Access for all
Hay Festival is committed to removing barriers for all, regardless of disability. The Festival is located in a field but our site is comprised of hard under-cover boardwalks, allowing easy access to all of our venues.
If you need any additional help which is not listed below, please contact accessibility@hayfestival.com or call the box office on 01497 822 629 and we will do everything we can to make your visit as easy and stress-free as possible.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS
We’ll be happy to book wheelchair space in performance venues or reserve a parking space for Blue Badge holders – ask the Box Office staff when booking your tickets. We have disabled access toilets on site, and you can access all venues, food outlets, cafés, bar, bookshop and gift shop in a wheelchair.
DEAF AND HEARING-IMPAIRED
Most performance venues are fitted with an induction loop. Sometimes this system can be skewed by the aluminium structures of our tents. Our stewards will be on hand to help you find the best place to sit. With notice we are able to provide BSL interpretation of an event. Please inform us by April 10 if this is something that you require. After this date we will do our best to find a BSL interpreter for an event but may not find a suitable person at short notice.
Streamed events are live captioned. Captions are also available on Hay Festival Anytime for events from 2022 onwards.
BLIND OR VISUALLY-IMPAIRED
We can send you the programme in Microsoft Word format, which can be enlarged and is more easily read by text-to-speech software. We are also happy to make bookings on your behalf, simply email accessibility@hayfestival.com if you require further help.
NEURODIVERGENT VISITORS
We welcome neurodivergent visitors. Please let us know if you’d like to avoid queuing; we can reserve a seat to suit you in the venue. There is a quiet room available on site – please ask a steward.
CARERS
If you need a carer to make it possible for you to attend our events, please call the Box Office on 01497 822 629 to secure free tickets for them.
PARKING
Disabled parking is available in the Car Park at Hay in aid of Macmillan – immediately opposite the Festival site. Blue Badge holders, please book in advance.
TOILETS
Disabled access toilets are available on the Festival site.
ASSISTANCE AND/OR GUIDE DOGS
Only Assistance Dogs and Guide Dogs are allowed onto the Festival site. If you wish to attend the Festival with an Assistance Dog or Guide Dog, you are welcome to either:
(a) Inform the staff at the entrance of the Festival that you wish to enter with your Assistance and/or Guide Dog on your day(s) of attendance; or
(b) Notify the Festival that you will be attending with your animal in advance – contact the Box Office by email on: accessibility@hayfestival.com
If your Assistance or Guide Dog is not immediately identifiable by an appropriate coat, harness, identification tag or any other means, Hay Festival retains the right to ask you to complete a self-certification form confirming that your animal is an Assistance or Guide Dog and is highly trained for these purposes.
We regret that you will not be able to attend the Festival with an emotional support animal.
You have sole responsibility for the behaviour and well-being of your Assistance and/or Guide Dog. Hay Festival reserves the right to remove or bar entry to any animal when it is exhibiting poor behaviour and/or poses a threat to the health and safety of others.
