Hay Festival 2023

Our 2023 Festival took place 25 May - 4 June. The programme is listed below.

Most of the events are now available in our online archive Hay Player – please see individual listings for more details.

Event FiltersYou are viewing events filtered bySaturday 27 May 2023View All

Event 36

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Morning Yoga with Kanga Wellbeing

Venue: Hwyl Stage
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Start your day with a morning yoga class designed to reinvigorate your energy and spirit. Enjoy a grounding, energising, alignment‐based yoga practice, using the breath and sound to rediscover and rejuvenate the body and mind. Beginners and experienced students are most welcome. Yoga mats and props are provided.

Please contact Kanga Wellbeing on spa@kangaevents.com for any questions relating to these classes. As capacity is limited, we recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.

Kanga Wellbeing will also be onsite throughout the Festival offering wellbeing and a wide range of holistic massage therapies. Therapies will be held in cosy lotus belle tents with heaters and fans. For more information or to book, please visit www.kangaevents.com/hay-festival. For enquiries, please email spa@kangaevents.com.

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Event 37

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Planet Assembly 1: Energy – What Must Change?

A Thought Laboratory

Venue: The Hive
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Bring your best ideas to this solutions-focused workshop session. Facilitated by sustainability entrepreneur Andy Middleton, Chief Exploration Officer at the TYF Group, and joined by Juliet Davenport, Founder and former CEO of Good Energy, and Simon Sharpe, Director of Economics for the UN Climate Champions and author of Five Times Faster, we’ll look at the key issue of energy. We’ll discuss the scale of the issue and a range of solutions, how to action them, how they might impact on their lives and how to manage the change.

The war in Ukraine has created an unexpected energy shock. But it has also hastened a dramatic redesign in how energy is generated and consumed. New giant investments in wind, solar, hydro, nuclear and ocean power have been impressive. But there are ominous signs that the corporate commitment to move away from fossil fuels is weakening because of the big money still being made by oil and gas producers. The battle to decarbonise our energy is not even nearly won. How do we balance energy generation, energy security and energy poverty, at speed and scale?

This workshop is part of our Hay Festival Planet Assembly, a daily, inclusive conversation over ten days involving lay people, scientists, commentators and experts. We want to empower everyone to be accelerators and multipliers for the dramatic policy transformations that are needed immediately to tackle the acute climate and biodiversity emergencies.

Sign up to our free Planet Assembly daily briefing

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Event 386

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

BBC Radio 4: Saturday Live

Venue: Marquee
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BBC Radio 4’s Saturday morning show with Nikki Bedi and Huw Stephens brings you extraordinary stories and remarkable people, live from Hay.

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Event 38

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Lucy Worsley

Agatha Christie – A Very Elusive Woman

Venue: Llwyfan Cymru – Wales Stage
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It’s all too easy to think of Agatha Christie as a very proper Edwardian lady of leisure, until you discover she loved fast cars and went surfing in Hawaii, as well as of course writing some of the most enduring and best-loved British murder mysteries. Historian and television presenter Lucy Worsley, joint chief curator at the Historic Royal Palaces, presents a new side of Christie in Agatha Christie – A Very Elusive Woman, her account of the writer’s life, based on personal letters and papers that have rarely been seen. Join Worsley to discover the writer who, despite the obstacles of class and gender, became an astonishingly successful working woman.

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Event 39

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Mark Ellison talks to Kirsty Lang

How to Build Impossible Things

Venue: Wye Stage
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Aged 60, Mark Ellison has written his first book, How to Build Impossible Things, the result of 40 years as a carpenter – the best in New York, by some accounts. From building a staircase that the famed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava called ‘a masterpiece’ to being profiled in the New Yorker, Ellison is a celebrity in his world. He has worked in the most beautiful homes you’ve never seen, specialising in rarefied, lavish projects for the most demanding of clients including the late David Bowie and Robin Williams. But as a native of the old steel town of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, his path was an unexpected one. Learn about his early life, his most challenging and fulfilling work, and perhaps pick up a tip or two for constructing your own bit of furniture.

