Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye 2027 (40th)

Hay-on-Wye, or simply Hay (Welsh: Y Gelli Gandryll; Welsh pronunciation: [ə ˈɡɛɬi ˈgandrɪɬ] or simply Y Gelli), is a market town and community in Powys, Wales. With over twenty bookshops, it is often described as a "town of books"; it is both the National Book Town of Wales and the site of the annual Hay Festival. The community had a population of 1,675 at the 2021 census.

Language

English

Genres

general lit

Duration (days)

11

Next edition

27 May – 6 Jun 2027

Author participation

Invited programme speakers; book signings after events; schools days; membership priority booking for public

Attendance published by the festival

80000

Audience

Since 1988, the Hay Festival based in Hay-on-Wye has been the venue for an annual literary festival, now sponsored by The Daily Telegraph newspaper, which draws a claimed 80,000 visitors over ten days at the end of May or beginning of June to see and hear big literary names from all over the world.

Age policy

Jenny Valentine (born 1970), children's novelist.

Language notes

Listed working language: English

Genre notes

Primary focus: general lit

Past editions

1970, 1974, 1977, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022

Travel

The town was formerly served by train services at Hay-on-Wye railway station on the Hereford, Hay and Brecon line.

Stay

Other listed buildings include St Mary's parish church, Dulas Bridge (Newport St), the Swan Hotel (Church St), Harley’s Almshouses (4 Brecon Rd), Post Office (3 High Town), Ashbrook House (1 Brecon Rd), part of the town wall and many of the town centre inns and shops.

Festival site