Hay Festival has unveiled its full programme for 2025 filled to the brim with everything arts and culture, reflecting the “high stakes of our times”.
The 38th spring edition of the annual cultural event will take place in Hay-on-Wyre, the idyllic and picturesque “Town of Books”.
Spread over 11 days, festival-goers will be treated to an overflowing itinerary of over 600 events between 22 May and 1 June 2025. The star-studded lineup includes Mary Trump, Michael Sheen, Jameela Jamil, and more.
The Independent will partner with the Festival once again to host a series of morning panels titled The News Review, welcoming guests including historian Kehinde Andrews, philosopher AC Grayling and broadcaster Anushka Asthana. The publication’s journalists will explore current affairs with leading figures from politics, science, the arts and comedy every morning.
Branding it “the carnival of ideas”, Hay Festival president Stephen Fry stressed the importance of the celebration in the current climate. “Besides the fun and joy of gathering to share stories, it is also the antidote to disinformation and division,” he said.
As well as its usual literary offerings, the Festival will launch its first cinema section with the MUBI cinema hosting screenings of Bergman Island; How to Have Sex; Fallen Leaves; Queer; First Cow; Alcarràs; Dahomey; Decision to Leave; Aftersun; Priscilla; Perfect Days; Petite Maman; and The Worst Person in the World.
They will be followed by discussion and analysis by screenwriters including Hot Milk’s Rebecca Lenkiewicz, The Power’s Sarah Quintrell, and His Dark Materials producer Jane Tranter. Conclave novelist Robert Harris will also discuss the Oscar-nominated adaptation of his work.
Special guests at Hay this year include Good Omens star Michael Sheen, The Good Place actor Jameela Jamil, artist Grayson Perry, comedian Miranda Hart, musician and author Paloma Faith, ITV presenter Lorraine Kelly, actor Sara Pascoe, and activist Katie Piper. They will be joined by British screenwriter and producer Jesse Armstrong, one of the minds behind Succession, Peep Show and Four Lions.
“Hay Festival is a gathering of the world's greatest storytellers,” CEO Julie Finch told The Independent. “This year we're pleased to be showcasing talent from the worlds of stage and screen like never before, facing into the power of film, TV and social media to connect us.”
Activist Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian dissident Alexei Navalny will sit with Alastair Campbell to discuss her late husband. Mary Trump, the niece of US president Donald Trump will also join the lineup.
The event will be headlined by acclaimed writers including Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah, Turkish-British novelist Elif Shafak, playwright Hanif Kureishi, bestselling author Robert Harris, and beloved children’s favourite Jacqueline Wilson. Other literary highlights will include exclusive conversations celebrating the soon-to-be-announced winners of the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize, International Booker Prize and the inaugural Climate Fiction Prize. Organisers of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and for Non-Fiction will offer insights from behind the scenes.
Conversations will take place with familiar faces including Susie Dent who will discuss the crime and thriller works of TV personalities Jeremy Vine as well as Rob Rinder. Fan favourites and international bestselling authors Jojo Moyes and Matt Haig will also be present.
With a special focus on themes such as natural wonders, wild adventures, and climate change, a special programme of events focused on nature have been curated to celebrate the works of travel and nature writers. Robert Macfarlane author of Is a River Alive? and farmer James Rebanks, author of The Shepherd’s Life are among the authors featured in this vein.
Science, tech and artificial intelligence (AI) will also be discussed as panellists tackle the biggest issues of our time. Kamran Abbasi, editor of the British Medical Journal, and Richard and Daniel Susskind will unpack the challenges and opportunities posed by AI.
Meanwhile, comedian Ruby Wax, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Stacey Dooley, and others will share inspiring life stories emphasising real world issues such as motherhood, being Muslim, and growing older.
“The Past Reimagined” will feature a look at history with Scottish historian and author of The Golden Road, William Dalrymple, present to explore how colonialism has impacted the world. There will also be a strand to focus on global issues with South to North Conversations, supported by the Open Society Foundation, to explore issues facing the Global South.
Inaugural lectures celebrating journalists George Alagiah and John Caldon will also be launched at the summer event. The “Debut Discoveries” segment will see established authors Joanne Harris, Laura Bates, Shon Faye, and Fry in conversation with new writing talent including Booker Prize shortlisted Yael van der Wouden and new novelist Nussaibah Younis.
In addition to lectures and discussions, music, comedy, and innovative performances will be offered at the event for an immersive experience, as well as live poetry sessions and spoken word. Sessions will be held to engage young creatives, with family events, activities for children and young people, and a free schools programme that will be offered on 22-23 May. After a successful inaugural opening, Sports Day will also return with Fry umpiring the event’s annual cricket match.
BBC Sounds, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 2 will broadcast live from the event with podcasts for the TLS and Sentimental Garbage recorded on site.
“Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen the speed at which our world can change and the high stakes for our times,” said Finch. “Here’s a Hay Festival programme to tackle our shared challenges head-on with purpose and hope, celebrating new ideas and the power of storytelling to improve our lives.”
She added: “Woven throughout you’ll find our core themes for 2025 – the impacts of AI, health and wellbeing, new political orders and intergenerational exchanges – plus, as we celebrate 20 years since our first overseas event, we open more global exchange through new platforms. This is a festival for everyone. Join us in a world of different ideas.”
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