Come and celebrate an amazing festival with us this summer – the perfect way to take a break from studying!
The Hay Festival is a unique celebration of literature in one of the most interesting small towns in the UK. It takes place over 10 days every summer in May to June, and thousands of people visit to see famous writers from all around the world giving talks on everything from the environment, to politics, to comedy.
The Festival takes place in Hay-on-Wye, a small town with a population of 1,500. The town is in Wales, near the English border on the River Wye, near the Black Mountains – an area of great beauty. Hay-on-Wye is one of the most interesting places in Britain. It's called the 'Town of Books' because there are more than 30 book shops here. That means there is one book shop for every 50 people!
Hay-on-Wye gets visitors all year round, but during the 10 days of the Hay Festival, up to 80,000 people arrive. This means that the town can be very crowded, and accommodation is a problem. The best thing is to go for one day, because hotels and campsites are fully booked.
The events start at 9 a.m. each morning and continue until 10 p.m. As well as famous guest speakers, and visit the book shops, there are special events for children and music concerts. There are also many opportunities to try a wide range of local food and drink. For more information, you can download the Festival program here.
You can go by train from Cardiff or Bristol to Hereford and then take a bus to Hay on Wye. The bus takes around one hour. Or, you can take our coach which leaves the university at 7 a.m. every day. Coach tickets cost £6 return, but these are very popular so buy them before they sell out!
Check out our Facebook page for more information and updates about the Hay Festival guests. See you there!