Hay Festival is back in Powys for another year, with doors opening to the event today just in time for the Bank Holiday weekend.

With temperatures set to soar above 20C this weekend in Hay-on-Wye, which is where the festival is held, there is no better time to get down and check out Hay Festival 2023. 

Plus, entry to the event is free. 

If you are planning a trip to Hay Festival this year, here is an extensive list of all you need to know about the event from the location and entry to who you will see there.

What is Hay Festival?

Event organisers describe Hay Festival as "the world’s leading festival of ideas, bringing readers and writers together in sustainable events to inspire, examine and entertain" all on the edge of the picturesque Brecon Beacons National Park.

Events will take place across eight stages in the free-to-enter Festival village at Dairy Meadows.

The festival offers a range of spaces for audiences to explore and enjoy, including the Festival Bookshop, Wild Garden, Make and Take Tent, market stalls, cafés and restaurants.

Is Hay Festival free entry?

Yes, there is free entry to Hay Festival 2023.

However, tickets to individual events will have to be paid for to gain access.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the festival.

If you can't make it to the event in person you can purchase an online festival pass for £55.

This gives you access to events throughout the festival without having to leave the comfort of your own home.

When is Hay Festival 2023?

Hay Festival 2023 kicks off today - Thursday, May 25 - and will run through until Sunday, June 4.

Powys and Wales play host to one of eight Hay Festivals.

The other events take place all over the world including Mexico, Spain and Peru.

Where is Hay Festival 2023 being held?

The 2023 instalment of the Hay Festival in Wales is being held in Hay-on-Wye on the edge of the beautiful Brecon Beacons National Park.

It is located between Hereford and Brecon just off the A438.

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Hay-on-Wye was recently named by a Which? survey as the best town in Wales and one of the best in the UK. 

The festival site is located on a green field called Dairy Meadows (HR3 5PJ), just a five minute walk from the town centre.

5 Things you need to know about Hay Festival 2023

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Event organisers have taken to social media to share their 5 tops things they believe people need to know about this year's Hay Festival:

  • It's free entry
  • There's great food and drink 
  • There are book signings after most events
  • You can book events on the day
  • There's ice cream

Hay festival 2023 programme - headline guests at this year's event

Hay Festival 2023 is set to feature some big names including:

  • Bear Grylls - who will be interviewed on Thursday, May 25 by adventurer Tori James, the first Welsh woman to climb Everest.
  • Craig David (Wednesday, May 31)
  • Stormzy (Saturday, June 3)
  • Dua Lipa (Sunday, June 4)
  • BBC Radio 4 will hold a number of sessions across the course of the festival
  • Jason Byrne (Saturday, May 27)
  • Prue Leith (Thursday, June 1)
  • Mary Berry (Saturday, June 3
  • Margaret Atwood (Thursday, June 1)

Former guests to attend Hay Festival events have included the likes of Hilary Clinton.

How to get to Hay Festival 2023

Driving

There are three official Hay Festival car parks:

  • The Car Park in Aid of MacMillan
  • Clyro Court
  • The Disabled Car Park

A Park & Ride service will also operate from Clyro Court to the Festival site on selected dates. 

These dates include:

  • Saturday, May 27
  • Sunday, May 28
  • Monday, May 29 
  • Friday, June 2
  • Saturday, June 3

Parking costs £8 per day (cash and card payments are accepted), which also includes unlimited use of our Festival–Town shuttle service. 

Bus services

A Hay Festival bus service will be running between Worcester, Hereford and Hay-on-Wye through the event which runs from May 25 to June 4.

The special bus service links with trains and coaches at Hereford’s train and bus stations, and also Worcester Crowngate Bus Station.

Tickets for all journeys can be bought on the bus and range in price from £6 to £38. 

There is also a scheduled bus service (T14) from Hereford and Brecon to Hay-on-Wye - it operates six days a week, Mondays to Saturdays.

The 39A Yeomans bus service runs on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays.

A regular shuttle bus will operate between the Festival site and the town centre.

Pick up and drop off points are at the Festival site entrance and the bus stop at Oxford Road car park in town.

The service runs throughout the Festival from Thursday, May 25 to Sunday, June 4, from before the first event until after the last event each day.

Day tickets for the shuttle bus are £5 per person, with no limit on the number of journeys. 

Train services

The nearest railway station is Hereford which is about 20 miles away.

Services that operate in and out of the station are Great Western Railway, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Trains.

There is a regular, direct shuttle bus link between Hereford rail and bus stations and Hay-on-Wye/the festival site.

For more details on transport options for the event visit the Hay Festival website.

Where to stay when visiting Hay Festival 2023?

There are various accommodation options available for Hay Festival 2023. 

From camping to hotel accommodation, there are options to suit everyone's needs.

Visit the Hay Festival website for full details and the event's accommodation recommendations.