About the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Harrogate
Taking place over four-days each July, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival presents an accessible, challenging and entertaining long-weekend of live literature events, engaging 12,000 people each year in lively thought-provoking debates about the written word, the changing roles of writers and readers, and literature’s response to, and effect upon, wider society.
For more information about the Festival, see our FAQ page.
About Harrogate International Festivals
Since Harrogate International Festivals was launched in 1966 (originally as the Harrogate International Festival), we’ve grown into one of the region’s leading cultural organisations, working year round to bring the finest in performing arts, literature and community participation to Harrogate and Yorkshire.
For over 40 years music of all kinds has remained at the heart of our activities, with the Summer Festival and our Sunday Series of chamber music. Since 2003, this calendar has been augmented by the critical successes of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the Green Space Festival of outdoor street arts, the Carnegie Sporting Words Festival, H2O Festival and ReachOut, our year-round programme of community and education work – part of which involves being key partner in the North Yorkshire Youth Music Action Zone. Our strategic development has created a portfolio of some of the country’s most prestigious arts events, featuring the biggest names in the arts world.
Thanks to our ambitious and imaginative development, we have continued to set ourselves apart from our competitors and maintained our position not only as one of the UK’s national festivals, bringing international excellence and innovation to the region, but as a key cultural provider for Yorkshire throughout the year.
Join us for street theatre, crime fiction and music alongside wide-reaching family and community projects, all united in the high quality brand of Harrogate International Festivals and bound by our commitment to bringing you the best in today’s arts world.
The future of Harrogate International Festivals is one of a vibrant, sustainable arts organisation, leading arts provision not only in Harrogate, but also as the primary cultural agency for North and West Yorkshire.