Fungi Town: Three day celebration comes to book town next month
Nation Cymru staff
Fungi Town returns to Wales next month, transforming one of the world’s most famous book towns into a three-day celebration of the remarkable world of fungi.
Taking place from 2-4 October 2026, Fungi Town, Hay-on-Wye, is a new kind of happening: a fungal takeover of an entire town in celebration of the weird and wonderful world of mushrooms, toadstools, lichens, moulds, and yeasts.
What began as a pop-up event in Hay Castle for UK Fungus Day 2024 is mushrooming into an annual celebration involving the whole town – from shops and businesses to schools and the local community.
Fungi Town is an annual three-day community led arts and science festival that celebrates fungi through talks, art, film, science and education.
Fungi Town 2025 brought together experts, growers, artists, and businesses for an exciting line up of fungi talks, workshops, films, exhibitions, feasts, art, music, and more. Hosted in Hay Castle and venues across town, the event was described as “the best community event in Hay ever!”
Led by a team of volunteers and enthusiasts, the event will bring together leading experts, growers, artists, and businesses for an exciting lineup of talks, workshops, films, exhibitions, feasts, art and more.
As Hay is transformed into the UK’s first ever Fungi Town, local shops will be dressing for the occasion. Take a tour of the town’s shop windows and choose your favourite display. People’s choice votes can be made at Oil & Oak (deliver to the GIANT mushroom).
You can also collect the letters on your journey, find them all and decipher the mushroom name and be entered into our prize draw for a chance to win an epic fungi award. Trail Maps can be found at Oil & Oak, Hay Castle and Londis, completed maps can be given in at Oil & Oak, deliver to the GIANT mushroom.
The Friday Foray invites guests to join seasoned guide, Head of Nature at The Lost Gardens of Heligan, and self-declared ‘mushroom tickler’ Dan Ryan, for a family-friendly fungi hunt through the hills above Hay. Whether you’re a curious beginner or experienced mycologist, all are welcome.
Dress for the weather, wear sturdy boots and, if you have them, bring a basket, small containers, penknife and hand lens.
The forage will be walking down to the Warren in Hay.
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Among other events, one talk asks: “How can mushrooms help clean up the River Wye?”
This talk will provide the very latest insights into the use of mycoremediation – the use of mushrooms to clean and filter water – in a rapidly growing project being undertaken by Flete Field Lab CIC. Alice Sophia Pefanis and Honor Wolf are jointly offering this talk.
They bring together expertise in mycology, fungal ecology, ecosystem restoration, and community engagement to support research, education, and practical environmental action.
Find the perfect gift for the mushroom lover in your life in Hay Castle’s pop-up fungal emporium, or join artist and printmaker Yuli Gates for a hands-on introduction to the art of lino printmaking, with a mushroom twist. In this workshop, you’ll learn traditional carving and printing techniques while exploring the fascinating process of creating natural printmaking inks from mushrooms, as detailed in the book and website which Yuli illustrated: The Mushroom Color Atlas.
Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Cordyceps, Turkey Tail: medicinal mushrooms are everywhere and promising miraculous results, but what does the evidence actually say? A beginner-friendly talk unpicks the evidence from the hype, explores the modern and traditional uses of medicinal fungi, and looks at how to identify good products.
A spokesperson from the Hay Castle Trust said: “Fungi Town is the first event of its kind in the UK – a fungal takeover of an entire town!
“Hosted in the beautifully renovated Hay Castle, and by shops and venues across Hay, this is a community-led and playful celebration of mushrooms in all their amazingness.
“Whether you’re a curious newcomer or a lifelong fanatic, join us for a weekend of discovery, creativity and connection — all inspired by the magic of fungi.”
With countless other events, the full programme can be found here.
Fungi Town takes pace from Friday, October 2 to Sunday, October 4, 2026. Centred at Hay Castle with events across local cafés, shops, and venues in Hay-on-Wye. Find out more and book events here.
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