Hay Festival 2026

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.

Please bring your own yoga mat and wear loose, comfortable clothing. Booking is essential. Contact Clare Fry at hello@larchwoodstudio.com with questions relating to these classes. Alert your practitioner at the start of class if you have any injuries.

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.

Is Europe becoming irrelevant on the world stage? The US and China are battling it out for technological dominance, economic influence, military might and global governance. So where does it leave European nations? This panel puts this profoundly changing world order under the microscope. David Miliband, former UK foreign secretary and now President of the International Rescue Committee, philosopher Susan Neiman, and international law expert Philippe Sands join Misha Glenny, host of the BBC’s In Our Time. Combining political, philosophical and legal perspectives, they discuss the challenges – and opportunities – that lie ahead on the world stage.

When endless to-do lists, constant notifications and mounting expectations compete for our attention, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed in our modern world. Claudia Hammond, with her practical and evidence-based toolkit, can help.

The author and BBC Radio 4 presenter speaks to journalist Catrin Nye, offering practical strategies for managing procrastination, regret, imposter syndrome, perfectionism and more. Arrive feeling like your problems can’t be solved, and leave this event with science-backed solutions to help you feel calmer.

Hammond is a writer and broadcaster, visiting professor of the public understanding of psychology at the University of Sussex, and presenter of BBC Radio 4’s All in the Mind.

Home Fire author Kamila Shamsie chairs a discussion on violence, female power and freedom, through the lens of Tahmima Anam’s fiercely moving novel, Uprising.

Inspired by the real women of Banishanta, Bangladesh, the book follows the lives of a group of enslaved women on a desolate, sinking island, where their children witness the lives of cruelty and servitude that await them. But when a new woman arrives and refuses to accept this destiny, she opens up a horizon of justice and resistance. The children begin to imagine a life of freedom, and collective complacency soon turns into ferocious defiance.

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

Step into the magical world of Bird & Blend Tea Co., discover the secrets of tea mixology and create your own perfect blend in an immersive and interactive Tea Mixology Experience led by an expert mixologist. This hands-on workshop invites you to taste up to six unique blends and test your tea knowledge with an engaging and fun tea matching game.

With expert guidance, you’ll get to craft two custom tea blends to take home and pair with your next fave book! You’ll also learn about different tea types and brewing tips to enhance your tea-making ritual at home. There’ll be an opportunity to ask questions, plus you’ll get a goody bag with free samples. Visit the Bird & Blend Tea Co. stand afterwards for a free gift with purchase (find a special token in your goody bag). Book now – it’s going to be TEArrific!

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.

Come and celebrate 100 years since the birth of legendary author Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear, in this exceptional family event.

We’ll welcome special guests, including reminiscences of growing up with Paddington from Michael Bond’s daughter Karen Jankel; readings and anecdotes from children’s author Michael Morpurgo; and on-set stories from Hugh Bonneville (Mr Brown in the Paddington films), who will share the importance of Paddington’s message of tolerance and inclusivity. Jessica Swale, writer of the recent runaway success Paddington: The Musical, will host this unique celebration.

There’ll be songs, special appearances and marmalade. Come ready for a party – Wellington boots, red hats and duffle coats are optional!

A map is a tool for finding your way, but it doesn’t have to look like a page in an atlas. A map could show where you fit in your world and what is most important to you. It could show how you will find a route from today to tomorrow.

In this workshop we’ll be exploring all the things a map can be and making personalised maps of space, of time, and thinking about how maps can help imagine a better future.

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.

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.

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.

Enjoy this 20-minute open-air performance between events. Abergavenny’s friendly Synergy choir has evolved a barbershop-style male, close-harmony a cappella. They sing material from across the 20th century, from the melancholic tones of ballad standards to their own take on upbeat numbers with questionable choreography!

Synergy has a winning track record at the prestigious Cornwall International Choral Festival (winning UK Best Small Choir three times) and the Bangor International Choral Competition, coming away with several first and second prizes, Best Visiting Choir and Best Musical Piece.

Alex Jones (The One Show) is joined by writers from across the Festival in a celebration of their favourite books. They’ll each come armed with a list of recommendations they think you’ll love. Jones will also reveal the Hay Festival Pleasure List – the ultimate list of joyful reading as suggested by you, our audience. This event is perfect for book clubs, or anyone looking for new ideas of what to read next.

Two and a half centuries after the Declaration of Independence, what can historians teach us about the past, present and future of the United States? Who’s really benefitted from the core promises enshrined in the Declaration of equality, liberty and happiness? Writer and professor of American literature Sarah Churchwell and British-Nigerian historian and BAFTA-winning film-maker David Olusoga are joined by author Sarah Pearsall.

