Actor and singer Luke Evans will join the soon to be announced Hay-on-Wye Citizen of the Year to switch on the town’s Christmas lights on Friday, November 29, as part of his upcoming Hay Festival Winter Weekend appearance.

The free switch-on event, co-hosted by Hay Town Council and Hay Chamber of Commerce, will take place 5–7pm in Memorial Square, accompanied by carol singing, food, mulled wine and entertainment to give a rousing start to the Festival weekend, which runs to Sunday, December 1.

Luke Evans is an actor and singer who began his career on the stage, performing in London’s West End in productions of Rent, Miss Saigon and Piaf before making his film debut in 2010. He has starred in the Fast & Furious franchise, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Dracula Untold, and as Gaston in Disney’s live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. On television he has starred in TNT’s The Alienist and alongside Nicole Kidman in Nine Perfect Strangers for Hulu.

As a recording artist, Luke has released two studio albums: At Last and A Song For You which hit the top five in the UK charts in 2022.

He is at the Festival to launch his new book, Boy From the Valleys: My Unexpected Journey, in an event on Friday, November 29, following the lights switch-on. In this intimate memoir, Luke takes us behind the scenes of his career on the stage and screen. His story is a powerful tale of resilience, courage, and the pursuit of finding a sense of belonging and identity, but mostly (and hopefully) a story of inspiration.

Luke Evans said: “It’s time to sparkle, Hay-on-Wye! I’m honoured to be joining the town’s Citizen of the Year to switch on the Christmas lights at Hay Festival Winter Weekend. When I was writing my memoir, Boy From the Valleys, I never imagined it would take me to one of the world’s most famous book festivals and I can’t wait to meet readers there.” 

Hay Festival Winter Weekend is back for a year-end wonderland of in-person events, 28 November–1 December, in multiple venues across Hay-on-Wye, Wales.