This weekend’s heatwave will no doubt have some book lovers in Hay wondering if this will be the hottest festival the town has seen on record.

Under shelter in the tents at the festival site punters have enjoyed over 150 events already. Rugby stars Mike Tindall and James Haskell headlined the first day of the festival on Thursday, 21 May, along with James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire of the Manic Street Preachers.

Friday, 22 May, saw Malala Yousafzai, actor Hugh Bonneville, comedians Cally Beaton and Tom Allen, author Matt Haig, and astronomer Sheila Kanani take to the stages. The evening closed with the Hay Festival Comedy Club, where comedians Tom Allen, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Limahl Germain, Suzi Ruffell and Jack Skipper had the Global Stage audience in stitches.

Saturday morning saw journalists and writers Adam Flemming, Poorna Bell, Janina Ramirez, Frederick Studemann and Emma Pinchbeck all come together to discuss the day’s news. Philosopher Carissa Veliz, feminist icon Gisele Pelicot, former politician David Miliband, comedian Dawn French, comedian and musician Tim Minchin and Paul Merton and Suki Webster headlined the rest of Saturday’s lineup.

On Sunday, 24 May, presenter Alex Jones was joined by righters Liv Little, Stephen Mangan, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, and Juliet Stevenson to discuss their favourite books and the Hay Festival Pleasure List. Michael Morpurgo, David Olusoga, Susie Dent, and Carol Kirkwood all hit the stages too.

Bank Holiday Monday saw more intense heat beat down on the festival site as the wonderful staff at Hay Festival aimed to make stages as well ventilated as possible. A morning political panel kicked off the day with recently resigned MP Jess Phillips replacing Andy Burnham’s spot on the stage. She was alongside North Herefordshire MP Ellie Chowns, political commentator for The Times Patrick Maguire, and chair of the event Julie Etchingham from ITV news.

Russell Kane, Clare Balding and Sandi Toksvig also starred on Bank Holiday Monday.