The pair will switch on Hay-on-Wye’s Christmas lights on Friday, 27 November, as part of Hay Festival Winter Weekend.

The free switch-on event, hosted by Hay Town Council and supported by Hay Chamber of Commerce, will take place at 6:15pm in Memorial Square, accompanied by carol-singing, food stalls, mulled wine and entertainment to start the Festival weekend.

Hay Festival Winter Weekend will run Thursday 26–Sunday 29 November 2026. Tickets are on sale at hayfestival.org/winter-weekend

Greg James is a Radio 1 DJ, television presenter and author, and has hosted the station’s flagship breakfast show since 2018. Chris Smith is a solo author of acclaimed Frankie Best Hates Quests, Clarity Jones and the Magical Detective Agency and The New Famous Five, a series inspired by Enid Blyton.

They are founding members of the Primary School Library Alliance – a campaign launched by Penguin Random House and the National Literacy Trust to address the lack of investment in UK primary school libraries – and were awarded the Ruth Rendell Literacy Award in 2024 for their work promoting literacy in schools. They will appear at the Festival to discuss their new festive children’s book Secret Santa.

Hay Festival CEO Julie Finch said: “We’re thrilled to be joined by Greg James and Chris Smith for our Christmas lights switch-on. Their stories have brought joy to so many young readers, and there’s no better way to launch Hay Festival Winter Weekend than by bringing the whole town together for a magical evening under the lights. See you there!”

Greg James and Chris Smith said: “We’re honoured to be taking part in the official Christmas light switch on in Hay-on-Wye ahead of our Hay Festival Winter Weekend event and to help spread the magic of Christmas around this wonderfully bookish town.

“Just like the characters in our book, we are number one fans of Christmas and we can’t wait to meet the families of Hay to share this joy. Speaking to young readers at events is one of our favourite experiences as authors and we always hope to make children laugh, feel inspired and generally have ajoyful experience celebrating the fun and magic of stories. We hope that Secret Santa will resonate with any young readers who loves Christmas or a good old spy story.”

Hay-on-Wye Town Mayor Fiona Howard said: “Christmas in Hay is always a magical time, and the lights switch-on is one of the highlights of our community calendar. We're delighted to be working alongside Hay Festival to bring everyone together for an evening of festive fun and to celebrate everything that makes our little town so special.”

Hay Festival Winter Weekend 2026 will offer a world of different experiences, as writers, artists and world-changers mark the turn of the season with new ideas, 26–29 November. Taking place in the grounds of Hay Castle in the heart of “the world’s first booktown” Hay-on-Wye, Wales, more than 60 artists will participate over four days.