Hay Festival 2025: A Journey Through Ideas, Books & Culture
Dates: May 22 – June 1, 2025
Location: Hay-on-Wye, Wales
Every spring, the picturesque town of Hay-on-Wye transforms into a cultural wonderland—and 2025 is no exception. From May 22 to June 1, the Hay Festival returns with a stellar lineup of authors, thinkers, musicians, and creatives from across the world.
🌟 What Is Hay Festival?
Often described as “the Woodstock of the mind,” the Hay Festival is a globally acclaimed literary and arts event that brings people together to celebrate stories, ideas, and open dialogue. Expect stimulating discussions, live performances, writing workshops, and plenty of opportunities to meet your favorite authors.
Whether you’re passionate about books, politics, science, or sustainability, there’s something for everyone in this 10-day cultural immersion.
🎤 What to Expect in 2025
The 2025 programme includes an exciting mix of:
- Renowned authors and poets
- Live debates on global issues
- Family-friendly events and activities
- Comedy, music, and art installations
- Interactive workshops and signing sessions
The festival lineup will be announced soon, but you can expect the same high-quality programming as previous years, which featured speakers like Margaret Atwood, Yuval Noah Harari, Bill Gates, and Malorie Blackman.
🚆 Getting to Hay Festival with JurnyOn
While Hay-on-Wye doesn’t have its own train station, it’s still easy to reach via Transport for Wales (TfW) with a little help from JurnyOn.
Closest Train Stations:
- Hereford
- Abergavenny
- Builth Road
From these stations, shuttle buses and local taxis run to the festival site.
🧠 JurnyOn Tip: Book your advance train tickets through the JurnyOn app to enjoy exclusive perks, up to 35% discounts on advance tickets, skip queues, and travel stress-free.
🚆 Sample Travel Times:
- Cardiff to Hereford – approx. 1h 20m
- London Paddington to Abergavenny – approx. 2h 30m
- Birmingham to Hereford – approx. 1h 40m
With JurnyOn, you get digital tickets, real-time updates, and eco-points for every journey—making your trip rewarding in more ways than one.
🎟️ Booking Hay Festival Tickets
Tickets are now on sale via the official Hay Festival website. You can purchase:
- Individual event tickets
- Day or weekend passes
- Family and group bundles
We recommend booking both your festival tickets and train tickets early, especially for popular sessions and weekends.
🧳 What to Pack
The Welsh spring can be delightfully sunny—or unexpectedly rainy. Be sure to pack:
- A waterproof jacket
- Comfortable walking shoes or boots
- Sunscreen and a refillable water bottle
- Notepad or journal
- Power bank for your phone
🚀 Why Travel with JurnyOn?
JurnyOn is your go-to for smart, sustainable, and seamless travel across Wales and beyond.
Here’s why festival-goers choose us:
🎫 Book advance train tickets for the best fares
📲 Enjoy digital ticketing and skip the queues
🌱 Earn eco points and get travel discounts
🧳 Travel light, smart, and on your terms
🌍 Travel Smarter. Experience More.
With unforgettable events like the Hay Festival on the horizon, now’s the time to plan your trip.
📲 Download JurnyOn, book your travel in advance, and unlock rewards every time you ride.
From the page to the platform—every journey starts with JurnyOn.