Part of the Story. A true pioneer of British publishing, Busby reflects on a remarkable life devoted to championing diverse voices, shaping literary culture and breaking barriers. Together these two influential figures explore creativity, activism and the ongoing struggle for representation in literature. Expect an inspiring, candid and humorous exchange about friendship, resilience and the power of storytelling. A compelling conversation for anyone passionate about books, identity and the stories that shape who we are.

Comedian Cally Beaton champions her modern manifesto for keeping cool when you’re a hot mess. Challenging the age-old narrative that women become invisible when they cease to be fertile, defying the bullsh*t expectation that midlife women at best maintain (looks, career, relationships), and at worst decline.

Taking an irreverent look at her own story of radical midlife reinvention – from meetings in the boardroom to becoming a stand-up comedian – Beaton shares stories and experiences from her career. Talking to award-winning Welsh comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean, she gives a fresh, funny and life-affirming look at what it means to be a middle-aged woman who is willing to take a chance, put herself out there, and who is also willing to fail.

YM Abdel-Magied brings real-life engineering experience to her first novel, a tale of ambition, greed and the deadly fury of Mother Nature in the face of Big Oil. Born in Sudan, her first job was in a coal mine in Australia, and she later trained and worked internationally as a drilling engineer.

Abdel-Magied speaks to literary influencer Jack Edwards about At Sea, in which a female driller takes charge of an isolated offshore oil rig with an entirely male crew. The rig is teetering on the edge of disaster – and when all her warnings are ignored, she realises that the real danger may lie in the cold calculations and base desires of the men determined to finish the operation as quickly and cheaply as possible. Can she prevent the looming catastrophe that threatens the rig, the crew and the sea before it’s too late?

Emily Brontë’s classic Wuthering Heights has inspired more than 30 film and TV adaptations, most recently Emerald Fennell’s film, which hit UK cinemas this year. Discover Andrea Arnold’s take on the story in this screening of her 2011 version, starring Kaya Scodelario and James Howson – the first Black actor to play Heathcliff.

The film tells the story of a homeless boy named Heathcliff, taken in by Earnshaw, a benevolent Yorkshire farmer. Heathcliff develops a passionate relationship with the farmer’s daughter, Catherine, inspiring the mistrust of his son. When Earnshaw passes away, the three must finally confront their intense feelings.

Directed by Andrea Arnold (2011). Film duration: 2 hours 9 minutes. Certificate 15.

Experience an absorbing evening of sophisticated modern jazz, elevated by the atmospheric acoustic and Georgian Gothic setting of St Mary’s Church in Hay-on-Wye.

Led by guitarist and composer Will Barnes, the quartet features pianist Jack Gonsalez, bassist Aidan Thorne and drummer James Batten – an ensemble recognised for its tight chemistry and compelling live performances. Their sound pays homage to jazz greats such as Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny and Oscar Peterson, while forging a distinct voice of their own. Outside the Light is their second album.

This is a comedy best-seller list you won’t want to miss! We bring you a smorgasbord of the most talented rising stars on the comedy scene. Grab a pint from the Festival bar and settle in to laugh till your cheeks hurt.

Tom Allen (Cooking with the Stars) brings his acerbic wit and riotous storytelling. Fatiha El-Ghorri (breakout star of Taskmaster series 19) is fresh and fearless, challenging stereotypes rooted in her experiences as a British Muslim hijabi woman. Limahl Germain’s consistently hysterical performances are seamlessly blended with insightful social commentary. Suzi Ruffell is well-known for her podcasting – she’s co-host of Like Minded Friends with Tom Allen, and also co-hosts the smash hit Big Kick Energy. Jack Skipper has recently gone from a carpet fitter with no qualifications to an internet sensation and full-time comedian offering hilarious observations on working-class life.

Come on a fascinating tour of the night sky and hear the stories of how the stars have shaped us through the ages. Whether a budding astronomer or an armchair stargazer, this will make you want to rush outside and look up in search for the curve of the Milky Way.

Dr Sheila Kanani MBE demystifies the rich tapestry of stars in our skies and reveals how stars have helped people to explore and understand the Earth over time. And, thrillingly, she shows what you’d see if you could jump on a spacecraft and explore these galaxies yourself.

