Spotlighting Tomorrow’s Voices: Hay Festival Announces The Platform 2026 Artists
As Hay Festival prepares to open its 39th spring edition in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, one of its most exciting annual initiatives has unveiled a new cohort of emerging creatives. The Platform—a programme designed to elevate artists aged 21–28—returns this year with six bold voices whose work spans poetry, sound art, sculpture, performance, and digital experimentation.
Described by Hay Festival CEO Julie Finch as a space “to support young artists in building connections, on stage and off,” The Platform has quickly become a vital launchpad for early‑career creatives. This year’s selection continues that momentum, offering audiences a glimpse into the future of artistic innovation across the UK and beyond.
The chosen artists—Emma‑Louise Howell, Flo Cornall, Beth Lewis, Hannah Hoebeke, Vignesh Venkataramaiah and Scott Wearing—will present their work on Friday 29 May in the Festival’s Creative Hub, alongside a three‑day programme of networking and creative exchange. Their projects explore identity, environment, community and connection, inviting festival‑goers into intimate, immersive and thought‑provoking encounters.
Emma‑Louise Howell — You Told Us To Talk About the Weather
Writer Emma‑Louise Howell brings a sharp, satirical lens to Britain’s favourite conversational crutch. Her new work interrogates the paradox between our national obsession with small talk and the thousands arrested for climate protest in recent years. Through poetry, interviews and humour, Howell asks how everyday conversation might become a catalyst for climate action. As she puts it, sharing her work at Hay feels “incredibly surreal… a genuine honour.”
Flo Cornall — Mabuhay Means Welcome
Derbyshire‑born writer and poet Flo Cornall draws on her British Filipino heritage in a performance that blends poetry, photography and storytelling. “A love letter to the Philippines,” the piece explores hyphenated identity, diaspora, and the sensory memories of food and family. Cornall, a Roundhouse Slam finalist and BBC New Creatives alum, says she is “amped to be around such talent” at Hay—an energy that radiates through her work.
Beth Lewis — Ebb & Flow
Pembrokeshire sound artist and creative technologist Beth Lewis invites audiences into a coastal dreamscape. Her installation, inspired by rock pools and deep listening, uses handcrafted cardboard sculptures embedded with speakers to create an immersive sonic environment. Seals, seabirds and shifting tides swell through the space, encouraging visitors to slow down and reconnect with the natural world. Lewis describes the opportunity to share this work at Hay as “incredible… bold, adventurous ideas truly celebrated.”
Hannah Hoebeke — Tea Talk
Belgian sculptor Hannah Hoebeke brings a socially engaged practice to Hay with Tea Talk, a one‑day performance blending conversation, portraiture and clay. Visitors sit with the artist for tea and dialogue while she sculpts their likeness—each new face replacing the last in a continuous act of connection. Hoebeke’s work, shaped by projects in Argentina, Belgium and Nepal, responds to growing social disconnection. Hay, she says, is “a place of storytellers and shared ideas,” making it the perfect setting.
Vignesh Venkataramaiah — In Between Tongues
Birmingham‑based spoken word artist Vig (Vig’s Poetry) presents a deeply personal exploration of belonging, neurodivergence and cultural identity. His performance weaves chant, fragmentation and rhythmic storytelling, drawing on previous works such as Bangalore to Britain and It’s Just a Flag. Honest and emotionally resonant, the piece challenges audiences to reconsider what it means to feel at home. Being selected, Vig says, “is a huge honour… you aren’t tossed into the ether if you are unsuccessful.”
Scott Wearing — Sonic Networks
Ceredigion composer and researcher Scott Wearing transforms live video into electronic soundscapes in this interactive installation. Using provided phones, participants explore their surroundings through a camera lens that converts sight into sound. Wearing’s work pushes beyond traditional notation, encouraging new forms of collaboration and responsiveness between performers and audiences. He describes the support from The Platform team as invaluable.
A Festival Rooted in Innovation
Running 21–31 May, Hay Festival 2026 features more than 600 events across literature, politics, science, food, comedy and global culture. New strands—including Debut Discoveries, Heard at Hay, Matters of Taste, and Creative Industry Insights—sit alongside long‑established favourites. The Platform stands out as a commitment to nurturing the next generation of creative talent, ensuring the festival remains a place where new ideas flourish.
As the Festival site transforms into a hub of curiosity and exchange, these six artists will help shape the conversations of tomorrow. Their work—spanning coastlines, kitchens, clay tables and digital landscapes—reflects the diversity and dynamism of contemporary creative practice.
For Welsh audiences, The Platform offers not just a showcase of emerging talent, but a reminder of the Festival’s enduring role in championing bold voices and new perspectives.