Churchwell explores the myths used as origin stories for the United States, and how they still permeate the way the country’s self-image is sold to the rest of the world. Olusoga highlights the persistent legacy of Empire, obstructing the founding ideals and still stubbornly structuring the present. And Pearsall introduces her new book Freedom Round the Globe: How the World Made the American Revolution, revealing how the fires of change that sparked the American Revolution were igniting all around the world.

Prepare to suspend reality as the Reverend Richard Coles entertains the whole family with fantastical true stories of scrapes, escapes and close shaves from his first book for children. Hear about the theft of Albert Einstein’s brain, pick apart the sticky maple syrup mystery, and find out how McDonald’s was involved in a million-dollar heist! Uproarious tales brilliantly told will leave all with a curiosity for cracking crime… before bedtime.

Author and illustrator duo Alex and Paula deliver a fun-filled session for all budding superheroes. They’ll get you involved with their interactive quiz and a Pixel draw-along, as well as a chance to design your own super-suit – exploring what makes you unique and what your special superpowers are!

Rising star Alex’s Marv series was chosen for the Summer Reading challenge, and was a 2024 World Book Day book. Alex has also partnered with Marcus Rashford on the hit Breakfast Club Adventures. Illustrator Paula Bowles is known for her vibrant, expressive artwork, which captures both the everyday charm and the thrilling action of Marv’s adventures.

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.

Enjoy this 20-minute open-air performance between events. Abergavenny’s friendly Synergy choir has evolved a barbershop-style male, close-harmony a cappella. They sing material from across the 20th century, from the melancholic tones of ballad standards to their own take on upbeat numbers with questionable choreography!

Synergy has a winning track record at the prestigious Cornwall International Choral Festival (winning UK Best Small Choir three times) and the Bangor International Choral Competition, coming away with several first and second prizes, Best Visiting Choir and Best Musical Piece.

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.

Hay Festival’s annual lecture celebrates the issues central to the late George Alagiah’s work: migration, the power of the global majority and questions of representation. This year, British-Nigerian historian, author, presenter and BAFTA-winning film-maker David Olusoga discusses the history and legacy of the British Empire and how colonial nostalgia is shaping contemporary geopolitics, with journalist Kirsty Lang.

Join Mike Muncer, host of The Evolution of Horror podcast, and special guests as they explore the journey from page to scream! In this special live edition of the award-winning horror movie podcast, Muncer and his panel, including Empire journalist Becky Darke, will discuss and debate some of the best (and worst) horror literary adaptations. What makes a successful book-to-screen adaptation? And what has the power to terrify us more: a book or a film?

The Evolution of Horror explores the history of horror movies, from the birth of cinema through to modern masterpieces. Host and creator Mike Muncer is joined by experts, critics, filmmakers and horror superfans to examine everything from slasher movies to ghost stories to folk horror and beyond. His first book, The Evolution of Horror, a companion to the podcast, is out in July.

Jenny Evans shares how she took on the establishment to fight for justice in this compelling conversation with BBC broadcaster Samira Ahmed. Cast in a cult film at the age of 18, Evans was on the cusp of something extraordinary; a future of promise. But the new world she was exploring crumbled around her when she was assaulted at a party by a high-profile figure.

Evans reported this crime to the police, but shortly after, details of her report were printed in a tabloid. To find out how this happened, she trained as a journalist herself, fighting back against the systems that caused her harm, and helping expose the phone-hacking scandal. Evans, now training as a lawyer, speaks about her fight for justice in a system that so horrifically fails its victims. Her book Don’t Let it Break You, Honey is an engrossing account of power – who holds it, who wields it, who is silenced in the process.

Meet the unexpected inhabitants of the houses on Weird Street in this high-energy, brilliantly silly event with much-loved actor Stephen Mangan and talented artist Anita Mangan. Weird Street appears to be a very ordinary place, filled with very ordinary houses and very ordinary people… but wait until you knock on each door!

The best-selling silblings, creators of The Fart That Changed the World and The Day I Fell Down the Toilet bring their incredibly funny and wildly imaginative storytelling to this unmissable event about their new collection of bite-size tales.

Kiri Pritchard-McLean is a multi-award-winning comedian, writer, broadcaster and local authority foster carer. She’s a regular on TV shows such as Live at the Apollo, QI, HIGNFY and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Kiri will draw on her extensive experience to offer invaluable insights and advice for anyone interested in comedy writing, stand-up and broadcast media.

