Thursday 26th May

• Event [3]
  All evening pass
  Venue: The Globe
   
  

  Live Session: Comedy

  FUNNY WOMEN AWARDS @ HOWTHELIGHTGETSIN - all evening pass

  All evening pass for Live and Night Sessions, plus Film and Comedy Sessions.
  

   

  The pioneers of female funniness bring the UK’s biggest giggle-inducing comedic stars to Hay.

   

  Tonight's acts include Suzy Bennett, Jo Neary and Salena Godden.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [804]
  Full festival pass
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  HotDocs Pass

  We'll be screening a selection of cutting-edge documentaries from around the globe in conjunction with BBC Four and TVF International and inviting you to special post-show talks with their directors. The HotDocs Pass gives you access to all of our documentary events across the ten-day festival.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [2]
  Thursday 26 May 2011
  7:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  Johan Degenaar: A Fairytale Philosopher

  From the film archives comes a unique look at a little-known philosopher, Johan Degennar, and his belief that fairytales can be seen as a way of understanding philosophy.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [4]
  Thursday 26 May 2011
  8:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session: Comedy

  Whose Award is it Anyway?

   Funny Women Awards @ HowTheLightGetsIn

   

  Funny Women is at the vanguard of nurturing and promoting female comedy talent, from new acts to the UK’s leading performers. Join us for a live comedy competition hosted by award winning comic Suzy Bennett and headlined by That Mitchell and Webb Look star Jo Neary.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [5]
  Thursday 26 May 2011
  10:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session: Comedy

  Salena Godden: Under The Pier

  Funny Women Awards @ HowTheLightGetsIn

   

  ‘Doyenne of the spoken word scene’ (BBC) and literary salon revivalist Salena returns to Hay with new work Under The Pier. Bursting with romanticism and longing, she’ll leave you captivated.

   

  ‘Like most artists of note - there is no one like her.’ - Lemn Sissay

  SOLD OUT

Friday 27th May

• Event [19]
  Friday 27 May 2011
  7:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  Bernard-Henri Lévy

  TVF International Double Bill

   

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  Dashing French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy recently came to prominence for his intervention in Libya. In this frank and compelling interview he discusses his personal and professional lives.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [15]
  All evening pass
  Venue: The Globe
   
  

  Live Session

  HOWTHELIGHTGETSIN OPENING PARTY - all evening pass

   All evening pass for Live and Night Sessions, plus Film and Comedy Sessions.

   

  From brogues to spandex, join us for our explosive opening party.

   

  Tonight's acts include The Correspondents, The Mandibles, Ben De Vere and The Bee's Knees.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [20]
  Friday 27 May 2011
  8:30pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  The 10 Conditions of Love

  TVF International Double Bill

   

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  Political exposé and human drama, this is the story of Rebiya Kadeer: successful entrepreneur, mother, suspected terrorist. Chinese authorities attempted to block its screening at the Melbourne International Film festival. This is a story that needs to be told.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [16]
  Friday 27 May 2011
  8:30pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  The Mandibles

   Combining gypsy swing with high energy, jump-jive, theatrical performances and an enchanting musical imagination, these festival favourites induce crowds into frenzied, arm flinging, toe tapping dance as they rollercoaster psychedelically through musical genres.

   

  ‘Upbeat, with a taste of ska, blues and psychedelic sea shanties.’ - Q Magazine

  SOLD OUT
• Event [17]
  Friday 27 May 2011
  10:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  The Correspondents

   Band of the moment The Correspondents bring their unique brand of swing-hop to Hay. Clad in spandex and spats, the super cool cats merge electro and hip-hop with classic 1920s and 30s jazz swing. They have shared stages with the likes of Basement Jaxx, Florence & The Machine and Bat for Lashes.

   

  ‘Pioneers’ - Guardian

  
  

  ‘The go-to party starters of the moment’ - Spoonfed

  SOLD OUT
• Event [21]
  Friday 27 May 2011
  10:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  Cosmic Origins - Talk and Film

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  Cosmic Origins is an award-winning movie which maps out our local neighbourhood in the Universe, the Milky Way galaxy, and explains the latest ideas from cosmologists about how our Galaxy was made.

