Hay Castle Events

As well as tours and exhibitions, we hold a variety of events here at Hay Castle. You can see upcoming events and buy tickets below. For our past events listings please click here.

A Concert for St David's Day

With Cantorion y Gelli

Venue: Great Hall
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Cantorion Y Gelli is Hay’s mixed-voice, Welsh-language choir.

Musical Director, Gemma Woolford, gathered a group of friends together after the final lockdown to learn one Welsh song, and the fun started from there. Members are either learning Welsh or passionate about Wales and the language, three first language Welsh-speakers keeping a close ear on pronunciation.

Cantorion Y Gelli is excited to collaborate with Hay Castle this St David’s Day to bring you an evening of Welsh entertainment. The choir has a varied repertoire of traditional folk songs, hymns, male voice choir classics and even a football anthem! Come along and celebrate this very important day in the calendar and enjoy some good old-fashioned Welsh “hwyl”!

St David's Day Concert
£12.50

Print Club March 2nd

Fortnightly Print Club

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
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Print Club is run by our resident printmaker - Aidan Saunders - AKA Prints of Hay.

Print Club costs £6 per session - Some materials will be provided and there will be access to the printing press when accompanied by Aidan.

This club will develop according to the needs and requirements of the members of the group - so why not come along and become a part of Print Club.


Print Club 2nd March
£6.00

Redefining Beauty

Maxine Peake - Olivia McCannon - Clive Hicks-Jenkins

Venue: Great Hall
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An evening with actor Maxine Peake, poet Olivia McCannon, and Beauty and Beast illustrator Clive Hicks-Jenkins, hosted by Mari Fforde.

In Clive Hicks-Jenkins’ reimagining, beauty is unstable and unsettling — something that flickers at the edges of childhood fear and imagination. To mark the close of the exhibition, this one-off event brings together three distinct voices responding to his work through poetry, performance, and provocation.

Join us in the Great Hall for a dramatic evening of the uncanny, the unsettling, and the unruly.

The exhibition by Clive Hicks-Jenkins in our Gallery will be open from 6pm before the event. There will also be a bar open from 6pm.
Redefining Beauty
£20.00
Last few remaining tickets

Boardgame sessions

Free drop in sessions

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
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Join us for engaging board game sessions at Hay Castle's Clore Learning Space on the following Saturdays:

7 March | 28 March | 4 April | 11 April

Sessions run from 11am to 2pm. These sessions, led by a dedicated volunteer, offer a fantastic opportunity for both seasoned players and newcomers to enjoy a variety of classic and modern board games. Whether you're a fan of strategy games, word games, or cooperative challenges, there's something for everyone.

The Clore Learning Space provides a welcoming environment where participants can relax, socialize, and immerse themselves in the fun and excitement of board gaming. It's a great way to meet new people, sharpen your skills, and experience the joy of friendly competition. Don't miss out on this chance to connect with others and discover new favorite games. All ages are welcome, so bring your friends and family.


Children to be accompanied at all times




FREE DROP IN SESSIONS
Boardgame sessions

Life Drawing March 9th

Monday Life Drawing Session

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
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This takes place in the Clore Learning Space every other Monday from 11am until 4pm.


The model this week will be Jacquie


Please bring your own materials

The sessions cost £18 for the full day from 11-4pm and £12 for a morning or afternoon session only.
The morning session starts at 11am so please arrive at about 10.45am
The afternoon session starts at 1:45pm so please arrive at least 10 mins beforehand


11 - 12 - Drawing
12 - 12.15 - Break
12.15 - 1.15 - Drawing
1.15 - 1.45 - Lunch
1.45 - 2.45 - Drawing
2.45 - 3pm - Break
3 - 4pm - Drawing



Full day session £18 9th March
£18.00
Half Day Session £12 9th March
£12.00
Life Drawing March 9th

Jewellery and Antiques Evaluation Day

with Kate Bliss

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
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Kate Bliss, a regular face on BBC antiques programmes and an independent jewellery and fine art valuer is hosting a free ‘drop-in’ Valuation Day for jewellery and silver as well as other antiques and contemporary fine art.

Have you recently inherited items you know nothing about? Do you have jewellery you never wear? Kate offers a unique opportunity to find out more about your valuables including their potential value.

A Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, Kate has over 20 years experience valuing single items to unique collections and whole house contents. Whether it’s the right time to realise some assets or simply de-clutter, Kate will provide you with a verbal consultation and arrange items for sale if suitable.

Drop-in for a free valuation in the Clore Learning Space 10am to 4pm, Thursday 12th March

FREE EVENT
Jewellery and Antiques Evaluation Day

Print Club March 16th

Fortnightly Print Club

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
Read more



Print Club is run by our resident printmaker - Aidan Saunders - AKA Prints of Hay.

Print Club costs £6 per session - Some materials will be provided and there will be access to the printing press when accompanied by Aidan.

This club will develop according to the needs and requirements of the members of the group - so why not come along and become a part of Print Club.


Print Club 16thMarch
£6.00

The Weekend of Mistakes 2026

Bestselling authors & economists return for an unmissable programme

Venue: Hay Castle / Richard Booth's Bookshop
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Returning for its third year, with a signature deep dive into past mistakes and the lessons they hold for today.

A weekend of insight, discovery, storytelling and spirited debate, this year’s programme features topics including the mafia’s unlikely role in shaping 1960s queer nightlife; the economics of football — and why Hollywood is investing in the UK’s lower leagues; Gen Z’s pension prospects as young taxpayers; why your water bill is so high (and how to fix it); Trumponomics and the new age of state capitalism; and what happens when debt worries turn into mental health crises.

