Tickets go on sale for expanded Totnes Fringe Festival 2026 programme
The Totnes Fringe Festival returns to South Devon in July 2026 with an expanded programme featuring more than 70 performances across 17 venues
Tickets are now on sale for the 2026 edition of the Totnes Fringe Festival, with organisers reporting more than £1,000 worth of tickets sold on the first day as anticipation builds for the four-day celebration of theatre, comedy, dance and live performance.
Returning from 9-12 July, the volunteer-led festival will present more than 70 performances across 17 venues in and around Totnes, transforming pubs, halls, gardens, community spaces, Totnes Castle and even the town’s historic telephone box into performance venues.
Building on a successful debut in 2025, which attracted more than 3,000 visitors and sold 2,146 tickets, the festival aims to bring high-quality independent performance to South Devon while providing opportunities for emerging and established artists alike.
Organisers say 80 per cent of ticket revenue will go directly to performers, reflecting the festival’s commitment to supporting artists during a challenging period for the cultural sector.
This year’s programme features theatre, comedy, cabaret, dance, spoken word and family-friendly performances from local, national and international artists.
Among the opening highlights is a new production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night from Exeter-based Sun and Moon Theatre.
Performed in the grounds of Totnes Castle, the 1950s-inspired adaptation combines live music, physical comedy and ensemble storytelling, with audiences encouraged to bring a picnic.
International performers include Jupe Lukusa, who brings Zonga, a physical comedy and movement-based show, while acclaimed American artist Davis Freeman and his company Random Scream will present Nothing Happens Without You and Karaoke (ART), blending contemporary art with audience participation.
Following a sell-out appearance at the inaugural festival, Bristol performer Richard Kieswick returns with This Is Your Musical, an improvised comedy musical created live from audience suggestions by a cast of leading UK improvisers.
Other featured performances include the premiere of The Five Flavours of Masculinity by Totnes artist Jonathan Mason, while Bristol-based performer Karla Shacklock brings Niplash, an internationally toured one-woman show examining the realities of infant feeding through humour and physical theatre.
Festival-goers will also have the chance to see Seamas Carey, known for his work with Kneehigh and Bristol Old Vic, who will present his interactive show Community Service.
Danielle McIlven, festival director, said: “Totnes Fringe is about proving that ambitious, high-quality theatre can thrive in small towns and rural communities.
“We want audiences here to experience exciting, challenging and joyful work on their doorstep, while also creating a genuine platform for artists at every stage of their careers.
“The response to the festival last year showed there is a real appetite for this kind of work in Totnes. This year’s programme feels even more ambitious, playful and wide-ranging, and we can’t wait to welcome audiences back into the town’s incredible spaces.”
Entirely run by volunteers, the festival places community participation at the centre of its programme, creating opportunities for local artists, young people and emerging theatre companies alongside nationally and internationally recognised performers.
Tickets and full programme information are available online.