Hay Festival Cartagena 2027

Hay Festival Cartagena is the Colombian edition of the international Hay Festival, which originated in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, in 1988 and now runs events across Europe, the Americas, and beyond. The Cartagena edition has taken place each January since 2006, using the historic walled city as its backdrop for four days of literary talks, panels, workshops, and performances.

What makes Hay Cartagena distinctive

The festival brings together novelists, essayists, poets, scientists, journalists, and thinkers from across the Spanish-speaking world and internationally. Events are conducted in Spanish and English, with simultaneous interpretation available for most main-stage sessions. The programming deliberately mixes literary discussion with current affairs, science, politics, and the arts — a reflection of the broader Hay Festival ethos that ideas from different fields enrich each other.

The setting is inseparable from the experience. Events take place at venues within or immediately adjacent to Cartagena’s walled city: the Club de Pesca, Teatro Adolfo Mejia, the Centro de Convenciones, and outdoor spaces in the historic plazas. January evenings in Cartagena are warm and clear, and the combination of colonial architecture with literary debate gives the festival an atmosphere that is genuinely hard to replicate elsewhere.

Programme and tickets for 2027

The 2027 edition runs 23 to 26 January. The programme is typically released in December via the official Hay Festival website, where tickets are also sold. Individual event tickets in recent editions have ranged from approximately COP 25,000 to COP 80,000, with day passes and full-festival passes also available. Some events, particularly outdoor performances and community sessions, are free.

The festival sells out popular events quickly, particularly sessions featuring high-profile international authors. If you are travelling specifically for the festival, identify your priority sessions early and book tickets as soon as they go on sale, rather than hoping to buy at the door.

Getting to Cartagena in January

January is high season on the Caribbean coast. Cartagena’s Rafael Nunez Airport receives direct flights from Bogota, Medellin, Barranquilla, and several international routes. Book flights and accommodation months in advance if you are visiting for the festival — hotels inside the walled city and in Getsemani fill rapidly in early January.

The festival venues are all walkable from accommodation inside or just outside the walls. Evening events finish at a reasonable hour, making it practical to combine festival attendance with exploring the city’s restaurants and bars.

What to bring

January in Cartagena means heat and humidity: daytime temperatures reach 31 to 33 degrees Celsius, cooling slightly in the evenings. Light linen or cotton clothing is appropriate for all festival events. Carry a water bottle, sunscreen for daytime movement between venues, and a light layer for air-conditioned indoor spaces.

For city orientation, see our Cartagena city guide and our Colombia in January guide.