Harrogate International Festivals have announced that T&R Theakston Limited are to extend their sponsorship of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the world’s largest and most prestigious celebration of crime fiction, and the coveted Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award.

At a challenging time for arts sponsorship, the unique twenty year partnership between Yorkshire-based arts charity Harrogate International Festivals and T&R Theakston Limited, an independent brewing company based in North Yorkshire, is notable for its longevity and was recently shortlisted in two categories of the prestigious UK Sponsorship Awards 2024.

Over the past two decades, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival has established itself as a world class event attracting internationally best-selling authors such as Val McDermid, Denise Mina, S. A. Cosby, P D James, Lee Child, John Grisham, Michael Connolly, Ian Rankin and Harlan Coben. This year’s Festival was the most successful ever, with over 18,000 tickets sold and crime fiction fans from across the UK, Europe, the US and beyond attending. The value of the Festival to the local economy is estimated at £8 million annually. The extended sponsorship deal, which will take the partnership to its twenty-fifth anniversary, will secure the future of the Festival, enabling it to continue supporting emerging writing talent and engaging new audiences.

The partnership has helped elevate the Theakston brand by providing a global platform for their beers, especially Old Peculier, which has become the company’s biggest selling beer brand and the fastest growing premium bottled ale in the UK off-trade beer market. Old Peculier is now sold in twenty countries, including the UK and Ireland, the US, Scandinavia and most recently Taiwan and Mexico.

Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston Ltd, said: “This unique partnership is incredibly special and we are delighted to extend our support of the world’s best crime writing festival. Our collaboration with Harrogate International Festivals has helped put the local area on the global map and enabled us to bring world class culture to a diverse audience, both young and old. The partnership has also helped elevate the Theakston brand by providing a truly global platform that means our great beers, especially Old Peculier, are now enjoyed all over the world.”

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said: “Funding for the arts has never been more essential and we are hugely indebted to Simon Theakston and T&R Theakston Ltd for their unwavering support, and absolutely delighted that they have chosen to extend their sponsorship so that we can continue bringing word-class talent to Harrogate and supporting the next generation of crime writers and readers.”