How The Light Gets In

About HowTheLightGetsIn

Hilary Lawson founded HowTheLightGetsIn in 2008, with the first Hay festival following in 2009. The 2027 edition runs 28–31 May at Newport Street, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5BZ. It is a cultural festival built around philosophy, music, comedy and performance.

Scale matters here. Across the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, HowTheLightGetsIn runs more than 300 events with 150 speakers and 100 performers. It is the world's largest philosophy and music festival.

Lineup and Programme

The programme is built around debates and talks, then stretches into music, comedy, culture, academy sessions and late-night parties. Food and drink run through the site between sessions.

Events move across Arena, International, The Ring, The Hat, The Stage, Talk Tent, Cinema Tent, IAI Academy, IAI Sixth Form, Mindcraft, Blue Moon, Spa, Hangout, Waterfront, Pooka’s Garden, Riverside Disco, Front Room, Bohemia and Sandpit.

Who Is It For?

The crowd skews adult in the daytime and younger after 7pm. Children are allowed, and under-12s do not need a festival ticket.

It is not a straight music-weekender crowd. The pull is the mix of talks, performance and late-night programming, with academy sessions and Mindcraft giving the bill a more ideas-heavy shape.

The Venue and Site

The Riverside site sits on the edge of the Black Mountains alongside the River Wye. Its proposed maximum attendance is about 3,000, with a premises-licence maximum of 4,999.

Yurt camping and parking are immediately opposite the site. Campsite parking must be booked, campervans and motorhomes are not permitted, and showers are attached to the campsite/yurt accommodation.

On site, the basics cover toilets, water stations, food vendors, bars, first aid, merchandise stalls, charity stalls and free Wi‑Fi across the festival site.

Travel to HowTheLightGetsIn

The festival site is on Newport Street in Hay-on-Wye, close to the Welsh border and the River Wye.

• Rail: Hereford station is about 20–21 miles away. Builth Wells is about 19 miles away from the Wales side.
• Road: From the A438, cross the bridge into Hay and turn left for the festival site. Vehicle access runs via Newport Street and the East Gate entrance.
• Parking: Yurt camping and parking are immediately opposite the Riverside site. Parking must be booked, and disabled parking is via the trader and performer entrance.
• Disabled access: Access is left after the Co-op.
• Distances: Hereford is about 20–21 miles east, Brecon about 16 miles away, and Cardiff about 68 miles away.