Croeso i'r Gelli / Welcome to Hay-on-Wye

Hay Festival 2026 programme is out now! This May's world-class line-up features Emma Thompson, Dawn French, Malala Yousafzai, Gisèle Pelicot, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Michael McIntyre, Gwyneth Lewis, Fredrik Backman, Miriam Margolyes, Manic Street Preachers, Ian McEwan, Maggie O'Farrell, Bernardine Evaristo, Ocean Vuong and hundreds more. The site is free to enter with events ticketed individually, with more than 500 events covering fiction, history, comedy, music and ideas. Browse the website for the full line-up.

Nestled between the serene River Wye and the Black Mountains, HowTheLightGetsIn 2026 offers an unforgettable blend of world-class thinkers, live music, and side-splitting comedy. Across 300+ events, engage with brilliant philosophers, groundbreaking scientists, and influential political voices as they explore today’s most vital issues. Immerse yourself in a diverse mix of performances, from intimate acoustic sets to lively revelry that lasts all weekend. Visit website

The fourth episode in the Addyman’s story is a sequel to our Murder and Mayhem shop. Here you will find Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and a host of other authors from the Golden Age as well as an extensive cozy crime section. Christie & Doyle, 4 Lion Street, Hay on Wye.

In May 2022, Hay Castle opened its doors to the public for the first time in its 900-year history, following a major 10-year restoration project. The castle is one of the great surviving defence structures on the border of England and Wales, and preserves the Richard Booth Collection, which was established as a tribute to the self-declared King of Hay. The castle and the beautiful grounds are striking spaces for private and community events, as well as hosting a programme of exhibitions, musical and dramatic performances, workshops, performing arts, and cultural activities.