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.

Music, mindfulness and science come together in this uniquely soothing session from BBC Radio 3 Unwind. Join musician, mindfulness teacher and Radio 3 Unwind presenter Niall Breslin, with BBC science presenter Caroline Steel, for an immersive experience harnessing the power of live music and mindfulness alongside essential tips and scientific evidence to help you unwind, relax and embrace your inner calm.

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 you’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 with Nicola, Children’s Laureate for Wales 2025–27.

Nicola has written over 80 books for children and young people, some of which been translated into 12 different languages and won awards around the world.

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 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.

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.

Mythmaking at Hay Festival: from Medea to Rasputin. Tom Sutcliffe explores the power of mythmaking with three writers who challenge the stories we think we know. Historian Antony Beevor examines the invention and reinvention of the ‘mad monk’ Rasputin. Philosopher Susan Neiman questions the way politics is hijacking fundamental stories for its own ends. And classicist and comedian Natalie Haynes reimagines what Medea really thought of the two-timing Jason. Together they reveal how myths – old, new, personal and political – shape our understanding of the past and frame the battles of the present.

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.