  SOLD OUT

Saturday 28th May

• Event [55]
  Saturday 28 May 2011
  5:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Acoustic Session

  Gwilym Gold

  Electro pop hero gives us a teeny taster of his set before taking to the globe stage as part of tonight's party.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [67]
  All evening pass
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: Comedy

  Comedy Pass (Double Bill)

  All evening comedy pass for tonight's fantastic double bill: John-Luke Roberts and Henry Paker - see below for further details.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [68]
  Saturday 28 May 2011
  6:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: Comedy

  John-Luke Roberts Distracts you from a Murder

  John-Luke Roberts performs esoteric comedy to distract you from the bloody murder he will be committing during the show. A Guardian Pick of the Week, he's been awarded five stars by Time Out.

   

   ‘Brilliant solo debut’ - Independent

   

  NOTE - This event is included in THE SATURDAY SHINDING all evening pass below.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [69]
  Saturday 28 May 2011
  7:30pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: Comedy

  Henry Paker’s CABIN FEVER

  Join Henry Paker for an hour of observational, surreal and improvised stand up. A regular on Comedy Central and BBC Radio 4, he has written for Mock the Week and Eight out of Ten Cats.

   

  ‘A star’ - Chortle

   

  NOTE - This event is included in THE SATURDAY SHINDING all evening pass below.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [62]
  All evening pass
  Venue: The Globe
   
  

  Live Session

  THE SATURDAY SHINDIG - all evening pass

   All evening pass for Live and Night sessions, plus Film and Comedy Sessions.
  

   

  A wild, magical cabaret night of comedy, performance, film and some of the most danceable and exciting music around.

   

  Tonight's acts include Kyla la Grange, Gwilym Gold, Mount Kimbie, Ghostpoet and Client (dj set).

  SOLD OUT
• Event [63]
  Saturday 28 May 2011
  8:30pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Kyla la Grange

   Epic, widescreen pop with a keenly felt indie sensibility. Kyla's exquisitely smoky voice is laid over rich instrumentation to bewitching effect. Miss at your peril.

   

  ‘One of those precocious talents that everyone secretly fears’ - Guardian

  SOLD OUT
• Event [70]
  Saturday 28 May 2011
  9:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session

  Kieron Johnson

   Illusionist Kieron Johnson turns magic into performance art with a unique mixture of the strange, the bizarre and the beautiful. Be prepared to be stunned into silent amazement.

   

  ‘Mind-blowing’ - The List

  SOLD OUT
• Event [64]
  Saturday 28 May 2011
  9:15pm
  Venue: Lower Gallery
   
  

  Live Session

  Gwilym Gold

   Gwilym Gold, erstwhile Golden Silvers frontman, performs music from his forthcoming album, in one of the first live outings for his hotly awaited new project. Out later this summer, Gold’s new record was produced by Lexxx of Florence and the Machine and Arcade Fire fame.

   

   ‘A sparkling future’ - Independent

  SOLD OUT
• Event [71]
  Saturday 28 May 2011
  10:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  The First World

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  Multi-award winning documentary from the archives, examining the legacy of Pythagoras and Plato and their impact on the modern world. Includes historic footage of the American philosopher Richard Rorty.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [65]
  Saturday 28 May 2011
  10:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Mount Kimbie

  At the vanguard of the post-dubstep diaspora, Mount Kimbie float through hip-hop, jazz, techno and ambient, post-rock, UK garage and film scores. Cinematic and beautiful, their recent album ‘Crooks and Lovers’ has seen them win international praise and ‘leaves you wanting more’ (Guardian).

   

  ‘10/10: a triumph’ - iDJ Magazine 

  SOLD OUT
• Event [66]
  Saturday 28 May 2011
  11:45pm
  Venue: Lower Gallery
   
  

  Live Session

  Ghostpoet

  Off-kilter, loopy electronic ditties blessed with delightfully rambling musings on modern life. After instant Youtube stardom with ‘Cash and Carry Me Home’ and support from BBC Radio 1’s foremost taste maker Gilles Peterson, 2011 is very much Ghostpoet’s year.

   

  'Brilliant' - Mike Skinner 

  SOLD OUT

Sunday 29th May

• Event [89]
  Sunday 29 May 2011
  1:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Acoustic Session

  Small Engine Repair

  Now the Broken Family Band are broken, there's a vacancy to fill as England's premier indie-alt-Americana band. Step forward Small Engine Repair.

