Hay Festival Winter Weekend

26th Nov 2026 – 29th Nov 2026
Hay-on-Wye

Four festive days of ideas, stories, music and family events across Hay-on-Wye.

Four days of ideas, stories and performance

Hay Festival Winter Weekend returns from 26–29 November 2026 with talks, music, comedy, film, poetry, workshops, pop-up performances and family events across Hay-on-Wye. Highlights range from David Gray and Mary Colwell in music and conversation to Olivia Harrison, Simon Armitage, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Greg Wise and a lively programme for younger audiences.

Explore the 2026 programme
David Gray and Mary Colwell, appearing at Hay Festival Winter Weekend 2026

Plan your Winter Weekend visit

When: Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 November 2026
Where: Hay Castle, St Mary’s Church, Richard Booth’s Bookshop Cinema, the Castle Marquee and other venues across Hay-on-Wye
Tickets: Events are individually ticketed, with some free pop-up performances. General booking opens at 12pm on Saturday 26 September; priority booking is available earlier to eligible Hay Festival members.
Planning: Check individual event times, access information, travel and parking before setting out.

Plan your visit
Greg James and Chris Smith, appearing at Hay Festival Winter Weekend 2026

Make a weekend of it in Hay-on-Wye

Stay longer to enjoy Hay’s independent bookshops, cafés, restaurants and festive shopping, then use the town as a base for the Black Mountains and the wider national park. BBT member Where the Wye Wanders is a carefully curated booking platform for distinctive places to stay and meaningful experiences across the Wye Valley.

Find accommodation with Where the Wye Wanders
Audience watching a live discussion at Hay Festival Winter Weekend in Hay-on-Wye

Where would you like to go next?

Explore more places, experiences and stories connected with Hay-on-Wye.

White two-storey farmhouse beside a lawn and drive at Hardwick Farm near Abergavenny.

Hardwick Farm Bed and Breakfast

Two-room farm B&B for up to four near Abergavenny, with hearty breakfasts and mountain views.

The Wild of the Words – Cwmffrwd Farm – The Hayloft

Self-catering hayloft for six on a nature-focused farm in the Black Mountains.
A group of walkers smiling beside a woodland waterfall, with a Walk Hay hat in the foreground.

Sarah Price Hiking

Guided walks and hiking experiences in Bannau Brycheiniog with a local walking guide.
Wedding guests dining at long flower-decorated tables inside Hay Castle

Hay Castle – Events, Weddings and Venue Hire

Public events, weddings, celebrations and meeting spaces in the heart of Hay-on-Wye.
Three horses looking over a wooden fence beneath leafy trees.

Grange Horse Riding and Trekking Centre

Grange Trekking: Horse Riding Adventures in the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons

Camping at Baskerville Hall

Camping near Hay-on-Wye with showers, electric hook-ups and hotel facilities.
a girl on horseback in the autumn light

Tregoyd Mountain Riders

Guided riding in the Black Mountains for beginners, families and experienced riders.
A row of mountain bikes lined up outside a wooden café kiosk at Drover Cycles.

Drover Cycles, Hay on Wye

Bike Hire and Cycling Adventures with Drover Cycles in Bannau Brycheiniog
Illuminated HAY letters and a lit marquee at Hay Festival after dark

Hay Festival

Hay Festival: Celebrating Books and Ideas on the Edge of Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons)

Kaya at Black Hill Farm Rooms and Retreat

Dark-sky retreat in Craswall with handcrafted stays, outdoor baths and Black Mountains views
Two adults and two children wearing helmets, wetsuits and buoyancy aids beside trees.

Black Mountain Adventure

Outdoor activity days, group adventures and canoe hire near Hay-on-Wye and Bannau Brycheiniog.
Mist over a calm lake at Fforest Fields, with trees reflected in the water beneath a blue sky.

Fforest Fields Glamping and Yurts

Lakeside yurts for up to four, with wood burners and private kitchens near Builth Wells.
Arched reception hall with a wooden desk and red-carpeted staircase at Baskerville Hall Hotel.

Baskerville Hall Hotel

Historic country-house hotel near Hay-on-Wye, with pool, sauna and Wye Valley countryside.
Hay Castle’s stone façade above clipped shrubs and garden steps

Hay Castle

Explore Hay Castle: history, exhibitions, a café, tours, events and weddings in Hay-on-Wye.
Traders and shoppers beneath striped awnings at Hay Markets.

Market Towns and Gateways of Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons)
Hay Castle’s stone façade above clipped shrubs and garden steps

Hay Castle – Visits and Tours

Explore Hay Castle’s history, changing exhibitions and volunteer-led tours in Hay-on-Wye.
The photo shows cloud/fog filling the valley below Hay Bluff at sunset

Offa’s Dyke National Trail
Wooden tables and chairs inside Hay Castle Café, with large windows and a fireplace

Hay Castle Café

Brunch, light lunches and cakes at Hay Castle, with lawn views and an open fire in winter.
Double bed with white bedding and folded green towels beside a large window at Tara Bed and Breakfast.

Tara Bed and Breakfast

Three-room B&B sleeping six in Felindre, with home-cooked breakfasts and Black Mountains walks.

The Wild of the Words – Camping at Cwmffrwd Farm

Spacious meadow camping and bell tents on a nature-focused farm in the Black Mountains.

Where the Wye Wanders

Handpicked stays and local activities around Hay-on-Wye, the Wye Valley and Bannau Brycheiniog.

Grange Trekking Accommodation

Family-run B&B, glamping and camping in the Black Mountains, with riding and walking from the door.

Castello de Haye

Natural skincare, artisan soaps, fragrances and gifts made and curated in Hay-on-Wye.
Traders and shoppers beneath striped awnings at Hay Markets.

Hay Markets

Thursday markets, seasonal Saturdays, local food, makers and vintage in Hay-on-Wye.
Six timber glamping cabins beside a lake, surrounded by green fields and hills at Beacons Bluff.

Beacons Bluff Escapes

Six lakeside cabins near Erwood, each for two adults and up to two children; some have hot tubs.
Double bed with a woven headboard and striped cushion at Upstairs at the Cheese Market.

Upstairs at the Cheese Market

Self-catering apartment for two above Hay-on-Wye’s historic Cheese Market.
a view over Hay on Wye with a yellow foreground village and the castle

Hay-on-Wye

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