Hay Festival unveils six rising creatives for The Platform 2026 showcase

Nation.Cymru Team

Hay Festival has unveiled the final selection for The Platform, an opportunity for creatives aged 21–28 to showcase new work at the world-famous event in Wales.

The six successful artists whose work will be featured this year are: Emma-Louise Howell — writer (East Anglia), Flo Cornall – writer, journalist and poet (Derbyshire), Beth Lewis – sound artist and creative technologist (Pembrokeshire), Hannah Hoebeke – sculptor (Ghent, Belgium), Vignesh Venkataramaiah – spoken word poet, writer and producer (Birmingham), Scott Wearing — composer (Ceredigion)

These chosen artists will each share their work with audiences on Friday 29 May in the Festival’s Creative Hub, plus network with established artists over a three-day visit during Hay Festival, which takes place 21–31 May.

The Platform is a Hay Festival initiative to promote and develop young creative talent, supported with funding from the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust and Garrick Charitable Trust Foundation.

Applications to The Platform were open to a range of art forms, including theatre, poetry, digital art, live arts, film, audio and literature, with a focus on bringing together a diverse and representative group of artists from across the UK.

Immersive 

This year’s work spans themes of identity, environment, community and connection, inviting audiences to engage in immersive soundscapes, intimate conversations and powerful spoken word.

Hay Festival CEO Julie Finch said:“Hay Festival Global is a charity built on creative collaborations. The Platform is designed to support young artists in building connections, on stage and off, showcasing their work to our Festival audience while facilitating creative collaborations with established artists.

“These six young artists promise to offer a fresh perspective on how we relate to one another and the world around us, transforming the Festival site into a space for curiosity, reflection, and exchange.”

Flo Cornall said:“It is rare to find opportunities like this designed to uplift emerging artists and showcase their voice, especially within such a renowned event in the literary calendar as the Hay Festival.

“I am amped to be around such talent, engage with incredible writers, and spark a few important conversations along the way.”

Fresh programmes 

Hay Festival runs its 39th spring edition in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, with more than 600 events over 11 days, 21–31 May 2026.

Launching the best new fiction and non-fiction books, while sharing insights around global issues, the programme sees more than 600 artists, policymakers, pioneers and innovators take part from around the world.

A series of new initiatives and fresh programming strands feature across the programme:

• My Life in Books events see celebrities open their personal libraries
• Heard at Hay Festival panels spark thought-provoking debates
• America 250 conversations reflect on the changing face of a nation
• The Pleasure List campaign celebrates the joys of reading
• New genre days spotlight bestselling fiction
• Barrel of Laughs sessions spotlight funny people with new books
• Book to Screen events showcase adaptations in the MUBI Cinema
• Debut Discoveries series spotlights new writing talent
• The Platform elevates new creatives
• Matters of Taste demos take food from page to stage
• Creative Industry Insights sessions engage budding young creatives
• South to North Conversations explore international perspectives

Alongside the best new fiction and non-fiction, our changing world is drawn into focus with commentary from leading politicians, economists, historians and scientists, while journalists and commentators will reflect on the UK’s recent local elections.

Nights

Nights at the Festival are given over to great music, comedy and entertainment with a renewed focus on innovative, immersive event experiences, while a host of free pop-up activities and performances will delight audiences between sessions.

Free to enter, the Festival’s Dairy Meadows site in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park will also offer a range of spaces for audiences to explore and enjoy between events, including the Bookshop, BBC Marquee, Wild Garden, Make & Take Hub, a host of exhibitors and market stalls, cafés, and the Family Garden.

Discover the full programme online. Tickets are on sale here.