Hay Festival to debut in Bristol with new After Hours event

One of the world’s biggest cultural events is making its Bristol debut next year as Hay Festival hosts a new After Hours edition in the city

Taking place at Bristol Beacon on Thursday 27 March 2025, 7.30pm, 'Hay Festival After Hours: Bristol' promises a night of big ideas, performances, provocations and new thinking with a surprise line-up of emerging and established artists.

This is a chance to experience all the excitement of the world-famous Festival in one magical evening, a space where art forms collide and great minds meet. 

The full event line-up will be revealed in the new year.  

Tickets are on sale at hayfestival.org/afterhours and via bristolbeacon.org 

Founded in Hay-on-Wye, Wales in 1987, Hay Festival provides audiences with dynamic platforms to come together to share ideas, different perspectives and to provoke conversations that can create a better world.  

Hay Festival Global CEO Julie Finch said:

“We believe culture belongs to everyone. As a charity, we work to take the spirit of Hay Festival to communities across the UK and further afield with our Hay Festival After Hours events. These one-off nights in cities around the UK offer audiences who might not have the chance to come to us in Wales the opportunity to enjoy that unique blend of Hay Festival inspiration. We are delighted to be working in partnership with Bristol Beacon to make our debut in the city and hope to see many of you there next March.” 

Hay Festival After Hours events take place thanks to the support of the Unwin Charitable Trust. Additional 2025 events will be announced in the new year.

Today’s announcement follows the release of the Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye 2025 earlybird events yesterday. Scheduled to take place in Wales, 22 May–1 June, a selection of events can be seen online now at hayfestival.org/wales.