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ActivityWayfaring Walk 1: The Local Landscape

Event 11

Wayfaring Walk 1: The Local Landscape

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
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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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: moderate.
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ActivityWayfaring Walk 2: The Local Landscape

Event 12

Wayfaring Walk 2: The Local Landscape

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: moderate.
Sold out
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ActivityWayfaring Walk 3: The Climate Emergency

Event 34

Wayfaring Walk 3: The Climate Emergency

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: moderate.
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ActivityA Borderland Walk: New Roots, Ancient Paths

Event 35

A Borderland Walk: New Roots, Ancient Paths

With Sarah Price and Joseph Emmett

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
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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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: easy.
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TalkVincent Doumeizel

Event 44

Vincent Doumeizel

The Power of Plankton: Why it’s the Key to our Future

–  Spring Stage
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Plankton are the silent heroes of our planet. They produce about half the Earth’s oxygen and are the foundation for all sea life. In this first appearance discussing his new book, Vincent Doumeizel brings plankton to life, revealing how the smallest life forms can have the biggest impact. He uncovers the hidden connections between the microscopic life in the ocean and the survival of our planet.

A seaweed expert, director of the Food Programme at the Lloyd’s Register Foundation and senior adviser on the oceans to the United Nations Global Compact, Doumeizel’s work has made significant advancements to global nutrition security.

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ActivityWayfaring Walk 4: The Climate Emergency

Event 46

Wayfaring Walk 4: The Climate Emergency

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: moderate.
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ConversationDevi Sridhar talks to Dan Davis

Event 60

Devi Sridhar talks to Dan Davis

How Not to Die (Too Soon): What to Believe if You Want to Live Longer

–  Discovery Stage
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Join world-renowned public health expert, Devi Sridhar, for a fascinating, myth-busting conversation about what really determines how long – and how well – we live. Forget the simple eat better, move more, sleep well mantra; Sridhar argues that good health depends as much on public policy as personal choice. In conversation with best-selling science writer Professor Dan Davis, she explores how things like clean water, safe transport, and strong community health systems can transform lives. Drawing on powerful real-world examples, this lively and insightful discussion reveals how smarter policies can help us all live longer, healthier lives. Thought-provoking, hopeful and urgently relevant.

Price: £16.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ConversationBeth Gardiner talks to Jeevan Vasagar

Event 61

Beth Gardiner talks to Jeevan Vasagar

Plastic Inc: Are We Stuck With Plastic?

–  Meadow Stage
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Prepare to be shocked by this alarming exposé of the plastics industry and its impact on us all. Plastic is present in every part of our daily lives, despite many of us trying to cut back on the amount we use. In this hugely thought-provoking conversation, award-winning journalist Beth Gardiner reveals why the industry is planning to increase production in years to come, despite the public’s overwhelming desire for less plastic in our lives. She talks to the Observer’s climate editor Jeevan Vasagar.

Gardiner has written for the New York Times, the Guardian and the National Geographic. She is author of Choked, a close look at air pollution. Her latest work exposing the plastics industry in Plastic Inc. is similarly disturbing and likely to provoke many to demand change.

Price: £15.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ActivityWayfaring Walk 5: Historic Buildings

Event 84

Wayfaring Walk 5: Historic Buildings

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Learn about the historic buildings of the town and its surroundings.

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: easy
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ActivityGuided Walk Around Hay-on-Wye: A Literary Landscape

Event 85

Guided Walk Around Hay-on-Wye: A Literary Landscape

With Sarah Price

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
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Come along on a relaxed and engaging guided walk exploring around the edges of Hay-on-Wye and enjoying its beautiful rural setting. Guided by Sarah Price, a professional walking guide who lives in Hay and knows its landscape intimately, this gentle walk of around three miles leads you out of the town and into scenic fields, peaceful woodland and along the historic River Wye.

Sarah will share stories of Hay’s past and present, and there will be space for pause and reflection, as well as a good chance of spotting some local wildlife. This walk is ideal for Festival-goers looking to stretch their legs, enjoy the countryside and experience a deeper sense of place.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: easy.
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PerformanceMichael Morpurgo with Jenny Agutter and the Brodsky Quartet

Event 90

Michael Morpurgo with Jenny Agutter and the Brodsky Quartet

A Special Poetry Performance with Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons

–  Global Stage
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Enjoy an enchanting afternoon at Hay Festival as author and playwright Michael Morpurgo is joined by actress Jenny Agutter and the world-renowned Brodsky Quartet in a unique celebration of music, poetry and the natural world.

