Ten-day festival marking the life and work of Agatha Christie in her birthplace, with talks, walks, films, workshops, performances, a fringe programme and a literary festival at Torre Abbey.
The International Agatha Christie Festival returns to Torre Abbey this year, running for around ten days across the English Riviera. It's a local fixture for a reason: Agatha Christie was Torquay's most famous resident and the best-selling author of all time, and the town marks her life and work every year with a festival held in her birthplace. The 2026 edition is split into two halves, starting with a four-day Fringe Festival followed by a four-day Literary Festival.
Over the course of the ten days, the programme pulls in cultural talks, walks, films, workshops and performances, with the fringe programme running alongside. The Literary Festival takes place in the Spanish Barn at Torre Abbey, and the whole thing traditionally winds up with an Agatha-themed garden party. It's set against the area's literary and geological heritage, so there's a fair bit of the local landscape woven in.
The festival is supported by Arts Council England through the National Lottery and runs under the patronage of the UK National Commission for UNESCO. It also supports the UK National Year of Reading, with backing from Torbay Council, the English Riviera Bid Company, GWR, The Linbury Trust, The Colwinston Charitable Trust and the Rosalind Hicks Charitable Trust. Project partners include the UNESCO City of Literature and The East Gate Bookshop.
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If you're planning to head down, the main hub is Torre Abbey, The Kings Drive, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 5JE. The 2026 edition runs for about ten days in total, with the four-day Fringe Festival leading into the four-day Literary Festival.