We are thrilled to announce Fredrik Backman is coming to Hay Festival for the first time. His books have sold over 20 million copies in 40 countries. His debut novel, A Man Called Ove, spent over a year on the New York Times best-seller list. Since then he’s thrilled fans with titles including Bear Town, Anxious People and his latest novel My Friends. He talks about how he manages to combine the wickedly funny with the deeply moving, creating characters we all wish were our own best friends.

An unforgettable celebration of the era-defining music of Amy Winehouse, performed by her original band. Led by Winehouse’s long-term musical director and close friend, Dale Davis, and fronted by his own choice of singer, the Amy Winehouse Band keeps alive her spirit, legacy and distinctive sound. With stunning on-screen visuals and unique footage, this immersive experience features Winehouse’s biggest hits. A truly special night out for fans.

After her three consecutive smash-hit, sell-out Edinburgh Fringe runs followed by UK tours, Chloe Petts (Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News for You) is back with a brand new tour, and she's delving where she’s never delved before: this is a show about sex.

The problem is that she blushes every time she says that word. Expect routines about Page 3, lad culture and most importantly, big, fat naturals. Strap in with “one of the most accomplished stand-ups working in the UK today” (Scotsman) for her most titillating hour yet.

An hour of movement and breathwork, led by a highly-skilled Hay-on-Wye practitioner, to start your day at Hay Festival with open heart and mind. Whether you need grounding and recharging before a busy day at the Festival, an opportunity to stretch and move your body, or simply an hour to focus on your breathing, this yoga class is open and accessible to all. The class leader will adapt to different levels of experience, so that each student takes what they need from the practice.

Begin the day with a guided tour of Hay Castle led by its director, art historian Tom True. Explore the castle’s layered history, meet some of the characters who once shaped it and hear how it is being reimagined today as a place for ideas, art and thoughtful encounters. The tour includes time to experience the castle’s new interactive interpretation on the second floor, followed by coffee and pastries.

Coffee and pastry included in the ticket price. Meet in the Great Hall.

Adam Fleming from the BBC’s Newscast brings together leading journalists and commentators to discuss, debate and dissect the day’s news. You’ll get the background you might not know, the analysis that helps you understand and the insight that reveals what the stories shaping our world really mean for us all.

Who really decides what we eat, and which medicines we take? How much is down to what we as consumers need, and how much is decided by power, policy and profit? Doctors Kamran Abbasi, editor-in-chief of the British Medical Journal, and Chris van Tulleken, author of Ultra-Processed People, expose the networks between government and big business and argue that hidden influences are having a huge impact on public health. Expect a lively, engaging and sometimes shocking discussion.

Novelist Yvvette Edwards talks to Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo about her latest book, Good Good Loving. It tells the story of a family gathered around the deathbed of matriarch Ellen. There, they assess Ellen’s failings, as she looks back on the dramatic turning points of her life, and the heartbreak and sacrifices she has made.

Edwards and Evaristo discuss writing about multigenerational families, putting women at the centre of their work, and what it means to be a writer today. Edwards’ previous novels include the Booker Prize-longlisted A Cupboard Full of Coats. Evaristo, who won the Booker Prize for Girl, Woman, Other, is President Emerita of the Royal Society of Literature.

Watch a selection of short films, curated by MUBI, throughout the morning and early afternoon. The day’s schedule will be listed each morning at the venue – pop along and take a look.

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. During the walk we’ll discuss the impact of the climate emergency on national parks.

Hay-on-Wye is located within 520 square miles of beautiful countryside that makes up the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The National Park is driving change to bring about a sustainable future, meeting our needs within planetary boundaries. Their Hay Festival series of walks take you into the town’s local environment while offering the opportunity to learn more about the Park’s work and its treasured landscape.

Why do we find love so difficult? Psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz sheds light on the universal experience of love and its ups and downs, in this enlightening conversation with author and psychologist Claudia Hammond. Grosz shares stories and insights about love gained from 40 years of conversations with his patients. He suggests that learning how to love is work well worth doing, and points us towards what we can do to be ready to truly love.

Grosz is a practising psychoanalyst and author of best-seller The Examined Life. Hammond is presenter of several podcasts and radio shows including All in the Mind on BBC Radio 4 which covers psychology, neuroscience and mental health.

