Totnes Fringe Festival Welcomes Two Headline Sponsors for 2026
Totnes Fringe Festival has confirmed its headline sponsors for 2026: The Bull Inn and Ben’s Farm Shop. Along with recently welcoming Josh Widdicombe as its patron, these announcements mark a major milestone as the volunteer-led Festival prepares to return from 9–12 July 2026 with an expanded four-day programme featuring 70 performances across the town.
Building on the success of its inaugural year in 2025, which saw over 3,000 visitors, 2,146 tickets sold and 85% average seat occupancy, The Festival is rapidly establishing itself as one of the South West’s most exciting new theatre events. Transforming pubs, halls, gardens and community spaces into vibrant stages, it is rooted in a simple idea: theatre belongs here.
The Bull Inn is an organic, values-driven pub with rooms in Totnes, widely recognised for its commitment to sustainable hospitality and ethical business practices. In its first year of opening, it was named The Times and Sunday Times Best Eco Hotel of the Year, and its founder, Geetie Singh-Watson, a pioneer of the organic pub movement, has received numerous accolades including Publican of the Year, Business Woman of the Year and an MBE for Services to the Organic Pub Trade. Operating under a “planet, people, profit” ethos, the business places environmental responsibility and conscious decision-making at the heart of everything it does, from organic, seasonal food and locally sourced ingredients to zero-to-landfill waste practices.
“We wanted to be a Headline Sponsor this year because I truly believe in this kind of thing happening in local towns,” comments Geetie. “Festivals are phenomenally important to local communities. They bring people together to share live experiences and connect in a real way. That’s why the Fringe Festival is so important and it’s brilliant to see it happening in Totnes, which is so full of art, craft, creativity and drama. It feels very exciting to be hosting something like this here, and we’re delighted to support it. It’s what restaurants are about too, with all the behind-the-scenes chaos culminating in a beautiful performance that happens every night. Supporting the Fringe feels like a natural extension of that,” she said.
Ben’s Farm Shop is a family-run business rooted in the South Devon farming community, founded by Ben Watson more than 40 years ago on the family’s Riverford farm and now run alongside his son Harry. What began in the early 1980s with Ben making sausages and bacon from the farm’s pigs, long before organic, local and high-welfare food became mainstream, has grown into a collection of two large farm shops, café, delis and a shop in Totnes serving communities across South Devon.
From the beginning, Ben championed high-quality organic produce, strong relationships with local farmers and a commitment to high-welfare, sustainable farming – values that continue to shape the business today. Alongside selling locally sourced, organic and high-welfare produce in its farm shops, many of those ingredients are used in products made from scratch by the business’s butchery, bakery and production kitchen – from award-winning sausages and dry-cured bacon to pies, cakes, bread, deli dishes, chutneys and charcuterie.
Guided by its belief in “good food from good farming”, Ben’s Farm Shop remains deeply connected to the local community and the farmers and producers it works with, reflecting a community-driven approach to food that connects directly from farm to table.
“We’re really pleased to support Totnes Fringe Festival for a second year,” comments Ben. “It’s exactly the sort of independent, community-focused event that makes this part of Devon special. Like us, the Festival is rooted in local people and bringing communities together, so it feels like a natural fit for us. We’re proud to play a small part in helping it grow,” he said.
Danielle McIlven said: “We are hugely grateful for the generosity of both The Bull Inn, Albatross Pizza Shop and Ben’s Farm Shop in coming on board as our headline sponsors. Their support will make a tangible difference to what we can deliver this year, from keeping ticket prices accessible to ensuring that artists are properly supported, with at least 80% of ticket income going directly to them.”
She continued: “It’s particularly meaningful to have local, values-led businesses backing the Festival. Totnes Fringe is rooted in this place and its community, and that support allows us to grow sustainably while staying true to what matters, creating a platform for bold, independent performance and bringing audiences and artists together in unexpected spaces across the town.”
With growing national attention, strong local backing and a clear mission to support artists and audiences alike, Totnes Fringe Festival continues to build momentum as a distinctive and ambitious addition to the UK’s cultural landscape. For more information please visit https://totnesfringe.uk/