As the nights draw in, Hay-on-Wye prepares to welcome the cosiest edition of Hay Festival yet: Winter Weekend 2026.

Enjoy four days of conversation, comedy, music and ideas from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 November 2026, with the added glow of mulled wine, log fires and candlelit storytelling. From fiction to festivities and from cooking to current affairs, Hay Festival Winter Weekend brings some of the world’s best writers and thinkers to celebrate all that’s special about the season.

Events take place across the booktown’s most atmospheric venues, from the 400-seat marquee in the grounds of Hay Castle to the candlelit interior of St Mary’s Church.

Comedy and celebrity conversations

Actor and gardener Caroline Quentin invites us to reconnect with nature through her own illustrations and words, while actor Maxine Peake shares the books that have shaped her life. The Great Pottery Throwdown’s Keith Brymer Jones takes us through the surprising history of pottery and Radio 4 favourite Lucy Porter joins Kiri Pritchard-McLean for a humorous ode to middle-aged women.

Bring the children – or just your inner child – to meet chart-topping BBC Radio 1 DJ turned bestselling author Greg James with his writing partner-in-crime, Chris Smith. They are kicking off Saturday with a high-energy interactive event inspired by their new festive book, Secret Santa.

Music and performance

Multi-million-selling singer-songwriter David Gray joins conservationist Mary Colwell for an evening of music and conversation inspired by nature. St Mary’s Church is the setting for the 1925 silent film The Phantom of the Opera with live organ accompaniment by former Hay parish priest Father Richard. Olivia Harrison, George’s widow, offers an unprecedented look inside the world of The Beatles with her extraordinary collection of his candid photographs.

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage brings to life the ancient epic poem Gilgamesh, and later leads a literary reinvention of Nine Lessons and Carols with special guests. Free pop-up music sessions offer magical interludes between events in the atmospheric Great Hall at Hay Castle throughout the weekend.

Novelists and storytelling

Bestselling novelist Kate Mosse celebrates the season in Autumn: The Story of a Season, while Nick Harkaway, son of John le Carré, brings George Smiley back to life in his new spy thriller The Taper Man.

Lucy Foley, author of the first authorised Miss Marple novel since Agatha Christie’s own, joins Cathy Rentzenbrink to explore the enduring appeal of the Queen of Crime. Wine expert Olly Smith brings his sparkling debut Death by Noir, Liv Little introduces her hotly anticipated Bitter Melon, and Susan Stokes-Chapman shares her festive collection The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Politics, history and science

Foreign correspondent and bestselling author Luke Harding explores the global effects of Trump and Putin, while Scotland’s former First Minister Humza Yousaf gives a remarkable account of leading a country while his own family were caught in crisis. Historian David Olusoga chairs a review of the year’s biggest news stories.

History lovers can hear from British Museum curators on the Bayeux Tapestry, currently on loan from France for the first time since it was created almost a thousand years ago, join Jack Lewis for his graphic novel telling of the Aberfan disaster, or hear actor Lucian Msamati (Spooks; Run Away) and former Shakespeare’s Globe director Dominic Dromgoole in a rare conversation on the history of British theatre.

Jim Al-Khalili unravels one of science’s greatest mysteries in On Time, while former Buddhist monk Sam Yo offers practical tools for finding calm and clarity in The Monk’s Mindset.

Food for thought

MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers shares 100 recipes based on 12 star ingredients. From staples such as citrus, tomatoes, chillies, beans, cinnamon and chocolate, she conjures bold, bright recipes that will bring sunshine to your plate through the winter months.

The Hebridean Baker Coinneach MacLeod reveals irresistible recipes to bring a flavour of Scotland to your Christmas, from Chicken Braemar with Whisky Sauce to Gingerbread Tiramisu and Clementine Margaritas.

Plan your visit

Dates: Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 November 2026
Location: venues across Hay-on-Wye, including Hay Castle and St Mary’s Church
Booking: tickets and availability vary by event

Browse the full programme and book individual sessions through the Hay Festival Winter Weekend website.

Make a seasonal break of it: browse Hay-on-Wye’s independent bookshops, cafés and shops, enjoy the festive atmosphere and discover more events in and around the Brecon Beacons.