Whether your interest is history or economics, the key theme — Default: the history, art and ethics of not paying back what you owe — has plenty to fascinate and intrigue: from the harsh punishments meted out to debtors, to how faith traditions have wrestled with debt — and some cheeky advice to today’s countries on how not to go bust.

Watch our two-minute introduction: https://www.weekendofmistakes.org

£10 Single Session tickets now available here

Full details and Weekend Passes available here:
Regular (£150) Premium (£295) Patron (£1,200)

Life Drawing March 23rd

Monday Life Drawing Session

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
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This takes place in the Clore Learning Space every other Monday from 11am until 4pm.


The model this week will be


Please bring your own materials

The sessions cost £18 for the full day from 11-4pm and £12 for a morning or afternoon session only.
The morning session starts at 11am so please arrive at about 10.45am
The afternoon session starts at 1:45pm so please arrive at least 10 mins beforehand


11 - 12 - Drawing
12 - 12.15 - Break
12.15 - 1.15 - Drawing
1.15 - 1.45 - Lunch
1.45 - 2.45 - Drawing
2.45 - 3pm - Break
3 - 4pm - Drawing



Full day session £18 23rd March
£18.00
Half Day Session £12 23rd March
£12.00
Life Drawing March 23rd

Print Club March 30th

Fortnightly Print Club

Venue: Hay Castle Clore Learning Space
Read more



Print Club is run by our resident printmaker - Aidan Saunders - AKA Prints of Hay.

Print Club costs £6 per session - Some materials will be provided and there will be access to the printing press when accompanied by Aidan.

This club will develop according to the needs and requirements of the members of the group - so why not come along and become a part of Print Club.


Print Club 30th March
£6.00
Print Club March 30th

Mid Wales Opera presents ‘A Night at the Castle’

Venue: Great Hall
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Promenade the Castle and discover musical gems in unexpected places.

Experience anything from unaccompanied folk songs to classical opera via baroque and musicals, culminating in Dido’s lament and the closing chorus from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas sung by MWO OpenStages company, their voices echoing through the Great Hall.

Performing will be students from the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Explore, experience, entertain!

Doors and bar opens at 6.45pm
Price: £16.00
Mid Wales Opera presents ‘A Night at the Castle’

Hay Printer's Fair

Venue: Great Hall
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Celebrating print and paper, the first Hay Printers’ Fair will be held at Hay Castle on Saturday 11th April 2026.

There will be two floors of artists presenting an amazing array of work to buy, including letterpress, etching, wood engraving, lino cutting, paper marbling, illustration, book art and calligraphy.

There will be demonstrations on the day to enjoy too. Come and meet the artists and learn about their craft.


Entrance to the Castle is free on the day of the Fair.

FREE EVENTS

Hay Music: The New London Chamber Ensemble

Wind Quintet

Venue: Great Hall
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One of Britain's leading wind quintets, for a quarter of a century the NLCE has graced stages globally and has left an indelible mark with notable appearances in diverse settings, challenging traditional ideas of chamber music with their innovative programmes.

They will perform Claude Debussy (arr. Gordon Davies): Petite Suite; Samuel Barber: Summer Music; Paul Hindemith: Kleine Kammermusik Op. 24 No.2; Moondog: Bird of Paradise; Julian Philips: Anniversary quintet - world premiere; Gustav Holst: Wind Quintet in A Flat, Op.14 and Valerie Coleman: Umoja.

Tickets: Adults £20 / under 25s £10. A limited number of free tickets for under 25s are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For full details and to book please go to www.haymusic.org

Friday, 24 April 2026 at 7.30pm (doors open 7.00pm)

Hay Music: The New London Chamber Ensemble

The Three Inch Fools: Arthurian Adventure at Hay Castle

King Arthur and the Holy Fail

Venue: Hay Castle Lawn
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The Three Inch Fools present an epic tale of Arthurian adventure and medieval mayhem.

In a land of daring quests, dashing knights, and endless jousting, there lived a would-be hero - waiting in the

wings - who went by the name of Arthur. But when Camelot is rocked to its core by a tragic - and frankly improbable - incident involving a large table of an undisclosed shape, Arthur is thrust into the quest of a lifetime. Will he bravely battle through blistering cold and scorching fire to save his beloved realm, or will he crumble as fate refuses to cooperate? Destiny awaits, chivalry calls, and the quest to end all quests begins.

Saddle up - things are about to get legendary

Bring your own cushions and camping chairs and join us for this most epic of quests. Come prepared for the weather - the performance will continue come rain or shine.

★★★★★ “So entertaining… laugh-out-loud funny”

★★★★★ “The ultimate British theatrical experience” – Hastings Independent Press

★★★★★ “Riotously fun. Hugely enjoyable”

Additional notes

This performance is an outdoor performance. We recommend that you bring blankets/chairs/cushions etc. to sit on. Come prepared for the weather with warm coats and waterproofs etc, as the performance will continue come rain come shine!

7pm start time, gates open from 5:30pm. The performance will last approximately 100 minutes (+ a 20 minute interval).

Bar and food available from the Castle from 5.30pm. Picnics also welcome.

We kindly ask that you do not bring umbrellas, as these can obscure the view for other audience members.

EARLY BIRD TICKETS AVAILABLE UNTIL APRIL 30TH


The Three Inch Fools: Arthurian Adventure at Hay Castle