The 10th Hay Music Festival is set to take place this weekend, from Friday September 12 to Sunday, September 14, bringing a rich programme of music, art, and discussion to Hay-on-Wye,

Venues that will host events over the three days include St Mary’s Church, Hay Castle, and Richard Booth’s Bookshop Cinema.

This year’s theme, Exiles and Émigrés, explores works by composers who were displaced from their homelands and the influence of exile on their music.

The renowned Fitzwilliam String Quartet returns as Ensemble in Residence, opening the festival on Friday evening with a concert at St Mary’s Church following an introduction to Charlotte Bray’s new work Ungrievable Lives by artist Caroline Burraway. The installation, displayed at Hay Castle throughout September, features 13 handmade children’s dresses made from refugee lifejackets, each representing one million of the 13 million child refugees worldwide.

Throughout the weekend, the festival offers a rich variety of performances and events. Kurdish musician Zanyar Hesami plays the saz and daf, while film screenings include The Kite Runner and Kesulat (Fields of War), accompanied by a post-screening Q&A with the filmmakers. Discussions led by festival founder Peter Florence will examine the plight of refugees, and Caroline Burraway will join Florence in conversation about her installation.

Music continues across the weekend with a Coffee Concert by Sinfonia Cymru, a performance by soprano Alysia Hanshaw with pianist Jay Carroll, and a jazz concert by the McQuaid Quartet. The festival closes on Sunday evening with a final concert at St Mary’s Church, celebrating three days of music, art, and reflection on the experiences of exiles and émigrés.

Tickets and further details are available on the Hay Music Festival event page on the Hay Music Trust website, which can be found at: www.haymusic.org/festival-events