Dartmoor Tors Festival set for spring return with vibrant local lineup

A Devon arts and culture festival celebrating Dartmoor is set to return for a second year over the Early May Bank Holiday weekend.

The Dartmoor Tors Festival will run from 30 April to 4 May 2026, bringing together artists, writers, musicians and environmental thinkers for a programme of events across Ashburton and locations around the moor.

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The festival was founded last year by husband-and-wife team, artist Alex Murdin and writer Sophie Pierce, who said they wanted to “provide a forum for conversation and creativity about Dartmoor”.

For 2026, the festival’s lead partner is the Dartmoor Preservation Association, which has campaigned to protect Dartmoor for more than a century. 

Organisers are also working with Ashburton Arts Centre and Dartmoor National Park, alongside Field System Gallery in Ashburton.

The programme includes talks, guided walks, exhibitions, workshops and live performances. 

The Saturday night headliner at Ashburton Arts Centre will be Gwenno, the Mercury Prize-nominated artist who performs in Cornish, Welsh and English. 

Other musical acts include Dartmoor-based singer Cole Stacey and folk band Craven.

Speakers due to appear include mythologist Martin Shaw, sculptor Peter Randall-Page, nature writer Sophie Pavelle and rewilder Derek Gow. 

There will also be May Day celebrations featuring Morris dancing and a new well-dressing ceremony at St Gudula’s Well in Ashburton.

A series of themed walks is planned across Dartmoor, including wildlife walks, storytelling events and visits to ancient sites such as Merrivale and Wistman’s Wood.

The festival will also host a panel discussion titled “Nature Recovery on Dartmoor - is it too late?”, examining biodiversity loss and land management on the moor.

Further details and ticket information are available on the festival website.