Torquay, Devon, is expected to attract more visitors this summer as the English Riviera Walking Festival brings a concentrated series of guided walks to the town. The full festival runs from 6 to 21 June 2026, with core Torquay programming concentrated from 16 to 21 June 2026, designed to promote local heritage and support businesses.
The event is delivered by the English Riviera BID Company in partnership with Torbay Council and includes more than 20 guided walks across the Bay. Local accredited guides will lead groups to well-known sites such as Kents Cavern and on heritage routes tied to Agatha Christie’s Torquay connections.
Residents can expect the town centre and harbourfront to be busier than usual: many Torquay walks are expected to use the Visitor Information Centre (TQ2 5JG) as the main meeting point. While the extra visitors should bring more customers to local cafes and hotels, organisers and the Destination Management partners say there may also be increased demand for parking and public transport around the harbourfront and Kents Cavern.
Organisers are using the festival to encourage visits during the shoulder season—before the summer school holidays begin. Local media reporting by the North Devon Gazette has placed the walking festival within a wider 2026 events calendar that organisers describe as a ‘landmark year’ for tourism across the English Riviera.
For full programme details and booking information, see the festival website and the English Riviera events pages.
