If you're looking for things to do in Devon, its festivals are hard to beat — they're where the county is at its liveliest, and they take you to places you might otherwise miss, from harbour towns to moorland villages. Here's a rough guide to the year.
Spring
The season opens on the coast and in the towns. Dart Music Festival fills Dartmouth with free live music, and Exeter Respect Festival brings world music and food to the city.
Summer
Summer is peak festival season. Beautiful Days and GoldCoast Oceanfest headline the music calendar, Sidmouth Folk Festival takes over the seafront for a week, and free food festivals like Flavour Fest and Salcombe Crabfest line up along the coast.
Autumn
Autumn leans into food and words. The Dartmouth Food Festival and England's Seafood FEAST celebrate the harvest and the catch, while the Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival and Appledore Book Festival draw top authors to the coast.
Winter
Winter has one unmissable date: the Ottery St Mary Tar Barrels on Bonfire Night, a spectacle unlike anything else in the country. Over on Exmoor, the Exmoor Dark Skies Festival makes the long nights a feature.