Hay Festival 2025: ‘Carnival of ideas' returns with new events programme
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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
12 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
A-ha singer Morten Harket diagnosed with Parkinson's
In a statement released today (Wednesday, June 4), the Norwegian band revealed the diagnosis. It read: "This isn't the sort of news anyone wants to deliver to the world, but here it is: Morten has Parkinson's disease.' In his own statement on the band's official website, Harket, 65, said he originally kept the degenerative condition 'strictly private' but has now decided to tell fans. A post shared by a-ha (@officialaha) He said: "I've got no problem accepting the diagnosis. With time I've taken to heart my 94-year-old father's attitude to the way the organism gradually surrenders: 'I use whatever works'". Harket shared that he'd been trying his best to prevent his "entire system from going into decline". He added: "It's a difficult balancing act between taking the medication and managing its side effects. "There's so much to weigh up when you're emulating the masterful way the body handles every complex movement, or social matters and invitations, or day-to-day life in general.' His symptoms have been 'softened' thanks to developments in treatment from the Mayo Clinic in the United States. As reported by The Independent, Harket shot to fame in the 1980s with synth pop trio A-ha's international chart-topping song 'Take On Me', which was released in 1985. It became a hit after its third time being released with assistance from an animated video, directed by Steve Barron. Harket has released 11 albums with A-ha, as well as six solo records. According to the NHS website, Parkinson's disease is "a condition in which parts of the brain become progressively damaged over many years". The main symptoms involve involuntary shaking of particular parts of the body, slow movement and stiff muscles. Recommended reading: Singer Jessie J diagnosed with 'early breast cancer' and reveals surgery plans Lisa Hogan 'burst into tears' after comment from Jeremy Clarkson's daughter New Love Island star has a very famous dad who is a football legend It adds: "Parkinson's disease is caused by a loss of nerve cells in part of the brain called the substantia nigra. "This leads to a reduction in a chemical called dopamine in the brain. "Dopamine plays a vital role in regulating the movement of the body. A reduction in dopamine is responsible for many of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease."
Metro
20 hours ago
- Metro
Len Wiseman: 'John Wick Ballerina isn't intentionally a feminist movie'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Len Wiseman, the director of From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, has revealed why this movie isn't deliberately feminist. It was announced in 2019 that a female-led spin-off of John Wick had been commissioned, with Keanu Reeves set to be an executive producer on the film. With Ana de Armas at the helm as the lead, Eve Macarro, the movie picks up chronologically during the third John Wick film and further explores the Ruska Roma, the Russian group that trains children to be assassins. The story follows Eve's training as an assassin and her journey of personal revenge as she seeks out the group who murdered her father in front of her as a child. In a hotel in London, Metro sits down with Wiseman for a wide-ranging interview about the film, straight off the bat we discuss whether he considers the film 'feminist'. 'It's an action movie with a really powerful and strong lead, and I wouldn't say so much…,' he reflects and tries to find the right way to express his sentiment. 'I've been doing female-driven characters in action really from the beginning of my career,' he says, referencing his action horror series Underworld that starred his ex-wife Kate Beckinsale. 'I really don't put too much of a weight on it, I just think women are strong regardless. 'So I'll sayit's not intentionally, to me it is an action movie with a really kick ass lead that is a female character.' He emphasises that lines such as 'fight like a girl' – a phrase that recurs in the film and is even the title of the song as the credits roll – are not an attempt to pander to being a movie making a statement. 'To put a flip on [fight like a girl] and make that a very powerful thing, rather than a teasing phrase or what have you, that's absolutely intentional. But, I didn't want it to ever feel pandering to that. Just be real to it.' The director's undiluted enthusiasm about the film is evident, and he's eager for more female-led action movies, but not ones that are originally written as male characters. Ana, who played the character Paloma in the James Bond series, previously explained why she felt 007 shouldn't be played by a woman: 'Why don't we have more movies about Paloma? Let James be James and John Wick be John Wick. We'll do our thing,' she told The Independent. Wiseman nods and says he 'totally agrees,' with her sentiment. 'If they turned into like Jane Bond. I'll just go, 'What are you doing?' No. 'I would love to see more original, female-driven action movies, and I'm always glad when there's one that really works.' He adds that when it comes to women's roles in these movies, he also doesn't believe women-led action films should only be directed by women. 'It's if you were to ask, if a male-led action movie should only be directed by a man. I don't think that either,' adding that James Cameron and Catherine Bigelow are both fantastic directors who are capable of directing incredible action movies, regardless of gender. 'I think it's the best person for the job, is really what it should be. That's kind of my thought on it.' He added that he has pet peeves about when these characters are made sometimes indestructible , though. 'Often, I'll see that the female character is like indestructible in a way that is almost overtly kind of sexy and powerful and it just leans in too much into the sexiness of it.' He added that the really great action characters are not the ones who pose after a fight scene, but the ones who look knackered. 