In this one-off performance, Morpurgo brings us poetry inspired by the seasons, and blends it with lyrical narration alongside Agutter and a stunning interpretation of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. This is perfect for those who appreciate the meeting of story, music, and landscape – a performance that celebrates the harmony between art and nature.

This concert is part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Farms For City Children.
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ActivityWayfaring Walk 6: Historic Buildings

Event 94

Wayfaring Walk 6: Historic Buildings

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Learn about the historic buildings of the town and its surroundings.

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: easy.
Sold out
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ConversationSarah Hall and Samantha Harvey talk to Kirsty Lang

Event 126

Sarah Hall and Samantha Harvey talk to Kirsty Lang

The Dance of Nature and Humanity

–  Discovery Stage
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Two award-winning novelists discuss their work and their common theme of the relationship between people and planet, with BBC broadcaster Kirsty Lang.

Twice nominated for the Man Booker Prize, Sarah Hall is the award-winning author of several novels and short-story collections. Her most recent book Helm explores the interplay of nature and humanity through the character of a ferocious, mischievous wind who has blasted the landscape of the Eden Valley since the dawn of time, but now seems diminished.

Samantha Harvey won the Booker Prize in 2024 for her space-set novel, Orbital, in which a team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct experiments and test the limits of the human body, all while asking what life is without Earth, and what Earth is without humanity.

Price: £16.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ActivityWayfaring Walk 7: Local Ecology

Event 129

Wayfaring Walk 7: Local Ecology

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The Park’s expert ecologists will introduce you to some of the captivating local flora and fauna.

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: moderate.
Sold out
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ActivityA Borderland Walk: New Roots, Ancient Paths

Event 130

A Borderland Walk: New Roots, Ancient Paths

With Sarah Price and Joseph Emmett

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: easy.
Sold out
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ConversationTim Spector talks to Gaby Huddart

Event 132

Tim Spector talks to Gaby Huddart

Fermentation: Food to Put You in a Good Mood

–  Discovery Stage
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Join gut health guru and best-selling author, Professor Tim Spector, for a lively dive into the bubbling world of fermentation. In conversation with lifestyle journalist Gaby Huddart, Spector reveals how everyday microbes – tiny invisible chefs – can transform our food, boost our health, and even put us in a better mood. From sauerkraut to kimchi, sourdough and even coffee, discover how fermented foods can profoundly influence our gut health, boost our immunity and kickstart our overall well-being.

Expect humour, fascinating science, and practical tips to make your kitchen a thriving microbial playground. Perfect for food lovers, science fans, and anyone curious about the quirky, powerful world of microbes that live inside – and alongside – us.

Price: £18.00
Last few remaining tickets
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
PanelBBC Radio 4: Inside Science

Event 520

BBC Radio 4: Inside Science

Tom Whipple talks to Helen Czerski and Vincent Doumeizel

–  Exchange Marquee
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What awaits us in the deep? Dive into the power of the ocean with Tom Whipple for a live recording of BBC Radio 4's Inside Science. With amazing ocean guides Helen Czerski and Vincent Doumeizel alongside, Tom will illuminate the mysteries and challenge the controversies behind the sea science that’s changing our world.

Free – drop in
ActivityWayfaring Walk 8: Local Ecology

Event 136

Wayfaring Walk 8: Local Ecology

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The Park’s expert ecologists will introduce you to some of the captivating local flora and fauna.

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: moderate.
Sold out
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ConversationNicholas Stern talks to Katya Adler

Event 138

Nicholas Stern talks to Katya Adler

The Growth Story of the 21st Century: The Economics and Opportunities of Climate Action

–  Global Stage
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At a pivotal moment for our climate, economist and academic Nicholas Stern comes to Hay Festival with a powerful message: we do not have to choose between prosperity and the planet.

Drawing on decades at the forefront of international climate policy – including his landmark Stern Review – Stern argues that climate action is the growth story of the 21st century. The real risk lies not in acting, but in failing to act. Bringing together economics, finance, politics and behavioural science, he sets out a bold, practical vision for transforming our economies to deliver sustainable, inclusive growth while tackling the climate and biodiversity crises head on.

As Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics, Stern offers an unrivalled insight into what must happen next. Urgent, authoritative and solutions-driven – this is an essential Hay Festival conversation about the future we choose. He talks to the BBC’s Europe editor Katya Adler.

Price: £18.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
PanelSandi Toksvig, Ian McEwan and Minette Batters talk to David Shukman

Event 141

Sandi Toksvig, Ian McEwan and Minette Batters talk to David Shukman

Heard at Hay Festival: three brilliant speakers all on one ticket

–  Global Stage
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The perfect session if you love new ideas, original thinking and passionate speakers. Here we present three very different solutions to the climate emergency all on one ticket! Comedian and presenter Sandi Toksvig explains how she’s restoring her own ancient woodland, best-selling author Ian McEwan shares his hope for nature’s resilience in the face of climate change, and former president of the National Farmers’ Union Baroness Minette Batters issues a love letter to life on the farm. They speak to David Shukman, whose new book raises the alarm on the fires and floods of Britain’s new climate extremes.

Price: £22.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ConversationIan McEwan talks to Julia Gillard

Event 145

Ian McEwan talks to Julia Gillard

What We Can Know: A Searing Novel About Climate Change

–  Global Stage
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How will our everyday lives be altered by climate change in 100 years? In his new novel, Ian McEwan imagines the radical changes we’ll all have had to accept. What We Can Know is the story of a great poem, read aloud in 2014 and never heard again. A century later, in 2119, scholar Tom Metcalfe is living in a UK ravaged by climate change when he stumbles across a clue that may lead to the lost poem.

Here, McEwan reflects on his career, the inspiration behind his book and what it means to write about climate change. He’s in conversation with Julia Gillard, whose work as Chair of the Wellcome Trust supports science to solve the planet’s urgent challenges. McEwan’s 18 novels include the Booker Prize-winning Amsterdam, and Atonement, which was adapted into a BAFTA-winning film.

There will not be a book signing after this event.

Price: £20.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ActivityWayfaring Walk 9: UNESCO Geopark

Event 163

Wayfaring Walk 9: UNESCO Geopark

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
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Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The National Park is also home to a UNESCO geopark, and on the walk the Park’s Geopark Officer Alan Bowring will offer a journey through deep time, exploring the geology of the hills.

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: easy.
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ActivityWayfaring Walk 10: UNESCO Geopark

Event 170

Wayfaring Walk 10: UNESCO Geopark

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The National Park is also home to a UNESCO geopark, and on the walk the Park’s Geopark Officer Alan Bowring will offer a journey through deep time, exploring the geology of the hills.

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: easy.
Sold out
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ConversationCal Flyn and Charles Foster talk to Sean Fletcher

Event 192

Cal Flyn and Charles Foster talk to Sean Fletcher

Awe and Wonder: Where to Go to Feel Inspired

–  Meadow Stage
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Why do we stare at sunsets? Why do we get a rush from the view from the top of a mountain? What is it about the extraordinariness of nature that inspires awe? And why don’t we feel it when we’re doing the supermarket shop? Two writers have the answer. You have to go to the edge. Turn your back on big cities, the establishment, the centre of any received authority and journey to the wilderness – real or metaphorical.

Cal Flyn takes us into the wild in her book The Savage Landscape, addressing our yearning to be inspired by extreme nature. Charles Foster argues that all the best ideas happen at the edges, in his book The Edges of the World. They talk to broadcaster and Countryfile presenter Sean Fletcher.

Price: £16.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ActivityWayfaring Walk 11: Historic Environment

Event 197

Wayfaring Walk 11: Historic Environment

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Learn about the historic environment of the town and its surroundings.

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: easy.

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ConversationBethany Handley talks to Nicola Cutcher

Event 201

Bethany Handley talks to Nicola Cutcher

My Body is a Meadow: Finding Freedom in the Outdoors

–  Spring Stage
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Since childhood, poet Bethany Handley felt most at home out in the wilds of the Welsh countryside. That all changed when she became a full-time wheelchair user in her twenties and suddenly found herself padlocked out of the landscapes she belonged to. Public rights of way are currently blocked in 32,000 places in England and Wales. Handley talks to investigative journalist Nicola Cutcher about My Body is a Meadow, describing what nature means to her and why we all need to work together to make the countryside open to all.

Handley is an award-winning writer and poet who campaigns for disability rights and better access to nature. Nicola Cutcher is an investigative journalist living on the Welsh/English borders.

