"There is a crack in everything...that's how the light gets in". So goes the Leonard Cohen song from which our festival gets its name. And HowTheLightGetsIn brings its own special form of magic to everyone. There is no other place on the planet where you can spend your days meeting the world's leading thinkers and discovering the most cutting-edge ideas, before partying and dancing late into the night.

After delighting audiences in Hay-on-Wye for many years, HowTheLightGetsIn came to London in 2018, bringing wonder to the sumptuous gardens of Kenwood House in Hampstead Heath. We're back at the Heath on September 23rd and 24th, ready to spread curiosity and joy once again.

At HowTheLightGetsIn London 2023 you can join a debate about the nature of the universe with the world's top scientists, laugh until your sides hurt with the UK's best comedians, dance at our famous disco tent to the finest beats or dine with our speakers at Inner Circle events. Join us again at HowTheLightGetsIn Hay 2024,  24- 27 May, for another unmissable weekend.

HowTheLightGetsIn is not just another festival. There's something special in the air. It's alive with ideas in every field of endeavour. The programme has many names you will recognise but HowTheLightGetsIn is not about status or celebrity. We are about ideas and wonder and creating a space where everyone's imagination can flourish. Find the bands you've never heard of, discover ground-breaking ideas that have yet to make their mark, contribute yourself and your thoughts, and magic will come your way.