A map is a tool for finding your way, but it doesn’t have to look like a page in an atlas. A map could show where you fit in your world and what is most important to you. It could show how you will find a route from today to tomorrow.

In this workshop we’ll be exploring all the things a map can be and making personalised maps of space, of time, and thinking about how maps can help imagine a better future.

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.

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.

Enjoy a 20-minute open-air performance between events and listen to some traditional and modern songs from the sea, full of wit, warmth and gusto. Hay-on-Wye’s very own sea shanty crew, Hay Shantymen, have been performing since 2018 at international shanty festivals such as Falmouth and Port Isaac, and have raised over £20,000 for their chosen charity, the RNLI. Their arrangements and harmonies are stronger than ever – always sung with a sense of lively, engaging friendship.

Acclaimed historian Antony Beevor weaves a tale as seductive as Rasputin himself as he presents his unmissable new book. Beevor combines forensic research with gripping storytelling to unpick how Rasputin – a barely literate Siberian peasant – wove an intricate web of seduction and superstition through the Imperial household, resulting in the downfall of a dynasty.

Beevor challenges us to question whether Rasputin was an impressive visionary, an accomplished fraudster or in fact a victim of history. His previous masterful best-sellers Stalingrad and D-Day: The Battle for Normandy position Beevor as one of the great military historians of our times. This is a must for anyone fascinated by Russian history, the forces that shape great empires, and lovers of compelling true stories.

Join the chairs of the 2026 Women’s Prizes for Fiction and Non-Fiction as they discuss the remarkable books recognised by this year’s prizes. Thangam Debbonaire is a politician, cultural strategist and CEO of UK Opera Association. Julia Gillard is the former Prime Minister of Australia, and a women’s rights campaigner. Claire Shanahan, executive director of the Women’s Prize Trust, will introduce the discussion.

The Women’s Prize Trust is the charity behind the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the largest celebration of female creativity in the world, and the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, which recognises brilliant writing by female thought-leaders, changemakers and experts.

An open, honest and urgent conversation about modern masculinity, and the value of building community and connection among boys and men. Challenging ideas emerging in the so-called ‘manosphere’, former Premier League footballer Michail Antonio and investigative journalist James Bloodworth explore how the drive for power and status isn’t helping anyone – including men themselves. They talk to writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch.

Antonio’s book Humans, Not Robots: When Elite Sport and Real Life Collide raises awareness about the mental health of players on and off the pitch. Bloodworth is author of Lost Boys: A Personal Journey Through the Manosphere, an astonishing undercover investigation into an array of paranoid and misogynistic subcultures.

Experience evocative storytelling that bridges page and screen, in this screening of award-winning actress Alex Kingston’s narration of Mary Shelley’s timeless gothic horror story.

Kingston breathes life into the story of young, gifted scientist Victor Frankenstein, who unwittingly creates a monster. Written more than 200 years ago, the classic masterpiece still resonates today as a tragic romance that examines the battle between ambition and morality.

The Read is a series of outstanding performance readings of iconic British novels. Each episode offers a richly immersive celebration of literature.

Can the past live inside us, even if we have no knowledge of it? British-Palestinian author Selma Dabbagh and Mexican poet, author and translator Elisa Díaz Castelo discuss violence, collective trauma and literary inspiration, led by the chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, Gaby Wood.

Dabbagh’s writing explores the themes of idealism (however futile), placelessness and political engagement (or lack thereof). Castelo writes on intergenerational history and considers how the pasts that live inside us – including those we have no knowledge of – affect the present.

This word-perfect event will enchant anyone and everyone who loves words. Broadcaster and word expert Susie Dent is on a mission to spread uplifting and unifying words to bring people together. She has searched far and wide to unearth words and phrases – old, new and long-forgotten – that celebrate harmony, unity and the universal languages that connect people across the world. So come on a coddiwomple (a journey with no destination) to learn more about the language that unites us rather than divides us. Susie recently celebrated 25 years as the resident word expert on C4’s Countdown. She talks to MG Leonard, author of the Time Keys series.

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.

Enjoy a 20-minute open-air performance between events and listen to some traditional and modern songs from the sea, full of wit, warmth and gusto. Hay-on-Wye’s very own sea shanty crew, Hay Shantymen, have been performing since 2018 at international shanty festivals such as Falmouth and Port Isaac, and have raised over £20,000 for their chosen charity, the RNLI. Their arrangements and harmonies are stronger than ever – always sung with a sense of lively, engaging friendship.

Baroness Casey has worked for six different prime ministers. She’s led high-profile public inquiries and independent reviews, most recently into grooming gangs in Rotherham, and into the Metropolitan Police, where she identified severe institutional failings across the organisation.

In this exclusive conversation with fellow peer Baroness Kennedy, Casey gives an incredible insight into her work as the go-to woman for successive governments to tackle some of society’s most intractable problems – including homelessness, anti-social behaviour, troubled families, child sexual exploitation and social integration. A rare chance to hear the fascinating insights from a woman who’s helped to shape our society and its culture.

A huge treat for Ruth Ozeki fans as she visits the Hay Festival for the first time. Ahead of publication, Ozeki exclusively unveils her first ever collection of short stories. In conversation with the broadcaster, Samira Ahmed, Ozeki introduces the 11 stories which make up The Typing Lady – each with characters standing at thresholds in their lives: childhood ambition, youthful desire, mid‑life reinvention, and the clarity of old age. For readers of Ozeki’s prize-winning The Book of Form and Emptiness, this is a wonderful opportunity to hear from the author herself about her latest brilliant creation.

Comment sections sear with outrage, social media is overrun with trolls, and polarising protests have almost doubled in the last decade – in today’s divided world, considering the opposing point of view is a rarity. This conversation considers why listening to the people you disagree with is crucial for a healthy society.

Philosophers and authors Carlos Fraenkel and Susan Neiman look at how both the right and the left could benefit from concentrating on what unites us instead of what divides us, and asks whether we can reach a more just and equal society if we all adopted more critical thinking in our daily lives. Chaired by the host of the BBC’s In Our Time, Misha Glenny.

Join us as we delve into the Ark of Taste – small-scale producers making ‘forgotten foods’ that are in danger of being lost as a result of our intensive food production methods – and learn about Welsh foods that are protected by their geographic origin. Enjoy small tastes of products from Welsh independent producers, see how Slow Food Cymru Wales are saving our food heritage for future generations, and toast all that is wonderful about produce in Wales.

If you’re struggling against the tide of ultra-processed foods, this talk and tasting session will give you a turbo boost. Slow Food Cymru Wales celebrates all that is good, clean and fair about food and drink in Wales, and works to make it accessible to everyone.

Stephen Fry’s directorial debut is a dapper look at the swish society circles of pre-war London. Fizzing with wit and insight, this frolicking adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s Vile Bodies brims with well-polished pleasures.

In 1930s England, a group of reckless socialites dominate national gossip. Among them, aspiring novelist Adam is trying to raise enough money to marry Nina. While his attempts are constantly thwarted, his friends are slowly on the road to destruction in their search for newer and faster sensations.

Directed by Stephen Fry (2003). Film duration: 1 hour 42 minutes. Certificate 15.

Sing for your life! Join best-selling novelist and Stonewall role model Juno Dawson as she introduces Survival Show, her gripping new YA thriller set in the dark and exploitative world of the music industry and reality TV, where contestants have to literally sing for their lives.

Juno talks to Boo La Croux (Miss Drag UK 2021), a farmer/drag queen based in Herefordshire. They’ll discuss everything from Juno’s pop super-fandom and the real K-Pop band who helped inspire her new story, to why she’s thrilled to be back in dystopia and the full-circle moment that brings her back to writing about music.

What’s wabbit mean? Why does help arrive if you shout Mayday? And what’s the strange history behind the word arse? Susie Dent tells Alex Jones a different word for every day of the year and reveals the mad stories behind them, including some forgotten gems in the Welsh language too.

If you’re worried about AI, this is an unmissable event. Award-winning journalist and author Karen Hao exposes the impact of AI on our democracies, our planet and our private lives. With unparalled access to the company behind ChatGPT, she argues the industry is having a sinister impact on society and warns that the vast growth of the tech companies behind AI has created a new kind of empire. She talks to Carissa Véliz, an Oxford professor and expert on AI ethics, privacy and surveillance. This is a unique chance to hear two of the most influential voices on AI discuss the promises, perils and ethical dilemmas shaping the world ahead.

A real wait-and-see moment! The International Booker Prize is announced in May 2026, and here we present the winning author and translator in conversation with one of the judges, Sophie Hughes, the most-nominated International Booker Prize translator, and chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, Gaby Wood. The world’s most influential prize for translated fiction, the International Booker Prize is awarded annually for a single book translated into English, and celebrates the vital work of translation with the £50,000 prize money divided equally between author and translator. The prize is a global celebration of a community of writers and readers whose experiences and shared love of literature transcend borders.