Price: £15.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ActivityWayfaring Walk 12: Historic Environment

Event 210

Wayfaring Walk 12: Historic Environment

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Learn about the historic environment of the town and its surroundings.

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: easy.
Sold out
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PanelAdam Henson, Philip Lymbery and Deborah Meaden talk to Sean Fletcher

Event 219

Adam Henson, Philip Lymbery and Deborah Meaden talk to Sean Fletcher

The Future of Farming

–  Meadow Stage
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How can our agricultural systems adjust to the changing needs of people and planet? The challenges range from rising energy costs and labour shortages to extreme weather events, but a high level of consumer trust, investment in agritech and a shift towards regenerative practices promise hope for the industry. Our panel of experts explores what the future of farming looks like, and how we can serve people’s needs while protecting the natural environment.

Adam Henson, Countryside presenter and well-known farmer; Philip Lymbery, global CEO of Compassion in World Farming International; and Deborah Meaden, business leader and fellow of the WWF, speak to journalist and Countryfile presenter Sean Fletcher.

Sponsored by Shepherds Ice Cream
Price: £18.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
PanelJules Acton, Anita Roy and Tamara Ullyart talk to Andrew Simms

Event 241

Jules Acton, Anita Roy and Tamara Ullyart talk to Andrew Simms

Treelore and Our Forgotten Forests

–  Meadow Stage
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On the eve of Oak Apple Day, our panel of nature experts explore the distinguished folklore of the oak tree, sharing extraordinary tales of the nation’s forests and how they enrich our lives, as well as the threats to them and what we can all do to make a difference.

Join Jules Acton, author of Oaklore, Anita Roy, country diarist for the Guardian and editor of Gifts of Gravity and Light, and Tamara Ullyart, who leads the Woodland Trust’s ‘Forgotten Forests’ campaign, for a close-up look at the glory of the greenwood with Andrew Simms, director of the New Weather Institute.

Price: £15.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ActivityWayfaring Walk 13: The Local Landscape

Event 244

Wayfaring Walk 13: The Local Landscape

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: moderate.
Sold out
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ActivityWayfaring Walk 14: The Local Landscape

Event 254

Wayfaring Walk 14: The Local Landscape

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: moderate.
Sold out
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PerformanceSarah Smout

Event 281

Sarah Smout

If Glaciers Were Gods

–  St Mary’s Church
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Join renowned cellist-singer and environmental activist Sarah Smout for a unique evening of visceral storytelling, making the Gothic arches and austere stonework of St Mary’s Church shimmer with atmosphere. Smout sailed among frozen sea, icebergs and glaciers during a 2025 expeditionary residency around Svalbard in Norway, collecting their sounds and performing improvisations amid the rapidly melting Arctic.

This experience inspires her entrancing and transportive solo show, which invites us to listen more deeply to the fragile beauty of polar regions, inspiring hope, awe and wonder, and highlighting the profound impacts of climate change. Smout creates atmosphere with live-looped cello, haunting melodies and poetry that is never too far from the sea. This is a truly special evening of performance in a unique setting.

Price: £18.00
Last few remaining tickets
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ConversationNicholas Crane talks to Nicola Cutcher

Event 285

Nicholas Crane talks to Nicola Cutcher

The Path More Travelled: The Secret History of Britain’s Footpaths

–  Discovery Stage
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Explore the hidden history of Britain’s coast-to-coast web of walkways with geographer and travel writer Nicholas Crane as he chats to nature journalist Nicola Cutcher. This event takes you from the prehistoric routeways walked by European migrants 12,000 years ago to the Hadrian’s Wall Path and the banks of the Severn, via our national parks and long-distance trails, which emerged from the ashes of two world wars.

Crane, who is a presenter on the BAFTA-winning series Coast, talks about the routes he took for his new book The Path More Travelled, the discoveries he made along the way, and offers up a passionate ode to walking, urging us all to rediscover and protect our landscapes.

Price: £16.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
PerformanceNha Thuyên with MontenegroFisher, Wanda O’Connor and Lowri Hedd Vaughan

Event 286

Nha Thuyên with MontenegroFisher, Wanda O’Connor and Lowri Hedd Vaughan

Rising and Sinking Like Mountains in Streams: An International Poetry Performance

–  Exchange Marquee
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An hour of visceral poetry performance led by the Vietnamese artist Nha Thuyên and the duo MontenegroFisher, this event showcases an artistic exploration of two rivers – the Red River, which runs through Vietnam, and the River Wye, which runs through Wales.