   

  'Absolutely brilliant' - Cerys Matthews, BBC 6 Music

  SOLD OUT
• Event [103]
  Sunday 29 May 2011
  4:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Gaz's Rockin Blues

  The son of blues legend John Mayall, Gaze began collecting records aged 17, buying cheap reggae and ska collections at street markets. In late 1986 he formed his band The Trojans, and has been running his label Gaz's Rockin' Records, producing ska acts from around the world. He gives a musically inflected talk before tonight's DJ set.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [119]
  Sunday 29 May 2011
  5:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  The Great Experiment

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  BBC Four HotDocs Triple Bill

   

  From the feminism of Germaine Greer to the right-wing economics of Friedrich Hayek, this is a unique opportunity to hear some of the most famous thinkers of our times - in their own words.

   

  In Association with The Open University.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [120]
  Sunday 29 May 2011
  6:30pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  What Makes Us Human?

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  BBC Four HotDocs Triple Bill

   

  In the 20th century, scientists, psychologists and philosophers sought to find out what makes human beings tick - is it nature or nurture?

   

  In Association with The Open University.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [113]
  All evening pass
  Venue: The Globe
   
  

  Live Session

  SUNDAY SPECIAL - all evening pass

   All evening pass for Live and Night Sessions, plus Film and Comedy Sessions.

  
  

  A spectacular night celebrating epic new talent. Expect multimedia, dancing lampshades and euphoric beats.

   

  Tonight's acts include Handshake, Peggy Sue, Lulu & the Lampshades, Man Like Me and Gaz Mayall.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [114]
  Sunday 29 May 2011
  8:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Peggy Sue

   Sweet, soulful acoustic pop peppered with weird sounds and funny, unusual stories. Kate Nash loved them so much she brought them out on tour with her, and Mumford & Sons are huge fans.

   

  ‘It worked for Simon and Garfunkel and man does it work for Peggy Sue’ - Clashmusic.com         

  SOLD OUT
• Event [121]
  Sunday 29 May 2011
  8:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  Storyville - Amnesty! When They Are All Free

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  BBC Four HotDocs Triple Bill

   

  Marking the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International, this BBC Four exclusive preview screening poses the fundamental question - has the human rights movement been able to hold back mankind's capacity for atrocity?

  SOLD OUT
• Event [115]
  Sunday 29 May 2011
  9:00pm
  Venue: Lower Gallery
   
  

  Live Session

  Handshake

   Ambitious NME-tipped London folk/blues/rock/roots six-piece inspired by Billy Bragg, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and The Levellers.Guaranteed to get you dancing.

   

  ‘Outrageously uplifting’ - Music Week

  SOLD OUT
• Event [116]
  Sunday 29 May 2011
  10:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Man Like Me

   Cool kids about town Man Like Me electrified crowds at HowTheLightGetsIn last year with a euphoric set that left us buzzing for more. We've had a year to wait but now they're back. The 'carnavalesque kings' return to Hay to set feet and hearts on fire.

   

  'The Men of the moment' - NME

  SOLD OUT
• Event [117]
  Sunday 29 May 2011
  11:00pm
  Venue: Lower Gallery
   
  

  Live Session

  Lulu & the Lampshades

  From ukuleles, violins and drums to dancing lampshades, pyjamas and plastic cartons, pop-folk doesn’t get more uplifting than this.

   

  ‘Music so cheery, it could advertise fun’ - Guardian

  SOLD OUT

Monday 30th May

• Event [161]
  Monday 30 May 2011
  7:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  Afghanistan: Behind Enemy Lines – Director's Talk and Film

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  TVF Double Bill

   

  A new frontline has opened in Afghanistan. Thousands of Taliban and mujahedin soldiers have moved into the north of the country, further stretching the ISAF forces' attempts to contain the insurgency.

   

  Director Jamie Doran introduces the film.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [157]
  All evening pass
  Venue: The Globe
   
  

  Live Session

  THE CABARET FUTURA PARTY - all evening pass

   All evening pass for Live and Night sessions, plus Film and Comedy Sessions.

   

  Our favourite oddball returns to the globe with a stunning selection of illusion, song, story and theatre.

   

  This pass includes Richard Strange presents, Ana Silvera and Barty.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [158]
  Monday 30 May 2011
  8:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Richard Strange presents

  Cabaret Futura legend and Hay favourite Richard Strange returns to the Globe with a stunning selection of illusion, song, story and theatre.

   

  Richard strange presents
  

  The superbly entertaining personality strums, sings, spins stories and comperes an electric night of fantastic talent. 

