Hay Festival Cartagena Runs 28 to 31 January 2027

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COLOMBIA · FESTIVALS

The Hay Festival Cartagena returns from Thursday 28 to Sunday 31 January 2027, filling the old Caribbean port with authors and musicians. It is the Colombian edition of a literary festival that began in Wales.

Ticket sales for the Hay Festival Cartagena open in November 2026, says the organiser, but the day and prices are not yet named. The festival’s own box offices in Cartagena open from Monday 25 January 2027.

What the Festival Is and Why It Matters

The Hay Festival began in Wales and reached Colombia in 2006, according to the newspaper El Tiempo. The 2026 edition in Cartagena was the 21st, says the festival’s own website.

The Hay Festival Cartagena programme mixes literature, visual arts, cinema, music, geopolitics, journalism and the environment. Talks, readings and round tables bring writers and thinkers face to face with the public.

The 2026 edition listed 141 events in Cartagena alone and 197 across Cartagena, Jericó, Medellín and Barranquilla. More than 180 participants from 25 countries took part, the organiser said.

In January 2026 the guest list included Mexican actor Diego Luna, Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez and Spanish novelist Javier Cercas. American author Amor Towles and British lawyer Philippe Sands were also on the bill.

No 2027 programme has been published, so no guest can be confirmed. For readers who follow books and ideas, the Hay Festival Cartagena is one of the few places in Colombia where this crowd gathers.

Dates, Tickets and How to Buy

The festival’s ticket page says the 2027 edition will run from 28 to 31 January, which is Thursday to Sunday. The organiser’s Cartagena box offices stay open to Sunday 31 January.

The same page says online tickets will be on sale in November, without a day or a year. For the 2026 edition, online sales opened on 19 November 2025, which is a useful guide, not a promise.

Tickets are sold through the festival’s own online box office and its two box offices in Cartagena. The page names Gema Tours S.A.S as the company behind the purchase terms.

Its terms say a guest who cannot attend must notify the festival by Monday 11 January 2027. Bank fees are deducted from any refund, so read the terms before paying.

Prices for 2027 are not published, and the 2026 launch release listed none either. We will not quote a price until the organiser does.

Some entry at the Hay Festival Cartagena is free. In 2026 that covered holders of a Bolívar identity card on the last two days, and university students on request.

The Venues and How to Get There

The organiser’s box offices are at the Centro de Convenciones and the Teatro Adolfo Mejía, so those two sites are the likely hubs. The 2026 edition also used the Hotel Santa Clara and the University of Cartagena, Radio Nacional de Colombia reported.

The festival has not published a 2027 venue list, so check the programme before booking a hotel. The ticket page still shows a venue list headed with last cycle’s year.

Cartagena’s old walled city is the setting visitors associate with the festival, and it is compact enough to explore on foot. Check current taxi and ride-hailing options on arrival, as we have not confirmed fares.

Official forecasts for late January 2027 are not available yet. Carry water and sun protection to any open-air event.

Tips for US and Foreign Visitors

US citizens can enter Colombia as tourists for up to 90 days without a visa, Colombia’s foreign ministry told El Tiempo. A valid passport is the entry requirement, so check its expiry date before booking.

Book a hotel early, because a festival weekend can fill the old city. Hotel prices for those dates are not confirmed, so compare rates on a few booking sites.

Keep a copy of your passport, and avoid carrying valuables through crowded streets after dark. Use licensed taxis or a ride-hailing app for late returns.

The organiser calls the festival one of the most important literary events in the Hispanic world. Language services and translation at the Hay Festival Cartagena are not confirmed for 2027.

Check the US State Department’s Colombia travel advisory for its current level before you go. Advisories can change between booking and departure.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

Only the organiser has published the 2027 dates so far, and we found no Colombian news outlet repeating them yet. Treat 28 to 31 January as the organiser’s announcement until the programme appears.

The day online sales open is not confirmed, because the organiser says only November. No ticket price, seating plan or sales limit has been published.

The 2027 programme, the guest list and the full venue list are not published. The organiser’s own site still carries last cycle’s venue list.

The festival’s box-office page labels 26 January a Wednesday, but 26 January 2027 is a Tuesday. We use the dates, not the label, until the organiser corrects it.

Whether the Hay Festival Cartagena will livestream events in 2027 is not known. In 2026 some events were streamed online.

Check the festival’s website before you book flights. We will update this guide when the programme and prices appear.

What Comes Next

Before the festival, Cartagena hosts its Independence festivities in November, covered in our Cartagena Independence guide. That week is also a busy time for flights and hotels.

For a longer stay in Colombia, our guide to Colombia’s holiday long weekends shows which dates to watch. It lists the days when roads and flights fill up.

More: Colombia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Hay Festival Cartagena in 2027?

The festival runs from Thursday 28 to Sunday 31 January 2027, according to the organiser’s ticket page. The programme has not been published yet.

How do I buy tickets for Hay Festival Cartagena?

Tickets are sold through the festival’s own online box office and its box offices in Cartagena. Online sales are due to open in November 2026, but the exact day and prices are not confirmed.

Do US citizens need a visa for Cartagena?

No, not for tourist stays of up to 90 days, Colombia’s foreign ministry told El Tiempo. Your passport must be valid at entry.

Sources: Hay Festival Cartagena de Indias, Programme and tickets (organiser, 2027 dates, box offices, terms), accessed 27 October 2026; Hay Festival Cartagena, About (organiser, 21st edition in 2026), accessed 27 October 2026; Hay Festival Colombia 2026 launch release (organiser, events, guests, sales date), accessed 27 October 2026; Radio Nacional de Colombia, Hay Festival Cartagena 2026, accessed 27 October 2026; El Tiempo, Hay Festival: 20 años de grandes charlas, January 2025; El Tiempo, Hasta cuándo puede quedarse un ciudadano estadounidense en Colombia (Cancillería), accessed 27 October 2026; Wikipedia (es), Teatro Heredia (Teatro Adolfo Mejía), accessed 27 October 2026; El Universal (Cartagena), Hoy 29 de enero inicia el Hay Festival (Teatro Adolfo Mejía as venue), January 2025.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief