Agatha Christie’s mysterious Dartmoor connections explored at festival
The International Agatha Christie Festival returns to Torbay from September 12-20, with theatre, talks, walks, films and special events celebrating the crime writer's life and work
Literary fans from across the country and beyond are preparing to descend on Torbay as the International Agatha Christie Festival returns next week.
The festival runs from Saturday, 12 September to Sunday, 20 September, celebrating the life and work of the world-famous crime writer in the area where she was born and grew up.
This year’s programme combines a four-day Fringe Festival with a four-day Literary Festival, alongside walks, talks, theatre, film screenings, workshops and other events across Torbay and South Devon.
Among the highlights is a 75th anniversary tour of The Mousetrap, which comes to the Princess Theatre in Torquay from Monday, 14 to Saturday, 19 September.
The festival will also mark 100 years since the publication of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd with a special day of events at Torre Abbey on Thursday, 17 September.
Christie expert Dr John Curran will open the day with a talk about the novel. The festival website says: “If Agatha Christie had never written another word after The Murder of Roger Ackroyd she would still be remembered and admired today.”
Other events include a screening of Christie-inspired films inside Kents Cavern, performances of her plays, talks from authors and Christie experts, and events exploring her connections with Devon.
There will also be opportunities to explore places associated with Christie, including Greenway, Burgh Island and the locations around Torquay where she lived, worshipped and worked.
The festival's Fringe programme begins with events including Agatha’s Mysterious Dartmoor… Revisited! on Saturday, 12 September and continues with a wide range of activities throughout the week.
2026’s programme of events concludes on Sunday, 20 September with the free Agatha Christie Mile 1920s Costumed Promenade through Torquay, followed by the Tea and Scandal Garden Party at Torre Abbey.
The International Agatha Christie Festival is a registered charity which aims to promote engagement with literature and the arts while supporting Torbay's economy and celebrating the area's literary and geological heritage.
The festival also supports the UK National Year of Reading 2026.
With events taking place at venues across Torbay and further afield, organisers are expecting another week of murder, mystery and Christie-themed entertainment in the writer's home county.