  
  

  ‘A seminal figure at the crossroads of art, music, film and counter-culture’ - Independent

  
  

  
  

  Kieron Johnson

  Illusionist Kieron Johnson turns magic into performance art with a unique mixture of the strange, the bizarre and the beautiful. Be prepared to be stunned into silent amazement.

  
  

  ‘Mind-blowing’ - The List

  
  

   

   Lail Arad

  Having already seen comparisons to Moldy Peaches’ Kimya Dawson and Martha Wainwright, the wonderful Lail Arad brings her sultry songs to Hay.

  
  

   ‘ Playful, wry folk-tinged stories, full of humour and deliciously crafted ’ - BBC

  
  

  Joe May

  For May, all the world’s a stage and, using awe-inspiring mask, clowning, mime, juggling and acrobatics, he tells stories and creates improvisatory theatre wherever he goes.

   

  ‘The best street show I have ever seen’ - Steven Berkoff

  SOLD OUT
• Event [162]
  Monday 30 May 2011
  9:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  Africa Rising - Director's Talk and Film

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  TVF Double Bill

   

  Narrated by Tilda Swinton and shot on a grand scale across great swathes of land, this controversial and colourful documentary highlights the failure of western policies in Africa, asking whether it is time to reconsider the role of aid workers on the continent.

   

  Director Jamie Doran introduces the film.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [159]
  Monday 30 May 2011
  10:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Ana Silvera

  The Liberal calls Silvera epic and intimate, with songs that offer us a landscape of the human heart. Hers is a tapestry carefully crafted, often woven with the fabric of mythic tales, told with tender insight and in wry, seductive tones.

   

  ‘A songsmith whose music simply aches beauty’ - Time Out

  SOLD OUT

Tuesday 31st May

• Event [181]
  Tuesday 31 May 2011
  5:30pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Acoustic Session

  Jake Morley

  With the support of Dermot O'Leary at Radio 2 and regular live acoustic sessions, Jake's ambitious pop sound is unmissable.

   

  'Jake Morley and his impressive band more than have what it takes' - Independent

  SOLD OUT
• Event [189]
  Tuesday 31 May 2011
  7:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  Chasing God

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  TVF International Triple Bill

   

  Narrated by Dawn French, this film asks why 75% of humans believe in a higher power. Scientists, atheists and religious leaders explore the motivation of mankind for believing in something bigger and more powerful than ourselves.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [185]
  All evening pass
  Venue: The Globe
   
  

  Live Session

  R&R AT THE GLOBE - all evening pass

   All evening pass for Live and Night sessions, plus Film and Comedy sessions.

   

  After the bank holiday madness, enjoy an evening of beauty and melancholic musings.

   

  Tonight's acts include Bard, Pirouette and Camille O'Sullivan.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [186]
  Tuesday 31 May 2011
  8:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Bard

   Old folk hits a new groove as three troubadours collide in rich harmony, with songs carried by guitar, accordion, clarinet and vocals. It's a sound, it's a sight, and it's a vibe.

   

  'Troubadour Bard blends a love of traditional songs... in songs infused with astute observations of modern life.' - Time Out      

  SOLD OUT
• Event [190]
  Tuesday 31 May 2011
  8:30pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  The Teacher

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  TVF International Triple Bill

   

  This film takes the viewer on a reflective journey revealing the teachings of the Dalai Lama set against the dramatic backdrop of the Himalayas. Features exclusive interviews.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [187]
  Tuesday 31 May 2011
  9:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Pirouette

   Gifford’s Circus’ official touring band bring thier tongue-twisting cross channel collective to the globe. Merging French Brass Fanfare, Ska, Reggae, Balkan, and Afro Beat, prepare to be thrown headfirst into a frenzy of mind-blowing, toe-tappingly tantalising songs.

   

  ‘Gorgeous, effortless gypsy chic’ - Music Today 

  SOLD OUT
• Event [191]
  Tuesday 31 May 2011
  10:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  Drilling For Art

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  TVF International Triple Bill

   

  If your country has no cultural history, can you simply buy one? Drilling for Art focuses on Dubai and its ambitious plan to create an entire culture from scratch.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [188]
  Tuesday 31 May 2011
  10:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Camille O'Sullivan

  Fresh from sell-out shows at the Sydney Opera House and London's Royal Albert Hall, Time Out cover star and 'singe of the moment' Camille O'Sullivan sashays her bittersweet stories and melancholic musings to Hay. The Telegraph says 'When she sings it's as though her breath is soaked in paraffin; one spark, and the whole room would ignite.' Miss at your peril.