Are you ready to follow Mikey Please back into the woods, to discover more hungry goblins and bath-tubs of bogey broth? The BAFTA-award-winning and Oscar-nominated animation director and writer will conjure up brilliantly disgusting scenes from his new picture book The Cave Downwind of the Café, where owner Rene is in peril and unusual waiter Glumfoot must once again save the day…

Mikey was named overall winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year 2025 for his funny and immersive picture book The Café at the Edge of the Woods.

Join author and poet Mererid Hopwood and Theatr Cymru on a magical adventure at this interactive bilingual workshop. Inspired by Mererid’s Dosbarth Miss Prydderch book series and upcoming touring theatre production, children will enjoy an opportunity to build confidence and devise a magical story. An informal showing of the children’s work will be held at 11.45am. Led by Mererid Hopwood, Welsh author, poet and Archdruid, and Gwawr Pritchard – Theatr Cymru’s Participation Co-ordinator.

Ymunwch â’r awdur a’r bardd Mererid Hopwood a Theatr Cymru ar antur hudolus yn y gweithdy dwyieithog rhyngweithiol hwn. Wedi’i ysbrydoli gan y gyfres llyfrau Dosbarth Miss Prydderch gan Mererid a’r cynhyrchiad theatr sy’n teithio cyn hir, bydd plant yn mwynhau cyfle i feithrin hyder a dyfeisio stori hudolus. Bydd dangosiad anffurfiol o waith y plant yn digwydd am 11.45am. Arweinir gan Mererid Hopwood, awdur, bardd ac Archdderwydd, a Gwawr Pritchard – Cydlynydd Cyfranogi Theatr Cymru.

An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative in these interactive sessions delivered by artists and discover that your imagination is the only limit.

Book for the session and you can drop in at any point during the 1.5 hour duration. Accompanying adults: please stay in attendance at all times, but you do not require a ticket.

Step inside Hay Castle – a border stronghold shaped by myth, power and reinvention. Visit the current BorderLands exhibition and enjoy full access to the castle, from cellar to rooftop. Explore rooms layered with stories, including Matilda’s room, the Richard Booth space, historic costumes and the castle cellar.

Experience the new, interactive exhibit on the second floor, then climb to the viewing platform for wide views across the Wye Valley. Your ticket also includes unlimited return visits for a full year, so you can come back as the seasons – and the castle – change.

This ticket allows you to visit the castle at a time of your choice on the day selected, and also gives you entry into the BorderLands exhibition.

This special guided walk invites you to step beyond Hay-on-Wye and into the richly layered border landscape that has shaped centuries of history. Led by professional walking guide Sarah Price, with writer and historian Joseph Emmett accompanying, this gentle circular walk blends walking, listening and reflection.

Sarah will share local insight into the landscape and its human history, while Joseph draws on his book New Roots, Ancient Lands: Walking Herefordshire’s History, offering short readings and welcoming questions as the walk unfolds. A chance to experience the countryside as both place and story.

Step inside Hay Castle during Hay Festival 2026 and explore a place shaped by power, survival and reinvention. Led by an expert volunteer guide, this tour traces 800 years of life inside the castle – from medieval plots and royal whispers to its rescue, restoration and reimagining as a place for ideas today. You’ll move through rooms, stairways and towers, hearing stories of the people who lived, schemed, dreamed and partied here. Along the way, take in sweeping views across the Wye Valley – a reminder that this is a border castle, built to watch and be watched.

Guided tours run daily at 11am and 2pm. Tour price includes entry into the Castle for a year including the current exhibition: BorderLands.

Celebrate and support young Welsh musical talent at this 20-minute open-air performance between events. South Powys Youth Music is a local student ensemble, run as a charity to provide children and young people in Brecon and Radnorshire with music lessons, helping them develop skills to fulfill their musical and personal potential.

Why does Reform appeal to so many voters? Can they be attracted back to the centre ground? Former Labour cabinet minister Liam Byrne MP exposes the forces propelling the populist surge – and sets out a plan to stop it. He’s joined by Financial Times journalist John Burn-Murdoch, for a deep analysis of why we vote the way we do. They talk to Anna Foster, presenter of Radio 4’s flagship Today programme.