What does the Hay Festival contribute economically and culturally?

Wavehill was commissioned by the Hay Festival Foundation to deliver independent impact assessments of both the 2025 Winter Weekend and the upcoming Spring Festival 2026. Our work is helping to build a robust evidence base on the year-round contribution of Hay-on-Wye’s flagship cultural events to the local economy and community.

We applied a structured economic impact framework, combining survey evidence, stakeholder and volunteer consultations, and input-output modelling. This enabled us to capture direct effects from festival delivery, supply chain activity, induced wage effects, and visitor expenditure—providing a comprehensive view of how festival activity generates local and regional value.

Key findings

• The event generated £2.35 million in GVA and supported 63 FTE jobs in Wales.
• Visitor spending drove impact, with over half of attendees travelling from outside Wales and 42% staying overnight, supporting local businesses beyond festival activities.
• Attendees reported clear benefits for wellbeing, learning, and community connection, with businesses and volunteers describing meaningful engagement and positive outcomes.
• Stakeholders described the event as a focal point for off-season activity, with businesses planning around increased demand and reporting full occupancy during the weekend.
• Volunteers contributed substantial hours and described participation in terms of civic contribution and connection to place.

Wavehill’s ongoing commission for Spring Festival 2026 will continue to build the evidence base, demonstrating the cumulative, year-round value of Hay Festival events for Hay-on-Wye’s economy and community