For one long, sultry, summer weekend the temperature in Harrogate rises whatever the weather as the world’s hottest celebration of crime writing swings into town. Once tasted, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival leaves you on the edge of your seat, waiting for the next exciting chapter.

The Festival guarantees thrills, and perhaps a few spills at the hotel bar, at the gathering of crime writing professionals and enthusiasts, authors and readers. Grab a pint of Yorkshire’s finest ale, relax in the hotel gardens, and dip into an intoxicating mix of comedy, cabaret, heated debate, and scintillating socialising.

It’s the friendliest Festival with its feet firmly on Yorkshire ground. Hang out with your heroes, get an exclusive insight into the Next Big Thing, rub shoulders with the UK’s leading agents, editors and publishers. Be inspired and join in the drama at Agatha Christie’s old haunt: the luxurious Old Swan Hotel.

International bestselling novelist and 2022 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award winner Mick Herron takes the reins as Festival Programming Chair in 2025, following in the footsteps of such giants of the genre as Ian Rankin, Elly Griffiths, Denise Mina, Lee Child, Ruth Ware, Val McDermid and Vaseem Khan. Mick and the programming committee are hard at work behind the scenes to bring another world class line-up of authors and special guests to the prestigious Festival, which will return to Harrogate 17-20 July 2025.

Weekend Break Packages are now on sale, with Rovers and individual event tickets due to be launched in Spring 2025. Find out more about booking a Weekend Break Package here and keep an eye out for more exciting programming announcements, as we reveal the biggest names and most exciting new talent in crime fiction set to join us in 2025.

It would be a murderous misdemeanour to miss it!