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Record-breaking crowds attend Harrogate crime writing festival

Wednesday, 30 July 2025 12:42

The Harrogate Crime Writing Festival attracted record crowds. (Images: Gerard Binks)

The 2025 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival marked its most successful year to date, with a record-breaking 19,450 tickets sold - a rise of 8.8% from 2024.

Held at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate from 17th–20th July, the event welcomed over 120 authors across more than 30 sessions.

Headline guests included Lee and Andrew Child, Irvine Welsh, Attica Locke, Kate Atkinson, Paula Hawkins, and Val McDermid.

The most attended event offered a behind-the-scenes look at the Slow Horses TV series, featuring author Mick Herron, showrunner Will Smith, and surprise guest Saskia Reeves.

New additions this year included live recordings of BBC Radio 2’s Book Club podcast with Jeremy Vine and BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House with Paddy O’Connell.

The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year was awarded to Abir Mukherjee for Hunted.

The festival also launched its Big Read programme with The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton, to be distributed free in libraries across Yorkshire and the North during a tour in September led by author Luca Veste.

Simon Theakston, Chairman of T&R Theakston, said:

“We are delighted that this year’s Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival was the biggest and most successful ever, with more crime fiction fans than ever enjoying the world-class line up of speakers and soaking up the atmosphere of this unique event.”

The festival is organised by Harrogate International Festivals.

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said:

“I’m so proud of this year’s Festival and the incredible line up of guests and special events curated by this year’s programming Chair Mick Herron, and the programming committee, which attracted our biggest audience ever...

“We’re distributing free copies of our big read book and encouraging everyone to read Paula Sutton’s entertaining cosy crime novel The Potting Shed Murder and come along to our free library events or get involved in the discussion online.”

Next year’s event will run from 23rd–26th July 2026.

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