'Keanu will go through this amazing sequence, and after he's done, he's just f*****g tired,' he said, Comparing Reeves to Harrison Ford, and Mel Gibson's Martin Riggs he adds: 'Instead of landing like a Marvel character, they just eat it on the ground and then get up and keep fighting.' During the production of the film, there were rumours that John Wick director Chad Stahelski had to 'reshoot' the film. Stahlski rubbished the rumours at the time, and while chatting to Metro, Wiseman cleared up the story. 'Here's the truth of it, which is a personal thing, I ended up having a health crisis, and I had to go to the hospital for a little bit, and it was a really scary time. But everything is good and great. 'And thank God Chad was there. And we were always planning on splitting up the schedule in terms of some of the additional stuff that we were shooting to just try to get everything possible for the audience.' More Trending He said that at most, the rumours were 'annoying', but he was grateful things worked out the way they did, as they were able to make an incredible film. 'So it's annoying. I guess if anything, like you hear reshoots and you go, 'Oh, that's bad.' There were additional shoots, and then I had to go to the hospital for a little bit. So thank God it worked out the way it did.' 'The important thing is, the movie is incredible. I had a great time, Chad and I worked, you know, in partnership with it. And it is a movie I think people are gonna absolutely love.' Ballerina is in cinemas on June 6. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Robert De Niro, 81, has 'possibly' realised how good he is at acting MORE: Arnold Schwarzenegger tried to rewrite one of the most famous lines in movie history MORE: Blake Lively makes unexpected move and drops major claims against Justin Baldoni
Metro
21 hours ago
- Metro
Jonathan Joss' husband says he 'held his face together' in his final moments
The husband of Parks and Recreation actor Jonathan Joss has detailed his final moments after being shot outside his home. The actor was best known for playing Chief Ken Hotate on the popular comedy series and for voicing John Redcorn on animated sitcom King of the Hill, which ran for 13 seasons between 1997 and 2009. On Sunday night Joss, 59, was shot and killed in San Antonio, Texas, with Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, 56, since charged with murder. Soon after Joss' death, his husband Tristan Kern de Gonzales shared a lengthy statement on Facebook, claiming the actor had been killed in a homophobic attack. A few days on Gonzalez has spoken about Joss' final moments, claiming his accused killer 'cackled' as the actor lay dying. 'While I'm holding him, he has the gun pointed over me, and he's laughing, saying, 'Oh, you love him? Joto',' he said, explaining the word is a Spanish slur against gay people. Recalling the devastating last minutes of Joss' life, he continued: 'Everything was really close range. It was in the head. 'I held his face together while I told him how much I loved him. 'He could still hear me, he looked up at me and he wasn't able to talk because of the extent [of his injuries], but I could tell he was trying to say, 'I love you',' he added when speaking to The Independent. While waiting for paramedics to arrive, Joss died at the scene, with an incident report from the San Antonio Police Department stating that Ceja immediately confessed to the murder, telling officers: 'I shot him'. Although Gonzales has said his husband's death was due to anti-LGBT+ sentiment, police have said there is 'no evidence Joss' murder was related to his sexual orientation'. 'We take such allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information,' it said. 'Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly.' The fatal incident was the culmination of years of feuding between the couple and the suspect. When coming home to find the skull of one of their dogs, who was killed when their house burned down over the winter, displayed on their mailbox, Joss began screaming at Ceja, who then allegedly began shouting 'violent homophobic slurs' before opening fire. Gonzales, who describes himself as a transgender man, has hit back at the police's statement that the couple's sexual orientation wasn't relevant to the murder. 'They ignored us, refused to file police reports for about two years [over the couple's complaints of harassment], and now they're trying to say it wasn't a hate crime,' he added. Over the past few days, the couple's neighbours have given interviews saying that Joss could be 'really sweet' but also be seen 'ranting and raving'. Meanwhile the police department said it responded to more than 40 calls last year involving Joss, which included welfare checks, mental health issues and disagreements with neighbours. Addressing these past incidents, Gonzales said Joss had mental health issues but was never violent. He also said his husband had faced racist verbal attacks in their neighbourhood for years and when they moved in together 'the homophobia started'. Now in the process of planning his Joss' funeral, Gonzales is turning to humour to cope with his loss, quoting a line from It's Always Sunny. 'He used to love to tell people, 'When I die, I don't care what you do with me. Cut me up and make a soup out of me, I don't care.' It makes me laugh now because I know Jonathan's laughing too.' More Trending In his original statement Gonzales said Joss had 'saved my life' by pushing him out of the way when Ceja began firing. 'He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other. I was with him when he passed. I told him how much he was loved. To everyone who supported him, his fans, his friends, know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family,' he wrote. View More » Gonzales has said his focus now is on 'protecting Jonathan's legacy and honouring the life we built together'. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Australian music icon Marcie Jones dies aged 79 days after announcing cancer diagnosis MORE: Robert De Niro, 81, has 'possibly' realised how good he is at acting MORE: Conflict frontman Colin Jerwood dies aged 63 after 'short illness'
