Hay Festival Querétaro Celebrates Its 11th Anniversary with an Edition That Extends Beyond the State Capital
The Hay Festival Querétaro marks its 11th anniversary with an edition that expands beyond the state capital. From September 4 to 6, 2026, more than 107 participants from 14 countries—India, Cuba, El Salvador, Iran, Spain, Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, the United Kingdom, Kenya, Uganda, Nicaragua, France, and Mexico—will gather in the city for more than 70 events, including conversations, workshops, poetry readings, and lectures.
The festival’s International Director, Cristina Fuentes La Roche, defines this year’s edition around a central idea:
“In a world that changes faster than we are capable of understanding, the Hay Festival champions conversation, curiosity, and culture as tools for imagining new futures.”
She adds:
“For three days, Querétaro will once again become the place where writers, artists, scientists, and citizens come together to demonstrate that ideas remain one of the most powerful forces for transforming and strengthening our societies.”
The Festival Expands Beyond the Capital
This edition takes the festival to the municipalities of Colón and Huimilpan.
In Colón, journalist and author Lydia Cacho will present Un halcón bajo mi ventana, her first adult fiction novel.
In Huimilpan, Rosa Beltrán, Paulina Chavira, and Jesús Ramírez will discuss the anthology Tiro libre. Relatos cancheros sobre futbol.
Each municipality’s children’s orchestra will perform a recital before each discussion.
The director explained it in her own words:
“This year we are going to Huimilpan and Colón, which are two different parts of the state. Every year we go to different places.”
For Fuentes, bringing the festival to different communities is not merely a symbolic gesture, but part of year-round work with local communities, civil society organizations, and universities that becomes visible during those three days.
The most ambitious addition in 2026 is Hay Festival Presenta Morelia. On September 2, four events at the National School of Higher Studies (ENES) of UNAM in the capital of Michoacán will open the program before everything converges in Querétaro.
Participants include Colombian author Cristina Bendek, Mazahua writer Alfredo Guzmán Cayetano, Cuban author Elaine Vilar Madruga, and Spanish writer Pol Guasch.
107 Guests, International Topics, and a Curated Program
This year’s lineup brings together figures from diverse traditions.
Booker Prize winner Kiran Desai will present La soledad de Sonia y Sunny, a novel set partly in Mexico.
Spanish author María Dueñas will present Por si un día volvemos.
Argentine philosopher Darío Sztajnszrajber, journalist Alma Guillermoprieto, feminist activist María Galindo, and singer Vivir Quintana round out a program covering literature, artificial intelligence, geopolitics, feminism, journalism, and poetry.
Fuentes La Roche described the selection criteria as follows:
“We are not like a book fair that only invites authors with new literary releases. We are very interested in addressing important issues for both Mexico and the world while bringing in new voices. It is a balance between well-known voices, Mexican voices, international voices, authors with new books, and major themes that are relevant to the world we live in.”
Relaxed Sessions, Sign Language Interpretation, and Free Community Programming
The Hay Festival Comunitario will offer free activities in four districts of the city—Centro, Santa Rosa Jáuregui, Epigmenio González, and Cayetano Rubio—at children’s homes, DIF facilities, and cultural centers.
On Saturday, September 5, and Sunday, September 6, Alameda Hidalgo will host illustration workshops, puppet theater, storytelling sessions, and concerts by the Santiago de Querétaro Children’s and Youth Orchestra, all free of charge.
Several events in the main program will include Mexican Sign Language interpretation.
In addition, for the third consecutive year, the festival will offer relaxed sessions designed for neurodivergent individuals. These spaces provide greater tolerance for movement and noise, making the cultural experience more accessible for communities with different needs.
Tickets for the main program cost 10 pesos and are already available on the official Hay Festival website.
Beginning September 2, tickets will also be sold at the Teatro de la Ciudad box office.
Admission is free for university students, older adults, and people with disabilities.
Source: infobae
