Hay Literary Festival in Wales, UK

23 May – 2 June 2019

Basic Information

When: 23 May – 2 June 2019

Where: Hay-on-Wye, Wales, United Kingdom

Map: Hay-on-Wye on Google Maps

Official Website: hayfestival.com

Hotels: Hotels in Hay-on-Wye

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Hay Literary Festival

The quaint village Hay-on-Wye hosts this annual celebration of writing.

This literary festival brings together a collection of people who share a love of literature.

More about the festival

Bill Clinton described it as ‘The Woodstock of the mind’, while author Joseph Heller said it was like a cross between an international conference and a country wedding.

Books come alive during the 10 days of Hay literary festival.

Stories are told, ideas exchanged, jokes are shared, and music is played.

It’s full of people who want to talk, and people who want to listen.

Stephen Fry is the President of the festival.

Past guests include the likes of director, Sam Mendes, and authors Michael Palin, Tracy Chevalier and Lionel Shriver, to name just a few.

Entrance to the main festival site is free and there are many free events.

Those that are ticketed can be purchased at the festival on pre-purchased online at the festival website.

It’s a family friendly festival with a special programme for kids.

Where to stay and hotel tips

There are some good hotels in the center of Hay on Wye.

Two hotels, with great reviews from their visitors, are Pavement Palace and Seven Stars.

Overview of all hotels in Hay on Wye here

How to get there

The nearest bus and train stations are in Hereford, 20 miles (32 km) away.

There are special festival bus services running between Hereford and Hay-on-Wye.

The closest major international airports to Hereford are Birmingham, Cardiff and Bristol, and the London airports of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted are not far either.

All airports offer public transport connects and car hire options.

More about Hay-on-Wye, Wales

Very close to the English border, the historic town Hay is set in an area of natural beauty.

Situated near the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park, this quirky town with it’s plethora of antique and secondhand bookstores has long been a place of pilgrimage for bibliophiles.