Thousands of school pupils across the UK will benefit from free access to Hay Festival inspiration next year thanks to support from The Moondance Foundation.
The new funding, announced during the first of two new days of free schools activities at Hay Festival Winter Weekend, will enable the Festival to continue its free Schools Programme on the first two days of the flagship spring edition, 21–31 May, as well as the next Hay Festival Winter Weekend, 25–29 November, growing both programmes to cover KS1–4.
Over the past year, Hay Festival education and community programmes engaged 18,312 pupils in inspiring free activities in person, while thousands more enjoyed content online.
Hay Festival events supplement the curriculum for schools, centring the importance of reading for pleasure, taking artists direct to young people through workshops, conversations and immersive performances to encourage their own creative journeys.
The news comes on the eve of the UK’s National Year of Reading and after a recent report from the National Literacy Trustfound 25% of 11-year-olds reached the end of primary school without the ability to read fluently and confidently.
Hay Festival Global CEO Julie Finch said:
“Hay Festival is a charity for everyone. Our mission is to provide accessible platforms for audiences to engage with culture and exchange new ideas. Our learning and engagement projects are a critical part of this, and we are grateful for this commitment from The Moondance Foundation to enable our work to continue and thrive. We are especially pleased to be able to contribute to encouraging more children and young people to read through this project as part of the UK’s National Year of Reading in 2026.”
The Moondance Foundation founder and chair Diane Briere de l’Isle Engelhardt OBE said:
“The Moondance Foundation is delighted to support Hay Festival in growing their free schools’ programmes, offering young people access to events and experiences that broaden their horizons and enhance their lives for the better.”
One of the world’s leading cultural charities, Hay Festival was founded in Hay-on-Wye, Wales in 1987, providing audiences with dynamic platforms to come together to share ideas, different perspectives and provoke conversations that can create a better world.
As part of its mission, Hay Festival works year-round in the UK and around the world to offer free access to events for audiences in need, including successful engagement programmes for young people, reaching more than 18,000 pupils annually.
