Hay Festival’s next main edition runs 27 May–6 June 2027. A reading trip can combine the festival at Dairy Meadows with time in Hay-on-Wye, or use a wider base with an onward journey. The six talks below are from 2026. The November Winter Weekend has its own programme and is separate from this spring edition.
Confirmed for 2027
The 2027 programme hasn’t been announced yet.
2026 headline events
These events took place in 2026.
Maggie O'Farrell talks to Sophie Raworth
· Global Stage
Maggie O’Farrell previewed Land, exploring love, loss and connections to place, and reflected on the film adaptation of Hamnet.
2026 event detailsAt 4 festivals in 2026
Matt Haig talks to Claudia Hammond
· Discovery Stage
Matt Haig discussed The Midnight Train, imagining a journey back through life’s decisive moments and asking what makes life worthwhile.
2026 event detailsAt 4 festivals in 2026
Douglas Stuart talks to Richard Coles
· Global Stage
Douglas Stuart discussed John of John with Richard Coles, exploring masculinity, the search for love and the dangers of family secrets.
2026 event detailsAt 3 festivals in 2026
Antony Beevor
· Global Stage
Antony Beevor examined Rasputin’s influence within the Russian imperial household, questioning the competing interpretations of his role in its downfall.
2026 event detailsAt 5 festivals in 2026
Tony Robinson talks to Kate Bliss
· Meadow Stage
Tony Robinson discussed The House of Wolf, explaining how his historical knowledge and acting experience shaped his first novel for adults.
Diarmaid MacCulloch talks to Misha Glenny
· Meadow Stage
Diarmaid MacCulloch explored two millennia of Christian attitudes to sexual desire, placing recent changes in their much longer historical context.
Explore the guide’s 2026 programme highlights.
Book your room first
Choosing the town and dates can come before choosing individual talks. If you reserve at that stage, compare the actual rate’s payment and cancellation conditions and keep its deadline with your festival plans. The search starts with the first festival night, two adults and one room; change it to fit your stay.
Where to stay for Hay Festival · Hay Festival visitor guide
Authors who appeared in 2026
Maggie O’Farrell, Matt Haig, Douglas Stuart, Antony Beevor, Rob Biddulph, Cressida Cowell.
Plan the festival visit
Compare staying in Hay itself with a Hereford or Brecon base and an onward journey. The festival’s current travel information names the scheduled X44, while the special festival timetable is labelled for an earlier edition. Check the service for the actual new dates before buying a late talk around it. A Hay room can bring bookshop time into the same break, but its address and route still need checking. The visitor guide and stay page below separate the town choice from wider bases, with the return after the last event included.