Totnes Fringe Festival ticket sales almost double in landmark second year
Totnes Fringe Festival has nearly doubled ticket sales in its second year, with more performances, venues and free events bringing live theatre and entertainment to venues across the town
Ticket sales for the Totnes Fringe Festival almost doubled in its second year, with nearly 4,000 tickets sold for the 2026 event compared with 2,011 in its inaugural year.
The four-day festival, which took place in July, featured more than 80 performances across 17 venues throughout Totnes, up from 67 performances at 11 venues in 2025.
Organisers estimate that the festival attracted around 4,350 audience attendances when free events are included.
The independent festival, which celebrates theatre, comedy, spoken word, dance and live performance, also staged free events in streets, cafés, shops, gardens and other public spaces.
It offered accessible ticketing options including Pay Less and child tickets, while 80 per cent of ticket income was returned directly to participating artists.
More than 109 volunteers helped deliver the festival, which saw churches, pubs, gardens, the Rotherfold, Leechwell Gardens and even Totnes's iconic telephone box transformed into performance spaces.
Festival Director Danielle McIlven said: “We’re incredibly proud of the quality and range of work brought to Totnes this year, but what makes the Festival truly special is seeing the whole town embrace it.
“For four days, artists, audiences, volunteers, businesses and venues became part of something much bigger than a programme of performances.
“People explored different corners of Totnes, discovered theatre in unexpected places, supported local businesses and shared experiences that could only have happened here.
“For me, the greatest success wasn’t measured in ticket sales. It was seeing so many people feeling that they had helped to create something that belonged to the whole town.”
Local businesses played a key role in supporting the event, sponsoring venues and performances, displaying posters, donating prizes, decorating shop windows and promoting the festival to customers and visitors.
East Gate Bookshop sponsored the Leechwell Gardens venue, which hosted a programme of free family performances.
Nigel Jones, owner of East Gate Bookshop, said: “Totnes Fringe is exactly the kind of event that makes Totnes the fabulous town it is.
“Sponsoring Leechwell Gardens gave us the opportunity to support something joyful for the whole community and to play a part in making the Festival happen.
“An added bonus was welcoming new customers who hadn’t visited us before through our association with the Fringe. We’ll certainly be back.”
Post-festival feedback from artists, volunteers and audiences spoke of the welcoming atmosphere and community spirit surrounding the event.
Artists praised the supportive festival team, engaged audiences and breadth of the programme, with many reporting full or near-full performances.
Others said participation had helped them make professional contacts, secure bookings and develop potential collaborations.
Volunteers also reported a strong sense of pride in helping to stage an event for the town, with friendships and the collaborative atmosphere among the aspects most highly valued.
Many have already expressed an interest in returning in 2027.
Audience feedback described the festival as warm, friendly and welcoming, with comments including “such a lovely vibe”, “my favourite Fringe” and “a wonderful atmosphere”. One local resident asked: “Why didn’t we have this festival before?”
The variety and quality of the programme received further praise, with audiences describing it as an “excellent range of acts”, an “amazing variety” and “the best show in town”.
For audiences across South Devon, where access to dedicated theatre venues and touring productions can be limited, the festival provided opportunities to experience live performance close to home.
McIlven said the festival's success demonstrated what could be achieved outside traditional theatre venues.
“In a town without a dedicated theatre, Totnes Fringe has shown what can happen when artists, audiences, volunteers, businesses and venues come together with a shared belief that culture belongs here.
“Theatre wasn’t confined to one building. It spilled into streets, gardens, cafés, pubs and public spaces, creating experiences that people will remember long after the Festival has finished.
“We want to build more than an annual event. We want Totnes Fringe to become a place where artists know they will be welcomed, where audiences can discover exceptional work and where ambitious, high-quality theatre can flourish outside our major cities,” she said.
The festival also runs Fringe Futures, a graduate programme designed to give graduate and early-career theatre companies a supported professional performance opportunity.
The scheme is open to artists and companies who graduated within the previous three years or who are graduating in 2026.
Selected companies receive a programmed venue at the festival, one or two performances, a £500 fee and 80 per cent of their box office income, alongside tailored mentorship that can include dramaturgical support, producing advice and professional development.
The festival will return from Thursday, July 15 to Sunday, July 18, 2027.
Artists, volunteers, sponsors, businesses and others interested in supporting the next festival can contact [email protected].