HowTheLightGetsIn Festival returns to Hay-on-Wye for a bonanza weekend

Hundreds flock to the Welsh border town for the event that is the largest of its kind in the world

HowTheLightGetsIn Festival (themancphotographer.co.uk)

HowTheLightGetsIn Festival returned to Hay-on-Wye for a bonanza weekend celebrating philosophy, music, science, politics and art.

This year, the world’s biggest philosophy and music festival, had something of an all-star line-up, with speakers including Yuval Noah Harari, Richard Dawkins, Slavoj Zizek, Tulip Siddiq, and Roger Penrose, while Groove Armada, among other musicians, is performing.

Philosopher and founder of the event Hilary Lawson said before the festival took place in June: “The main thing about HowTheLightGetsIn that is unique is that we focus on the big ideas,” Lawson, who is the director of the Institute of Art and Ideas, which hosts the festival, explains.

“The debates cover a whole range of topics: philosophy and science and so forth. It is not just a literary festival, there is music and parties. There are a whole range of world-class names and lots of new people with exciting ideas.”

The Independent’s women’s correspondent, Maya Oppenheim, who is the only women’s correspondent at a UK news outlet, attended the festival and was a panellist at one of the event’s debates, which was titled “The weaker sex?”.

The debate, which was streamed live online, was centred around the following questions: “Should we see it as blinkered prejudice to regard women as weaker and in need of defence by men? Should women be called up to fight? Or would such a transition be not only misguided but profoundly detrimental to women?”

HowTheLightGetsIn Festival (HowTheLightGetsIn)

After the festival Maya said: “As the world’s largest music and philosophy festival, there is no doubting that HowTheLightGetsIn is a unique festival experience. With talks spanning from the multiverse to the philosophy of prisons to music from Groove Armada, HowtheLightGetsIn is unlike most other festivals.

HowTheLightGetsIn Festival (HowTheLightGetsIn Festival)

“Wandering around the festival site, located in the beautiful Welsh border town Hay-on-Wye, it is impossible not to keep snatching snippets of conversations between people discussing philosophy, politics and life’s mysteries.”

HowTheLightGetsIn is set to return to its London location on 17-18 September at Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath. To fine out more and to buy tickets click here.