Hay Festival 2026

Joseph Coelho  

Poetry Aloud

jueves 21 de mayo 2026, 10.30h –  Exchange Marquee

Poems are made to read OUT LOUD! Jump into the spellbinding world of spoken word poetry with children’s author and award-winning performance poet Joseph Coelho (Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2022–24). In this interactive session with dynamic performances and delightful rhymes from his poetry compendiums, you’ll put your own rhyming skills to the test, tackling tongue twisters and learning how to recite poems loudly across the room, and softly, in a friend’s ear. By the end of the session, you’ll be writing poems that jump off the page and into your mouth!

Mae cerddi wedi cael eu gwneud i gael eu DARLLEN ALLAN YN UCHEL! Neidiwch mewn i fyd hudolus barddoniaeth perfformiadol gyda’r awdur plant a’r bardd perfformiadol Joseph Coelho (Llysgennad Plant Waterstones 2022–24), sydd wedi ennill sawl gwobr. Yn y sesiwn ryngweithiol hon, sy’n llawn perfformiadau deinamig a rhigymau hyfryd o’i gasgliadau o farddoniaeth, byddwch yn profi sgiliau ysgrifennu rhigwm eich hun, ac yn taclo cylymau tafod ac yn dysgu sut i lefaru cerddi’n uchel ar draws yr ystafell, ac yn ysgafn, yng nghlust ffrind. Erbyn diwedd y sesiwn, byddwch yn ysgrifennu cerddi sy’n neidio oddi ar y dudalen ac i mewn i’ch ceg!

Nicola Davies  

The Map of Me

jueves 21 de mayo 2026, 12.00h –  Exchange Marquee

Explore your power to create the future with Children’s Laureate Wales Nicola Davies as she traces a gentle story about moving, making connections and mapping a better world. When a young girl moves to a new country, her mum helps her draw a map to understand her unfamiliar surroundings. They draw the new neighbourhood, new friends and special places to help her navigate change. But important things from the past are missing, so the girl makes the map bigger to include them. When misfortune strikes, can she keep redrawing, and find belonging?

Dewch i archwilio eich gallu i greu’r dyfodol gyda Bardd Plant Cymru, Nicola Davies, wrth iddi adrodd stori dyner am symud, creu cysylltiadau a mapio byd gwell. Pan mae merch ifanc yn symud i wlad newydd, mae ei mam yn ei helpu i lunio map er mwyn deall ei hamgylchoedd anghyfarwydd. Maen nhw’n tynnu llun o'r gymdogaeth newydd, ffrindiau newydd a mannau arbennig i’w helpu i ddod yn gyfarwydd â newid. Ond mae pethau pwysig o’r gorffennol ar goll, felly mae’r ferch yn gwneud y map yn fwy i’w cynnwys nhw. Pan mae anffawd yn taro, ydy hi’n gallu parhau i ychwanegu pethau at y map o’i bywyd, a dod o hyd i ffordd o deimlo fel ei bod hi’n perthyn?

Dallas Campbell, Tony Robinson and Katherine Rundell talk to Simon Armitage  

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

jueves 21 de mayo 2026, 16.00h – 17.00h –  Meadow Stage

The perfect session if you love new ideas, original thinking and passionate speakers. Here we present science, history and fiction all on one ticket! Presenter Dallas Campbell reveals why space flight is built on science fiction. Actor and author Tony Robinson tells us why history is the best thing on Earth. And legendary author Katherine Rundell discusses the power of reading for pleasure in a time of AI. Hosted by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, who’ll open the Festival with poetry. We guarantee you’ll leave having learnt something new – something you Heard at Hay Festival.