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Event 40

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Wayfaring Walk: Exploring Hay Hinterlands

With Jodie Bond and Helen Roderick

Venue: Meeting Place on Site
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Guides from the Brecon Beacons National Park will lead a gentle walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, joined by writer and broadcaster Horatio Clare, author of The Light in the Dark.

Hay-on-Wye is based within 520 square miles of beautiful landscape that makes up Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) 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 gentle walks will take you into the town’s local environment while offering the opportunity to learn more about the Park’s work and its treasured landscape.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear.

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Event HD1

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Julia Donaldson and Friends

The Amazing World of Julia Donaldson

Venue: Baillie Gifford Stage
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Celebrate the 30th year of A Squash and A Squeeze in a fun-packed hour of stories and songs based on the author’s many books. She performs with her guitar-playing husband Malcolm and other actors, bringing to life her much treasured and brand new stories. Get ready to join in!

BSL Used HereThere will be a BSL interpreter at this event

Family, 3+ years
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Event W1

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Collaging Workshop with Beth Suzanna

Paper People

Venue: Hwyl Stage
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Develop your illustration skills at this fun collage workshop delivered by Hay Festival 2023 Illustrator in Residence Beth Suzanna. In this empowering workshop you’ll use the medium of collage to reflect who you are and what’s important to you. You’ll create self portraits depicting the things that inspire you. You’ll learn about the art of visual storytelling from one of the UK’s rising stars of illustration, and work together to create a large-scale group collage. Whether you want to feel inspired in a relaxed space or to get stuck in and learn a new skill, this workshop is an informal session for everyone.

Beth recently collaborated with hip hop star, actor and writer Jordan Stephens on a children’s book, The Missing Piece – you can see them in conversation about their collaboration in an event on Sunday 28 May, 10am.

12+ years
Collaging materials will be provided, but feel free to bring along your own. No parent/carer attendance nor sign in/out is required.
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Event W2

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Rooted Forest School

Natural Craft Workshop

Venue: Wild Garden
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Come and join Rooted Forest School for outdoor family sessions inspired by the Forest School approach. We’ll use foraged materials to craft natural items that you can take away with you, taking part in some simple tool use and finishing off with a hot apple juice around the fire. These sessions are aimed at families and will run whatever the weather, so make sure you’re wrapped up for the conditions.

4–8 years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
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Event MT1

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Make & Take Crafting

Saturday Morning Session

Venue: Make & Take Tent
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An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative: your imagination is the limit.

Book for the session and you can drop in at any point during the 2.5 hour duration. Accompanying adults: please stay in attendance at all times, but you do not require a ticket.

3–11 years
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Event 41

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Got 2 Sing Choir

Venue: Main Garden Tent
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Enjoy this half-hour open air performance between events. Formed from a group of community choirs spanning the Midlands, Got 2 Sing Choir perform contemporary, uplifting songs from top of the charts to golden oldies, with plenty of fun and laughter. The choir want to share their passion of singing with everyone – if you’re interested in joining, visit got2sing.co.uk.

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Event 42

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Ruby Wax talks to Rosie Boycott

I’m Not as Well as I Thought I Was

Venue: Baillie Gifford Stage
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Checking into a psychiatric institution wasn’t on broadcaster and comedian Ruby Wax’s agenda for 2022, and neither was writing about it in her new book, I’m Not as Well as I Thought I Was. But with rawness and honesty, she takes us into the depths of her psyche and shows us what trauma can do to someone. Reflecting on years of personal and professional experience, she opens up about her struggles with mental health and different treatments over the years. This intimate event offers hope, reassurance and guidance to anyone struggling with their own mental health.