   

  ''We gave Camille five stars; we'd give her six if we could' - Metro

  SOLD OUT

Wednesday 1st June

• Event [208]
  Wednesday 1 June 2011
  2:30pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: Comedy

  Rosemary Dun

  A Bristol poet, MC and stand-up. Rosemary has performed at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Polyverse Poetry Festival, SWALK, and Winchester Writers Conference. She is also an Associate Lecturer in Creative Writing at The Open University.

   

  'Her deceptively disarming tone hides a satirical wit that's sharper than a pair of stilettos (and we're not talking shoes)' - Venue Magazine

  SOLD OUT
• Event [213]
  Wednesday 1 June 2011
  5:30pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: Comedy

  Trevor Lock Preview

  Philosophical comedy genius pioneers new material from his forthcoming Edinburgh show before taking to the stage for tonight's Globe party.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [220]
  Wednesday 1 June 2011
  7:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  Heavy Load - Director's Talk and Film

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  Heavy Load is a punk outfit subject to the inflammatory mix of ego, fantasy and desire that fuels any emerging band. The band is also, uniquely, made up of musicians with and without learning disabilities.

   

  Director Jerry Rothwell introduces the film.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [214]
  All evening pass
  Venue: The Globe
   
  

  Live Session

  WICKED WEDNESDAY PARTY - all evening pass

   All evening pass for Live and Night Sessions, plus Film and Comedy Sessions.

   

   A spectacular one-off line-up of some of the most original comedians in the UK, followed by some wild dancing.

   

  Tonights acts include Luke Wright, Helen Arney, Trevor Lock, Helen Keen and Mad Jack and the Hatters.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [215]
  Wednesday 1 June 2011
  8:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Luke Wright

   'The hardest working man in poetry' brings his Cynical Ballads to Hay: fiendishly funny insight as dry as an overcooked chicken.

   

  'Visceral, poignant and riotously funny' - The Scotsman

  SOLD OUT
• Event [216]
  9pm onwards
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Comedy Session

  Comedy Triple Bill

  Helen Arney, Trevor Lock and Helen Keen

   

  Three of the UK's best stand-up comedians head to the Globe.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [216]
  Wednesday 1 June 2011
  9:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Comedy Session

  Helen Arney

   After wowing crowds at the HowTheLightGetsIn launch at London's Roundhouse, Helen Arney brings her unwaxed legs and Countdown obsession to Hay. Expect quirky, wry, lyrically intelligent ukulele-based musical comedy from the queen elect of this little-known genre.

   

  'Champion of musical whims' - Evening Standard

  SOLD OUT
• Event [221]
  Wednesday 1 June 2011
  9:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  Donor Unknown - Director's Talk and Film

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  Donor Unknown is a film about a new kind of 'family'. Linked by their connection to a single sperm donor, parents and children are creating and navigating a new set of relationships.

   

  Director Jerry Rothwell introduces the film.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [217]
  Wednesday 1 June 2011
  9:30pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Comedy Session

  Trevor Lock

   Fresh from sharing a stage with Stewart Lee and Russell Brand, one of the most original acts in comedy makes his way to Hay. Mixing cleverly crafted wordplay with stream of consciousness, his raucous weekly comedy showcase Trevor Lock's Philosophy Society ran for 18 months to sell out audiences in Leicester Square.

   

  ‘Strangely charming and irresistible. Utterly improbable, absolutely entertaining.’ - Independent

  SOLD OUT
• Event [218]
  Wednesday 1 June 2011
  9:50pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Comedy Session

  Helen Keen

  After her hit BBC Radio 4 series about the history of space travel It Is Rocket Science! (''A pithy sweet programme... with a joke-stuffed script" - Miranda Sawyer, Observer) and guest appearances on the Uncaged Monkeys tour, Helen Keen brings her enthusiastic, award-winning comedy to Hay on Wye.

  
  
  ''This sophisticated rising star is one to watch' - Guardian

  
  
  'Adorably eccentric... Embodies all the best things about intellectual comedy. Smart without being elitist, and with just the right amounts of sincerity and sarcasm' - Spoonfed

  SOLD OUT
• Event [219]
  Wednesday 1 June 2011
  10:30pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Mad Jack and the Hatters

  After the laughter, comes the dancing. Mad Jack and The Hatters’ mission statement is to bring music with attitude, atmosphere, and a crazily good beat to the people of Hay. Join us to celebrate the launch of their new album, Beware of The Dog, and enjoy a dose of high energy rockabilly drawing on 1920s to 1960s Americana. Silly hats welcome.

   

  ‘You won’t be able to stop dancing’ - Spoonfed

  SOLD OUT

Thursday 2nd June

• Event [240]
  Thursday 2 June 2011
  5:30pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session

  Dizraeli and Angry Sam Preview

  Dizraeli has two UK performance poetry slam championships under his belt. Need we say more? Angry Sam will be delivering superbly crafted poems of politics and love.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [244]
  Thursday 2 June 2011
  7:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  Brains on the Box: turning philosophy into television

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  BBC Four Triple Bill

   

  Jonty Claypole, of BBC Four's forthcoming series In Their Own Words: Great Thinkers, looks at how some of the great minds of the 20th century have used television to communicate their ideas.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [241]
  All evening pass
  Venue: The Globe
   
  

  Live Session

  THURSDAY EXTRAVAGANZA - all evening pass

   All evening pass for Live and Night Sessions, plus Film and Comedy Sessions.

   

   Wormfood, London’s premier party starters, come to Hay with a selection of the best festival acts in the UK.

   

  Tonight's acts include MC Xander, Dizraeli and the Small Gods and Ewan Hoozami.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [245]
  Thursday 2 June 2011
  8:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  JUSTICE - A CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO THE 21st CENTURY

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  BBC 4 Controller Richard Klein will introduce the film and discuss it with audience members after the screening.

   

  There's a plane over London with a bomb on it. You have a suspect in custody, but he is refusing to speak. Can you torture him if you genuinely believe it will save hundreds of lives?

   

  This hypothetical scenario is just one of the moral dilemmas posed by renowned Harvard professor Michael Sandel in this documentary. Filmed in Boston, Berlin, London and Athens, it is an extraordinary philosophical travelogue which combines the biographies of three leading thinkers from the Enlightenment and the Ancient World with a thought-provoking examination of modern ideas of social justice and citizenship.

   

  This thought-provoking film includes interviews with contemporary philosophers, politicians and thinkers from all around the globe.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [242]
  Thursday 2 June 2011
  8:30pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  MC Xander

   UK festival favourite uses nothing more than his voice, a mic, an fx box and a loop-pedal to create intricate, multilayered music that enchants, amazes and moves. Beautiful choir-esque melodies mix with fat beatbox and growling dubby sub-bass, topped with Xander’s conscious brand of lyricism. Dj and comedy hero Stephen Merchant calls him ‘breaktaking’.

   

  “By far the most musical, and for me, the most talented beat-boxer out there” - Eddy Temple-Morris – XFm DJ

  SOLD OUT
• Event [246]
  Thursday 2 June 2011
  9:30pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  The First Movie

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  BBC Four Triple Bill

   

  Filmed in a village in the north of Iraq, The First Movie explores and revels in the magic of children's imaginations against the backdrop of a troubled region where thousands of families have been expelled from their traditional villages.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [243]
  Thursday 2 June 2011
  10:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Dizraeli and the Small Gods

  Drawing as much inspiration from sea shanties and folk ballads as from the grit of the city, Dizraeli and the Small Gods bridge the divide between folk traditions and hiphop invention, rural and urban, heart and head. With BBC Poetry Slam Champion Dizraeli on the mic, World Female Beatbox Champion Bellatrix on the beatbox and a supernaturally gifted 7 piece band, the Small Gods have played Glastonbury’s West Holts stage, the Eden Project and the South Bank.

   

  ‘Music so fresh, it defies definition' - New Music Transmission

  SOLD OUT

Friday 3rd June

• Event [273]
  Friday 3 June 2011
  5:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session

  Matthew Hammond

   Take a rollercoaster ride through the history of philosophy as Matthew Hammond jumps about the stage making theatre out of all those books you meant to read.

   

  'Dynamic, dangerous and highly original' - Liv Torc

  SOLD OUT
• Event [277]
  Friday 3 June 2011
  7:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  A Bipolar Expedition – Director's Talk and Film

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  The extraordinary story of Paul Downes, a 49-year-old businessman with bipolar disorder, who in 2009 invited 12 young Ukranian women, some of them part-time models, to join him in a Jamaican castle.

   

  Director Mark James introduces the film.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [274]
  Friday 3 June 2011
  8:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Hannah Peel

  Elegant, beautiful, understated songs from one of the UK's rising folk stars. She's collaborated with Tunng, the Unthanks and Nitin Sawney and is one to watch for 2011.

   

  ‘Surprising boldness combined with cool restraint’ - Guardian

  SOLD OUT
• Event [272]
  All evening pass
  Venue: The Globe
   
  

  Live Session

  THE FRIDAY KNEESUP - all evening pass

   All evening pass for Live and Night Sessions, plus Film and Comedy Sessions.

   

   An evening of progressive, beautiful, danceable folk with some of the rising stars of this island’s burgeoning scene.

   

  Tonight's acts include Hannah Peel, Handshake, Jim Moray and Ewan Pearson.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [275]
  Friday 3 June 2011
  9:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Plaster of Paris

   'Hot as Hades, cool as Cuba': HowTheLightGetsIn favourites Plaster of Paris return with an expanded band performing original songs with a unique folk style. Inhabiting a liminal zone somewhere between Kate Bush on laughing gas and Diamanda Galas on tranks, East London songstress Molly Carroll combines a kazoo, a gramaphone, a fifties bathing-suit, captivating style and a super-hot band...

  
  
  'mesmerising.... beguilingly mellow.... a rare thrill' - Paul Roylance, No Ripcord

  SOLD OUT
• Event [278]
  Friday 3 June 2011
  9:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  David Malone: The Secret Lives of Waves - Director's Talk and Film

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  Acclaimed documentary-maker David Malone delves into the secret life of ocean waves. In this elegant and highly poetic film he discovers a surprising connection between the life cycle of waves and human mortality.

   

  Director David Malone introduces the film.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [276]
  Friday 3 June 2011
  10:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Jim Moray

   Inventive reimaginings of English traditional folk music blended with orchestral flourishes, guitars and electronics. A slew of album awards and major performances at Glastonbury, Cambridge Folk Festival and WOMAD all prepare him for…. Hay-On-Wye!

   

  ‘Ambitious and radical post-millennial takes on the genre’ - BBC

  SOLD OUT

Saturday 4th June

• Event [298]
  Saturday 4 June 2011
  2:30pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Acoustic Session

  Emily Baker

  A veteran of The Secret Garden Party and The Great Escape Festival, Emily has toured with Beth Rowley, Frank Turner and Gabriella Climi.

   

  'That's a hell of a set of lungs you've got on you' - Pete Doherty

  SOLD OUT
• Event [40]
  Saturday 4 June 2011
  5:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Acoustic Session

  Jane Taylor

  Acclaimed songwriter Jane Taylor has opened for Jools Holland, Paolo Nutini, Paul Buchanan, Seth Lakeman and the legendary Bill Wyman.

   

  'Exceptional' - Time Out

  SOLD OUT
• Event [322]
  All evening pass
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: Comedy

  Comedy Pass (Triple Bill)

  All evening comedy pass for tonight's fantastic triple bill: Tony Law, Issy Suttie and Broderick Chow - see below for further details.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [323]
  Saturday 4 June 2011
  6:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: Comedy

  Tony Law

  Chortle calls him a ‘demented genius’, whilst the Metro gives him five stars. Tony Law’s standuppy, sketchy, improvisational, arty little comedy show is for ‘people who are already funny.’

   

   ‘Clever and blithely zany, just what the doctor ordered’ - Telegraph

  SOLD OUT
• Event [324]
  Saturday 4 June 2011
  7:30pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: Comedy

  Isy Suttie presents Pearl and Dave

  Best known as Dobby in Channel 4's Peep Show, Isy Suttie previews her brand new Edinburgh show Pearl and Dave. A thoroughly modern tale of a couple who meet online, narrated through their emails and webchats, Pearl and Dave is a funny and heartbreaking musical odyssey through cyberlove.

   

  ‘Comedy with heart and soul’ - Chortle

  SOLD OUT
• Event [318]
  All evening pass
  Venue: The Globe
   
  

  Live Session

  SHOOTING STAR PARTY - all evening pass

   All evening pass for Live and Night Sessions, plus Film and Comedy Sessions.