Sponsored by Passion Pictures

BBC Radio 4: Loose Ends  

Athena Kugblenu, Robin Morgan, Georgina Hayden, Nicky Wire and James Dean Bradfield with Clive Anderson

jueves 21 de mayo 2026, 16.00h – 17.00h –  Discovery Stage

Join Clive Anderson and guests for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy in this special live recording of Radio 4’s long-running variety show. Guests include stand-up Athena Kugblenu, comedian Robin Morgan, chef Georgina Hayden plus Nicky Wire and James Dean Bradfield from the Manic Street Preachers.

Tim Berners-Lee talks to John Thornhill  

This is for Everyone: Reclaiming the Web in the Age of AI

jueves 21 de mayo 2026, 17.30h –  Global Stage

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

Barbara Erskine talks to Emma Corfield-Walters  

Lady of Hay: 40th Anniversary

jueves 21 de mayo 2026, 17.30h – 18.30h –  Meadow Stage

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

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

Sponsored by Hay Tourist Information Bureau

James Haskell, Alex Payne and Mike Tindall talk to Lauren Salter  

Reloaded: The Good, The Bad, and The Rugby

jueves 21 de mayo 2026, 19.00h –  Global Stage

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

Sponsored by Gypsy Castle Camping

BBC Radio 4: The News Quiz  

Stephen Bush, Robin Morgan, Kiri Pritchard-Mclean and Chloe Petts with Andy Zaltzman

jueves 21 de mayo 2026, 19.00h –  Discovery Stage

Join Andy Zaltzman for a recording of Radio 4’s flagship topical comedy show as he grabs the week’s headlines and hurls them at four of the nation’s best comedians and journalists. On the panel – Stephen Bush, Robin Morgan, Kiri Pritchard-Mclean and Chloe Petts.

Tony Robinson talks to Kate Bliss  

Power, Faith and Betrayal in the Making of England

jueves 21 de mayo 2026, 19.00h – 20.00h –  Meadow Stage

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

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

Georgina Hayden talks to Holly O’Neill  

Matters of Taste: MEDesque – Live Demonstration and Tasting

jueves 21 de mayo 2026, 19.00h – 20.00h –  Creative Hub

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

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

In partnership with The Observer

Maria Alyokhina talks to Oliver Bullough  

Political Girl: The Pussy Riot Memoir

jueves 21 de mayo 2026, 20.30h – 21.30h –  Meadow Stage

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

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

This event will feature a series of readings with accompaniment by musician and multi-media artist Eric J. Breitenbach.

James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire in conversation with Keith Cameron  

168 Songs of Hatred & Failure: A History of Manic Street Preachers

jueves 21 de mayo 2026, 20.45h – 22.00h –  Global Stage

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

Wayfaring Walk 1: The Local Landscape  

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 10.00h – 12.30h –  Meeting Point on Festival Site

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.

In partnership with Bannau Brycheiniog National Park

BorderLands Exhibition & Hay Castle Entry  

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 10.00h – 17.00h –  Hay Castle

Step inside Hay Castle – a border stronghold shaped by myth, power and reinvention. Visit the current BorderLands exhibition delivered in partnership with Meadow Arts, 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 Meadow Arts BorderLands exhibition.

Joseph Coelho  

Luna Loves Library Day

viernes 22 de mayo 2026 –  Spring Stage

Join author of Luna Loves Library Day, and former Waterstones Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho as he shares all the wonder and magic of Luna's trip to the library with her dad. Expect roaring dinosaurs, buzzing bees and a whole lot of love as Luna discovers the magic of books.

Make & Take Crafting  

Get Creative

Friday 22 May 2026 –  Make & Take Hub

Get hands on with art and craft in the Make & Take Hub at Hay Festival.

Laura Dockrill  

I Am Strong Just Being Me

viernes 22 de mayo 2026 –  Spring Stage

Laura will be engaging pupils with her latest picture book I Am Strong Just Being Me, an empowering celebration of nature, kindness and poetry. Get ready to join in this interactive storytelling session.

Guided Tour of Hay Castle & Hay Castle Entry  

Explore Hay Castle with a Tour Guide

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 11.00h – 12.00h –  Hay Castle

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.

Wayfaring Walk 2: The Local Landscape  

With Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Guides

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 14.00h – 16.30h –  Meeting Point on Festival Site

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.

In partnership with Bannau Brycheiniog National Park

Guided Tour of Hay Castle & Hay Castle Entry  

Explore Hay Castle with a Tour Guide

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 11.00h – 12.00h –  Hay Castle

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.

Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights  

Book to Screen: Film Screening

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 14.30h – 16.40h –  MUBI Cinema

Immerse yourself in the Emerald Fennell's electrifying adaptation of Wuthering Heights in preparation for her Hay Festival event discussing her work. The film stars Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliffe in a stunning reimagining of Emily Brontë's novel.

Directed by Emerald Fennell (2025). Film duration: 2 hours 11 minutes. Certificate 15

Malala Yousafzai talks to Anna Foster  

Finding My Way: A Personal Memoir

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 16.00h – 17.00h –  Global Stage

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

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

Serhii Plokhy talks to Oliver Bullough  

The British Pugwash Lecture: The Nuclear Age

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 16.00h – 17.00h –  Meadow Stage

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

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

Supported by Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs

Tom Allen talks to Poorna Bell  

Common Decency: The Comedian and Presenter’s Debut Novel

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 16.00h – 17.00h –  Discovery Stage

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

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

BBC Radio 4: Café Hope  

Rachel Burden and guests

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 16.00h –  Exchange Marquee

In these uncertain times, we might all sit there and want things to change, but how many of us get off the sofa and try to make that change happen? Rachel Burden is bringing Radio 4’s virtual Café Hope to Hay Festival welcoming guests who’ve made a difference to their community and changed it for the better in big or small ways. You’ll be inspired hearing the highs and lows of how it all happened. We’re celebrating amazing individual stories, a reminder that just one person can make a huge difference. Bring a brew and we’ll bring the hope.

Emerald Fennell talks to Tom Allen  

Book to Screen: The new Wuthering Heights

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 17.30h –  Global Stage

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

Fennell first read the book at the age of 14, and says it quite simply “cracked me open”. As we’ve come to expect from the woman behind the controversial Saltburn, Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is provocative, sexy and primal. She's in conversation with the comedian and presenter, Tom Allen.

Matt Haig talks to Claudia Hammond  

The Midnight Train

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 17.30h – 18.30h –  Discovery Stage

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

Jonathan Douglas and Katherine Rundell talk to Julia Eccleshare  

Why Literacy, Why Now? A Conversation on the National Year of Reading

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 17.30h –  Meadow Stage

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

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

Hay Festival is proud to support the National Year of Reading

BBC Radio 4: The Verb  

Ian McMillan with Nicola Davies, Nathan James, Clare E Potter and Joanna Kavenna

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 17.30h –  Exchange Marquee

The Verb, BBC Radio 4’s poetry performance and discussion programme, comes to Hay Festival. In the company of the Barnsley Bard Ian McMillan and his guests there’ll be word wrangling, juxtaposition juggling, playful phrasing, and of course some poems. Guests include the Children’s Laureate Wales Nicola Davies, composer Nathan James, poet Clare E Potter and award-winning novelist Joanna Kavenna.

Hugh Bonneville talks to Martha Kearney  

My Life in Books: Hay Festival Exclusive

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 19.00h – 20.00h –  Global Stage

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

Hay Festival is proud to support the National Year of Reading

Cally Beaton talks to Kiri Pritchard-McLean  

Barrel of Laughs: Namaste Motherf*ckers

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 19.00h – 20.00h –  Meadow Stage

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

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

YM Abdel-Magied talks to Caoilinn Hughes  

Debut Discoveries: At Sea

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 19.00h – 20.00h –  Spring Stage

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

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

Supported by the Hawthornden Foundation

Wuthering Heights  

Book to Screen: Film Screening

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 19.00h – 21.10h –  MUBI Cinema

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

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

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

In partnership with MUBI

BBC Radio 4: What's Up Docs?  

Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken speak to D. Devi Sridhar

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 19.00h –  Exchange Marquee

BBC Radio 4's What’s Up Docs? returns to Hay Festival. Drs. Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the secrets of healthy longevity with Dr Devi Sridhar, professor and Chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh.

Will Barnes Quartet  

In Concert: Outside the Light

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 19.30h – 20.45h –  St Mary’s Church

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

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

Tom Allen, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Limahl Germain, Suzi Ruffell and Jack Skipper  

Hay Festival Comedy Club

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 20.30h – 21.45h –  Global Stage

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

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

In partnership with Off The Kerb

Sheila Kanani talks to Philippa Hall  

The Starspotter’s Guide

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 20.30h – 21.30h –  Spring Stage

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

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

In association with The Royal Society

Fredrik Backman talks to Poorna Bell  

My Friends and Other Stories: Best-selling Author in Hay Festival Debut

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 20.30h –  Meadow Stage

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

The Amy Winehouse Band  

Live at Hay Festival

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 21.30h – 23.00h –  Discovery Stage

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

Chloe Petts  

Stand-up Comedy: Big Naturals

viernes 22 de mayo 2026, 21.45h –  Spring Stage

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

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

BBC Radio 4: The Today Programme  

Anna Foster and guests

sábado 23 de mayo 2026, 07.00h –  Exchange Marquee

Anna Foster presents a special edition of BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme live from Hay Festival, including guests. This is your chance to see the inner workings of the BBC’s flagship morning news programme, covering everything from politics to nature; international news and sport to arts and culture. Guests include Tim Minchin and Katherine Rundell.

Start Your Day with Yoga  

A Movement and Breathwork Class

sábado 23 de mayo 2026, 07.30h – 08.30h –  Creative Hub

BBC Radio 4: Saturday Live  

Adrian Chiles talks to Hugh Bonneville, Matt Haig and Martha Kearney

sábado 23 de mayo 2026, 09.00h –  Exchange Marquee

Be in the audience as Adrian Chiles brings you remarkable stories live on BBC Radio 4 from Hay Festival. His guests include broadcaster Martha Kearney, literary polymath Matt Haig, and the actor and debut children’s writer Hugh Bonneville.

Director’s Breakfast Tour of Hay Castle  

Battles, Borders, Books – and Breakfast

sábado 23 de mayo 2026, 09.00h – 10.00h –  Hay Castle

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

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

Adam Fleming talks to Poorna Bell, Janina Ramirez and Frederick Studemann and Emma Pinchbeck  

The Weekend News

sábado 23 de mayo 2026, 10.00h – 11.00h –  Global Stage

Adam Fleming from the BBC’s Newscast brings together leading journalists and writers to discuss, debate and dissect the day’s news. You’ll get the background you might not know, the analysis that helps you understand and the insight that reveals what the stories shaping our world really mean for us all. His guests include the journalist, Poorna Bell, author of She Wants More, best-selling historian and presenter of BBC Radio 4's Front Row,Janina Ramirez, and Frederick Studemann, the literary editor of the Financial Times, and Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee Emma Pinchbeck

In partnership with The Week

Kamran Abbasi, Chris van Tulleken and Rosie Boycott  

Dangerous Liaisons: The Shady World of Big Food and Big Pharma

sábado 23 de mayo 2026, 10.00h – 11.00h –  Discovery Stage

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

Yvvette Edwards in conversation with Bernardine Evaristo  

Good Good Loving: A New Novel

sábado 23 de mayo 2026, 10.00h – 11.00h –  Meadow Stage

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

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

Short Film Screenings  

sábado 23 de mayo 2026, 10.00h – 14.00h –  MUBI Cinema

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

In partnership with MUBI