Inspired by the classical female poet Ho Xuân Hương, this international collaboration results in a performance resonating with resilience, sensuality and nature’s force. Joined by two emerging artists from Wales the project interprets landscape, language and sound through the lens of ecology. Dr Wanda O’Connor is an academic and writer working in contemporary poetry and poetics; Lowri Hedd Vaughan is a regenerative practitioner concerned with the restoration of natural living systems.

Price: £16.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ActivityWayfaring Walk 15: Treescapes of the National Park

Event 289

Wayfaring Walk 15: Treescapes of the National Park

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
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Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, and learn more about the area’s iconic ancient and veteran trees.

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: moderate.
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ActivityWayfaring Walk 16: Treescapes of the National Park

Event 298

Wayfaring Walk 16: Treescapes of the National Park

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
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Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, and learn more about the area’s iconic ancient and veteran trees.

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: moderate.
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ConversationHugh Fearnley-Whittingstall talks to Jules Hudson

Event 304

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall talks to Jules Hudson

Matters of Taste: High Fibre Heroes

–  Global Stage
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Who better to tell us about plant superstars – and how we can make them into delicious dishes – than River Cottage founder Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall? He makes heroes of ordinary vegetables, celebrating cabbage, leeks, carrots and tinned beans, among others, and showing how we can get the best out of these humble ingredients.

He’s passionate about the vital importance of fibre in helping society tackle the crisis of diet-related illness, and here he has the recipes and cooking tips to go with it. Come and feel inspired to change the way you shop, cook and eat. He talks to broadcaster and author Jules Hudson.

Price: £18.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ActivityWayfaring Walk 17: The Local Landscape

Event 333

Wayfaring Walk 17: The Local Landscape

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
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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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: easy.
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ActivityGuided Walk Around Hay-on-Wye: A Literary Landscape

Event 334

Guided Walk Around Hay-on-Wye: A Literary Landscape

With Sarah Price

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
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Come along on a relaxed and engaging guided walk exploring around the edges of Hay-on-Wye and enjoying its beautiful rural setting. Guided by Sarah Price, a professional walking guide who lives in Hay and knows its landscape intimately, this gentle walk of around three miles leads you out of the town and into scenic fields, peaceful woodland and along the historic River Wye.

Sarah will share stories of Hay’s past and present, and there will be space for pause and reflection, as well as a good chance of spotting some local wildlife. This walk is ideal for Festival-goers looking to stretch their legs, enjoy the countryside and experience a deeper sense of place.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: easy.
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ConversationKate and Sophie Raworth

Event 340

Kate and Sophie Raworth

Doughnut Economics: Sisters on How to Live Well and Sustainably

–  Global Stage
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In this rare and personal conversation, BBC news presenter Sophie Raworth interviews her sister, the economist Kate Raworth, about her groundbreaking book Doughnut Economics. Kate is at the forefront of rethinking how the economy works, so that everyone can live well without compromising the planet. During this intelligent and thought-provoking session, Kate and Sophie explore the challenges of how we meet people’s needs within the Earth’s environmental limits; and ponder the parallel lines of their own careers and how they’ve inspired each other along the way. Warm, insightful and full of humanity, this is a must for those who enjoy smart, accessible discussion about the world’s biggest challenges – and how we might fix them.

Price: £18.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ActivityWayfaring Walk 18: The Local Landscape

Event 345

Wayfaring Walk 18: The Local Landscape

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
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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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: easy.
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ConversationThe Climate Fiction Prize 2026: The Winner talks to Simon Savidge

Event 354

The Climate Fiction Prize 2026: The Winner talks to Simon Savidge

Narratives of Possibility in a Fast-changing World

–  Meadow Stage
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Be part of a powerful and inspiring discussion about dramatic climate stories that don’t just sound the alarm but help us imagine what it means to live, adapt and dream in a fast-changing world, driving us towards hope for the future.

Judge Simon Savidge welcomes the winner of the second Climate Fiction Prize to celebrate and examine why their novel has earned this prestigious award. Tracing climate fiction’s rapid emergence as one of the most vibrant and necessary spaces in contemporary storytelling, they’ll delve into the role fiction can play in helping us change climate futures by forging new cultural narratives. If creatives are the antennae of society, the winning novel and its themes tell us something profound about this moment in time.