   

   Join us for a monster final night party with three of the most danceable bands in the world.

   

  Tonight's acts include Monster Ceilidh Band, United Vibrations, The Worm and Julio Bashmore.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [319]
  Saturday 4 June 2011
  8:30pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  Monster Ceilidh Band

   Twisted folk-driven quartet that is built to fuel good vibes and stomping mayhem. They’ve taken their cross-genre ceilidh music all over the world, entertaining generations new and old whilst retaining the true spirit of ceilidh dancing – getting up and having a party.

   

   “A Godzilla of a band with talent as deep as Loch Ness” - Jez Lowe

  SOLD OUT
• Event [325]
  Saturday 4 June 2011
  9:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: Comedy

  Broderick Chow and the Centre for Dangerology

  Brody's on a big adventure: He's packed his compass, Canadian sense of justice and sandwiches. And just maybe, this time round, he'll finally destroy capitalism. Problem is, how do you get started? 'Easy, Tiger!' is a dynamic mix of stand-up, theatre and multimedia lecture, a comedy romp through the Marxist wilderness.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [326]
  Saturday 4 June 2011
  10:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  Peep Culture

  Peep Culture plunges the lonely and ornery pop culture writer Hal Niedzviecki into reality TV and the internet in an effort to understand how human communication, friendship and social connection are changing.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [320]
  Saturday 4 June 2011
  10:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  United Vibrations

   This pioneering London quartet draw on 70s funk, rock, hip-hop and drum and bass to create their own brand of hi-tempo dance music. They deliver the intelligence of Jazz through the medium of popular song, with a rawness more akin to an Old Skool Hip-Hop track or Punk Rock anthem.

   

  'The best new band I've ever seen' - Shock Magazine

  SOLD OUT
• Event [321]
  Saturday 4 June 2011
  11:00pm
  Venue: Lower Gallery
   
  

  Live Session

  The Worm

   Fabulous trio fusing African melodies, garage shuffles, reggae skanks, soulful vocals and party raps, with percussion, trumpet and vocals. Fresh from a European tour and appearances at Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, and Lovebox, they are guaranteed to make you wriggle.

   

  'Wonderfully random' - Gilles Peterson

  SOLD OUT

Sunday 5th June

• Event [356]
  Sunday 5 June 2011
  12:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session

  Tina McBain and Maartin Alcock: M74

  Join us for the world premiere of this brand new project featuring three distinguished and hugely experienced performers: vocalist Tina McBain (Eleanor Rigby Experience), internationally renowned multi-instrumentalist Maartin Allcock (Fairport Convention/Jethro Tull) and clasically trained pianist Nigel Merritt.

  SOLD OUT
• Event [347]
  Sunday 5 June 2011
  2:30pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Acoustic Session

  Kill it Kid

  'Kill it Kid are brave, raw talent' - BBC Newsbeat

  SOLD OUT
• Event [357]
  Sunday 5 June 2011
  4:00pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Acoustic Session

  Jonathan Powell

  Fresh from performing stateside at the world famous SXSW Festival, Jonathan will be playing his own brand of urban folk with songs from his new album The Flight and Other Stories.

   

  'Mighty ambitious' - Miniature Music Press

  SOLD OUT
• Event [358]
  Sunday 5 June 2011
  5:00pm
  Venue: Globe Hall
   
  

  Live Session

  SUNDAY SHOWDOWN - all evening pass

  The end is nigh. Join us for a life-affirming concert given by Wales' foremost choir.

   

  Blaenavon Male Voice Choir

   

  Recently featured on the BBC series Coal House, Wales' leading choir closed last year's festival to rapturous applause with not a dry eye in the house. They've toured from Norway and Hungary to France and Canada. We are delighted to welcome them back to celebrate their 101st anniversary with an uplifting Sunday set to send you home in a euphoric mood.

   

  'Light shining in their eyes' - Los Angeles Times

  SOLD OUT
• Event [359]
  Sunday 5 June 2011
  5:30pm
  Venue: The Stage
   
  

  Live Session: HotDocs

  Sacred Weeds

  Buy a HotDoc Ticket and see any other HotDoc for free. Valid throughout the festival.

   

  The viwer is thrown into a world of cultural ritual as volunteers are given hallucinogenic legal substances, some previously unknown, and a team of scientists carry out experiments and debate the physical and mental effects.

  SOLD OUT