I’m a big fan of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and have been attending since 2021. They always deliver incredibly strong line-ups and next year’s is shaping up to be no different!
The 2026 festival will be chaired by none other than Lisa Jewell. I absolutely adored None of This is True. Her latest book, Don’t Let Him In, was an instant Sunday Times Bestseller and the book won Crime Novel of the Year at the 2024 British Book Awards.
The full programme will be revealed next year by the Harrogate International Festivals team, but for now we know that Steve Cavanagh, Alice Feeney, Nadine Matheson, Gillian McAllister and David Baldacci will also take to the stage as headliners.
The event takes place 23-26 July 2026 at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate. Classic weekend break packages are on sale now, with rover, day and individual talk tickets to follow next year.
Want to know about the festival? Why not read my previous attendee blogs from: 2025 / 2024 / 2023 / 2022 / 2021.
Beth Reads Crime 
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