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Hay-on-Wye to be transformed into the UK’s first Fungi Town this October
2–4 October 2026 | Hay-on-Wye
Hay-on-Wye, famous for its bookshops, literary festival and late ‘King’ Richard Booth, is adding fungi to its list of reasons to visit this autumn as the town once again becomes the UK’s first Fungi Town.
Following last year’s event, which attracted more than 2,000 visitors, Fungi Town returns from 2-4 October 2026 with another three-day celebration of the extraordinary world of fungi.
The event brings together mycologists, growers, artists, cooks, enthusiasts and curious visitors for a weekend of science, culture, food and discovery. Fungi Town explores the whole fungal kingdom, from mushrooms and toadstools to yeasts and moulds.
Highlights include:
• Talks on the cultural history of magic mushrooms, the wonder of stinkhorns, medicinal mushrooms, fungi conservation and how rethinking decay can transform your life..
• Leading fungal experts from organisations including Kew Gardens, Cardiff University, the Royal Horticultural Society and the National Museum of Wales.
• Fungi-inspired cooking, poetry, mushroom growing, paper making and fungi hunts.
• Films, food and drink, a musical ‘Puffball’, a street parade and a town-wide mushroom shop-window competition.
Events will take place at Hay Castle and The Globe at Hay, as well as in shops, restaurants and other venues across the town. Fungi Town is open for experts and beginners alike, offering the chance to discover some of the natural world's most remarkable and least understood species.
“There is so much to discover about fungi, but relatively few places where people can come together to celebrate them,” says Ed Fox, co-founder of Fungi Town. “We wanted to create a festival where experts and people who are simply curious about fungi could meet, learn and have a good time.
“Last year showed us just how much appetite there is for this. More than 2,000 people came to Hay, local businesses got behind the idea and volunteers helped turn the whole of Hay into Fungi Town. We’re looking forward to doing it all again, and making it even bigger and better in 2026.”
The full programme and information about visiting the town are available at www.fungitown.org.uk.
Fungi Town has been made possible with support from Herefordshire Community Foundation, Ashley Family Foundation, Hay Fund, Black Mountain Lions, Hay Castle Trust, Usk Valley Trust and generous individual supporters.