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Event 43

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Mark Jones talks to Georgina Godwin

1923

Venue: Wye Stage
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In 1923, German democracy faced crisis and near destruction. In this remarkable year in modern European history, France and Belgium militarily occupied Germany’s economic heartland, the Ruhr, triggering a series of crises that almost spiralled out of control. Drawing on previously unseen sources, in 1923 Mark Jones weaves together a thrilling and resonant narrative of German lives in this turbulent time. Tracing Hitler’s rise, he shows how political pragmatism and international cooperation eventually steered the nation away from total insurrection, and illustrates how the warnings of 1923 – a rise of nationalist rhetoric, fragile European consensus, and underestimation of the enemies of liberalism – became only too apparent a decade later when Weimar democracy eventually succumbed to tyranny. Jones is assistant professor in history at University College Dublin. He talks to Georgina Godwin, journalist and Books Editor for Monocle 24.

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Event 44

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Rebecca N Mitchell

Indolent Luxuriousness: Oscar Wilde’s Queer Laziness

Venue: The Hive
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Drawing on over a decade of archival research, Rebecca N Mitchell, professor of Victorian literature and culture at the University of Birmingham, shows that the effortless wit and writing of Wilde – often chided by detractors for being indolent and egotistical – was actually the product of studious and carefully concealed labour. Mitchell takes a look at the manuscript evidence which shows that he worked tirelessly at his craft, filling notebooks with drafts and carefully revising his bon mots.

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Event 45

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

BBC Culture: The World’s Greatest Children’s Books

Venue: Marquee
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BBC Culture announces the results of a new poll into the best works of fiction written for young people around the globe. Michael Rosen, Jeffrey Boakye and Julia Eccleshare will discuss the findings, and the role of children’s literature in the 21st century.

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Event HD2

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Am I Made of Stardust?

Venue: Llwyfan Cymru – Wales Stage
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The super-star space scientist is back with her second book, and is ready to answer your questions about the wonders of the universe. Reach for the stars with questions like…is it raining gemstones on Jupiter? What do astronauts have for dinner on the International Space Station?

Family, 8+ years
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Event W3

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Theraplay Workshop

Vivien Norris & The Family Place

Venue: Hwyl Stage
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Join our family group and experience what Theraplay is like! The session will be playful, physical and fun. Everyone joins in, so come prepared for activity. Theraplay is a way of playing with your child which builds and enhances attachment, self-esteem, trust in each other and joyful engagement. It’s based on the natural patterns of healthy interaction between parent and child. You can use the ideas in everyday parenting and in any setting where relationship connection is important, for example in schools, older adult care settings, or for family reconnection following life events.

Family, 5+ years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place

Event W4

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Rooted Forest School

Natural Craft Workshop

Venue: Wild Garden
Read more

Come and join Rooted Forest School for outdoor family sessions inspired by the Forest School approach. We’ll use foraged materials to craft natural items that you can take away with you, taking part in some simple tool use and finishing off with a hot apple juice around the fire. These sessions are aimed at families and will run whatever the weather, so make sure you’re wrapped up for the conditions.

9–11 years
Parents/carers may attend (no ticket required), or sign children in/out.
This event has taken place

Event 46

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

Got 2 Sing Choir

Venue: Main Garden Tent
Read more

Enjoy this half-hour open air performance between events. Formed from a group of community choirs spanning the Midlands, Got 2 Sing Choir perform contemporary, uplifting songs from top of the charts to golden oldies, with plenty of fun and laughter. The choir want to share their passion of singing with everyone – if you’re interested in joining, visit got2sing.co.uk.

This event has taken place

Event 402

Events taking place live 25 May–4 June 2023

SKY ARTS MEETS… FATS TIMBO

In conversation with Simon Savidge

Venue: Sky Arts Studio
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TikTok comedian, podcaster, and now author, Fats Timbo will be joining host Simon Savidge for a sit down interview to be broadcast on Sky Arts. They will discuss her new book Main Character Energy, which outlines her 10 Commandments for how to live your life by harnessing your inner superpower!
This event will be recorded for Sky Arts. As this event is a TV recording some seats may have restricted views and limited sound levels. Please arrive ten minutes early in order to be seated. We will be unable to accommodate latecomers.

This event has taken place

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