For a county better known for its beaches and moorland, Devon has a remarkably deep festival culture. It runs right through the year and right across the map — from the cities of Exeter and Plymouth to tiny harbour towns and villages on the edge of Dartmoor and Exmoor.
Shaped by the coast and the moors
Devon's geography does a lot of the work. Two coastlines and two national parks mean its festivals look very different depending on where you are. The fishing ports turn their catch into celebrations — England's Seafood FEAST in Brixham, Salcombe Crabfest on the estuary. Inland and up high, Exmoor Dark Skies Festival makes the most of some of the darkest night skies in England.
A county that loves its food
If one thing defines Devon's festival calendar, it's food and drink. From Flavour Fest, the South West's biggest free food festival, to the Dartmouth Food Festival and a string of town food fairs, there's barely a weekend in the season without something to eat and drink your way through.
Folk, literature and the big names
Devon's seaside towns have long been home to some of the country's finest folk and literary festivals — Sidmouth Folk Festival is one of the oldest and best-loved in the world, and the International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay celebrates the county's most famous author. For music on a bigger scale, Beautiful Days draws tens of thousands to the Escot estate each summer.
Traditions you'll find nowhere else
And then there are the one-offs. The Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels, where flaming barrels are run through the streets every Bonfire Night, is unlike anything else in the country — a reminder that Devon's festival culture is rooted in centuries of local tradition, not just a modern events calendar.