News, Blogs & Updates

Hay Festival has today announced the full programme for its 11th edition in Querétaro, Mexico, taking place 4-6 September 2026, with more than 90 artists from 10 countries, the Festival will feature over 70 events including talks, poetry readings and lectures.

Posted 22 July 2026 Read more

Pupils at Perrywood Primary School will co-create their own Hay Festival event next month, 6–10 July, working with six artists in a new residency programme.

Posted 25 June 2026 Read more

Hay Festival has today announced the full programme for its 21st edition in Segovia, Spain, taking place 10-13 September 2026, with a diverse programme of over 60 events to champion human connection.

Posted 23 June 2026 Read more

An inspiring trio of writers and performers will appear in Birmingham on Thursday 23 July in a special event from Hay Festival, the world-famous festival of ideas and art.

Posted 23 June 2026 Read more

Eight UK writers will be honoured in the inaugural Room to Write award, each receiving £1,500, enabling them to stay in a UK location of their choosing to support focused writing.

Posted 18 June 2026 Read more

Hay Festival 2026 closed Sunday 31 May after record numbers enjoyed more than 600 events with writers, thinkers and performers over 11 days.

Posted 1 June 2026 Read more

British broadcaster and foreign correspondent Jeremy Bowen has been awarded the Medal for Journalism today at Hay Festival in Wales.

Posted 31 May 2026 Read more

Former children’s laureate and household favourite Michael Rosen has been awarded the Medal for Poetry today at Hay Festival in Wales.

Posted 31 May 2026 Read more

The award-winning actor and screenwriter Emma Thompson has today been awarded the Medal for Drama at Hay Festival in Wales. 

Posted 29 May 2026 Read more

Hay Festival Global has today signed its first partnership agreement with Norwegian arts museum and cultural institution Kunstsilo to create Hay Festival Kunstsilo Norway, a new books and ideas festival to take place in Kristiansand, Norway. The festival is a partnership between Hay Festival and Kunstsilo, made possible through the generous support of the AKO Foundation.

Posted 23 May 2026 Read more

The women’s rights campaigner and youngest-ever Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has been awarded the Medal for Education today at Hay Festival in Wales.

Posted 22 May 2026 Read more

Hay Festival has today announced The Pleasure List, a crowd-sourced selection of adult reading recommendations to celebrate the many joys to be found in fiction.

Posted 21 May 2026 Read more

Actor and author Hugh Bonneville will be honoured at Hay Festival 2026 with his very own ice cream flavour, available exclusively on site, 21–31 May.

Posted 12 May 2026 Read more

Stars and creators of the International Emmy® and BAFTA® Award winning Hulu Original series, Rivals will speak at Hay Festival this month, 21–31 May 2026, in a panel event celebrating the series and legacy of Dame Jilly Cooper.

Posted 7 May 2026 Read more

Hay Festival has today unveiled the final selection for The Platform, an opportunity for creatives aged 21–28 to showcase new work at the world-famous event in Wales.

Posted 6 May 2026 Read more

Gracias a la alianza entre CAF y el Hay Festival, varios profesionales de Colombia, México y Perú participarán sin coste en el curso en Especialista en Gestión Cultural de Cursiva y Hay Festival, fortaleciendo sus capacidades para el desarrollo de proyectos culturales en sus comunidades.

Publicado 28 abril 2026 Ver más

The Other Bennet Sister actors Ella Bruccoleri and Lucy Briers; award-winning novelist Ali Smith; and journalist Caitlin Moran will speak at Hay Festival in Wales next month, 21–31 May 2026, in a trio of surprise events just added to the programme.

Posted 22 April 2026 Read more

Hay Festival has announced the participants of Writers at Work 2026, a creative development programme for Welsh writers at Hay Festival this spring (21–31 May) with the support of Literature Wales and Folding Rock, funded by Arts Council of Wales.

Posted 14 April 2026 Read more

Our monthly 'Meet the Haymaker' series shares stories of the change-makers at the heart of Hay Festival and the impact it has had on their lives. This month, get to know Sarah Crossan, award-winning author, featured on the upcoming Hay Festival 2026 schools programme.

Posted 1 April 2026 Read more

More than 30 free BBC events have been added to Hay Festival’s flagship spring programme – including fan favourites The Archers, In Our Time and Uncanny – taking place 21–26 May in the Exchange Marquee, set in the centre of the free-to-enter Hay Festival site.

Posted 1 April 2026 Read more