Hay-on-Wye will once again become the UK’s first Fungi Town this autumn, as the fascinating world of fungi takes over the town from 2–4 October 2026.
Following the success of last year’s inaugural festival, which welcomed more than 2,000 visitors, Fungi Town returns with a packed programme celebrating everything from mushrooms and toadstools to yeasts and moulds. Mycologists, growers, artists, cooks and curious visitors will come together to discover just how important – and surprising – the fungi kingdom can be.
There’s something for every interest, with talks exploring the cultural history of magic mushrooms, medicinal fungi, stinkhorns, conservation and the essential role of decay in our natural world. Experts from Kew Gardens, Cardiff University, the Royal Horticultural Society and the National Museum of Wales will be among those sharing their knowledge.
Away from the talks, the weekend promises plenty of hands-on and creative activities. Visitors can try fungi-inspired cooking, mushroom growing and paper making, join fungi hunts, enjoy films, poetry, food and drink, and look out for the musical ‘Puffball’. A colourful street parade and town-wide mushroom window competition will add to the fun, with businesses and venues throughout Hay getting involved.
Events will take place at Hay Castle and The Globe at Hay, as well as in shops, restaurants and other locations around the town – making the festival as much a celebration of Hay’s community as it is of fungi.
Co-founder Ed Fox says the aim is to create a welcoming space where experts and those simply curious about fungi can meet, learn and enjoy themselves. Judging by last year’s response, there is certainly an appetite for it.
Find the full programme and visitor information at: fungitown.org.uk.
