Hay-on-Wye will once again light up with conversation, creativity and festive cheer as Hay Festival Winter Weekend 2025 takes place from 26–30 November. With more than 80 writers, thinkers, performers and world-changers appearing across five days, the programme is set to inspire audiences with fresh ideas, laughter, music and seasonal sparkle in the heart of “the world’s first booktown”.
A stellar line-up of guests
Headline speakers span politics, culture, science and the arts. Political activist Maria Alyokhina of Pussy Riot will discuss protest and change, while actors Joanna Page and Jonathan Pryce share stories from stage and screen. The literary line-up features leading names including Mick Herron, Sebastian Faulks, Oyinkan Braithwaite, Cynan Jones, Nikita Gill, Natalie Haynes, Carlos Fonseca and Oscar Guardiola-Rivera. Lexicographer Susie Dent, comedian Rachel Parris and historians Alison Weir, Sarah Churchwell and David Olusoga will also join the bill.
Other highlights include Nick Clegg, former UK deputy prime minister, exploring the future of democracy and technology, while Vince Cable and Kim Leadbeater add political perspectives. Journalist Lyse Doucet will discuss Afghanistan with Sune Engel Rasmussen, and writer Jung Chang will reflect on China’s shifting role on the world stage.
New books and storytelling
The festival will see exclusive launches of new work, from Sebastian Faulks’ Fires Which Burned Brightly to Cynan Jones’ Pulse and Oyinkan Braithwaite’s Cursed Daughters. Poet Hollie McNish shares her latest collection Virgin, while Nikita Gill and Natalie Haynes bring fresh interpretations of Greek myth. Anniversaries are marked too, with John Mullan and Rachel Parris celebrating 250 years of Jane Austen.
A spotlight on book-making and folklore sees Five Seasons Press mark 50 years of Glenn Storhaug’s publishing, while Hollie Starling introduces Bog People: A Working-Class Anthology of Folk Horror, followed by an evening of folk music.
Ideas, science and society
Big ideas thread through the programme, from Paul Davies and Vlatko Vedral on quantum physics to Julia Shaw on “green crime”. Imran Khan, Jehan Alfarra and Lyse Doucet will explore trust in media, while journalist Jamie Tahsin investigates online extremism in Clown World: Four Years Inside Andrew Tate’s Manosphere.
History features prominently too, with Tim Bouverie on Allied politics in WWII, Alison Weir on England’s medieval queens, and David Olusoga reflecting on 250 years since American independence. Locally, James Hanning presents The Bookseller of Hay, a biography of Richard Booth, the man who declared Hay the “town of books”.
Performance, comedy and music
Entertainment runs throughout the festival, with Huey Morgan performing, comedians Marcus Brigstocke, Rachel Parris, Olga Koch and Mark Watson providing laughter, and artist Charlie Mackesy joining poet Mererid Hopwood in a special event around his beloved book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.
Music will be heard in St Mary’s Church and around town, with performances from Kairos, Hay Community Choir, Hay Shantymen, Got 2 Sing, Innominati and more. Acoustic trio Thrill Collins headline the closing concert.
Festive spirit in Hay
Alongside the programme, Hay-on-Wye itself will embrace the Winter Weekend spirit. The independent shops, cafés and markets will open their doors to festivalgoers, with added sparkle from the Christmas lights switch-on on Friday 28 November.
The Festival will also crown its annual Book of the Year, following past winners including Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus and The Lost Words by Jackie Morris and Robert Macfarlane.
Schools and community
Thanks to funding from the Hodge Foundation, a free Schools Programme will open the Festival, giving pupils from Welsh state primary schools access to events with writers including Rob Biddulph, Candy Gourlay, Simon Mole and Gecko.
Hay Festival Global CEO Julie Finch said: “A new chapter starts now! Here is a programme packed with big ideas and new forms of storytelling to meet the challenges of our times. Hay Festival Winter Weekend offers an escape from the day-to-day, inviting audiences into a space where imaginations can roam and curiosity can thrive. Join us!”
Plan your visit
Full details and booking at Hay Festival Winter Weekend.