Price: £15.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ActivityA Taste of Hay with Wild by Nature & Lucky Seven Brewery

Event 364

A Taste of Hay with Wild by Nature & Lucky Seven Brewery

Matters of Taste: Charcuterie & Beer Tasting

–  Creative Hub
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Begin your evening at Hay Festival with some tasty artisan nibbles and drinks in this session showcasing two fantastic businesses local to Hay-on-Wye. Wild by Nature will guide you through a choice charcuterie board, while Lucky Seven Brewery samples some of their different styles of beer, explaining how these delicious products are made with sustainable farming techniques.

Wild by Nature practises regenerative farming in the Black Mountains. The idea for the business was born when Jake Townley and his brother-in-law Ed Dickson moved back to where they had grown up in the Welsh borders, with a shared desire to be closer to nature and to grow, cook and share the food from their farm.

Lucky Seven Brewery is an independent family brewery based in Hay-on-Wye, started in 2014 by Luke and Kelly Manifold. Brewing the beers that they love to drink, and exploring the flavours of different styles, they produce beers that highlight the quality of the ingredients.

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ActivityA Taste of Hay with Wild by Nature & Lucky Seven Brewery

Event 371

A Taste of Hay with Wild by Nature & Lucky Seven Brewery

Matters of Taste: Charcuterie & Beer Tasting

–  Creative Hub
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Begin your evening at Hay Festival with some tasty artisan nibbles and drinks in this session showcasing two fantastic businesses local to Hay-on-Wye. Wild by Nature will guide you through a choice charcuterie board, while Lucky Seven Brewery samples some of their different styles of beer, explaining how these delicious products are made with sustainable farming techniques.

Wild by Nature practises regenerative farming in the Black Mountains. The idea for the business was born when Jake Townley and his brother-in-law Ed Dickson moved back to where they had grown up in the Welsh borders, with a shared desire to be closer to nature and to grow, cook and share the food from their farm.

Lucky Seven Brewery is an independent family brewery based in Hay-on-Wye, started in 2014 by Luke and Kelly Manifold. Brewing the beers that they love to drink, and exploring the flavours of different styles, they produce beers that highlight the quality of the ingredients.

Price: £25.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.
ActivityWayfaring Walk 19: The Local Landscape

Event 388

Wayfaring Walk 19: The Local Landscape

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
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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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: moderate.
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ActivityGuided Wellbeing Walk for Creative Women

Event 389

Guided Wellbeing Walk for Creative Women

With Sarah Price and Elizabeth Simpson

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
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Join professional walking guide Sarah Price and Elizabeth Simpson of Elizabeth Simpson Coaching for a guided circular walk through the stunning surroundings of Hay-on-Wye. Designed for creatives and anyone seeking fresh thinking, this walk will help you step out of the ordinary and into inspiration.

Along the route, Elizabeth will introduce nature-based coaching exercises to enhance creativity and problem-solving. You’ll set an intention for the walk, engage in sensory awareness practices and use simple breathwork techniques to unlock clarity. Through mindful observation and interactive exercises, you’ll explore new perspectives on a creative challenge or personal goal. By the end of the walk, you’ll have shifted your mindset, released limiting thoughts and gained fresh insights – whether you’re working on a book, facing a decision or simply seeking renewed energy.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: easy.
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ActivityWayfaring Walk 20: The Local Landscape

Event 401

Wayfaring Walk 20: The Local Landscape

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

–  Meeting Point on Festival Site
Read more

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.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. Walk level: moderate.
Sold out
Please log in to add this event to your wish list so we can notify you in case of further availability
ConversationBen Rawlence talks to Nicola Cutcher

Event 405

Ben Rawlence talks to Nicola Cutcher

Think Like a Forest: Letters from a Father

–  Exchange Marquee
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How do we raise children in a climate emergency? If you’ve ever wondered what kind of future we’re facing and how to parent for it, this event offers some clarity and hope.

Ben Rawlence – who is founder and director of Black Mountains College, an institution dedicated to preparing people for the changes to come – has for many years written letters to his growing daughters, trying to understand what it means to bring a child into a world facing ecological breakdown. Talking to nature journalist Nicola Cutcher about these letters, published as Think Like a Forest, he discusses how to live with the central contradiction of our age: raising children within a system that threatens all life.

Price: £15.00
Booking fees are calculated at 5% per order, with a minimum charge of £3.50 and capped at a maximum of £10.