Dartmoor Walking Festival started in 2016 in order to have an annual event celebrating walking on Dartmoor. Simon Dell ran the festival since its inception, funnily with the help of Richard, and it has taken place annually since 2016 with the exception of 2020 (because of covid). To date, the festival has consisted of a series of guided walks, run by individual guides all over Dartmoor in order to showcase some of the best areas Dartmoor has to offer.
Over the years, the festival has raised over £10,000 for its chosen charity, Devon Air Ambulance.
We are excited to be developing the festival into a larger event and with this in mind, have rebranded it to become the Dartmoor Outdoor Festival. This change reflects their desire to take the festival beyond just walking to showcase the best of what Dartmoor has to offer.
We busy putting together a fantastic programme that includes workshops, climbing, live music, family friendly events (including their very own Festival letterbox trail), film showings, running events and of course, plenty of walks! In 2026, the festival will run from Friday 28th August – Friday 4th September. Princetown will be the hub of the festival but rest assured, there will be opportunities across all 368 square miles of the moors to get involved with!
The goal of this festival is to sustainably highlight the recreational activities that can be enjoyed on Dartmoor, to encourage engagement from those in the surrounding area and to boost tourism. There will be a strong focus on sustainability and accessing Dartmoor responsibly, on making engagement as affordable and accessible as possible, and on celebrating the community of Dartmoor.
Whether you are local and want to explore a side of Dartmoor you’ve never experienced or are visiting us from further afield, we’re looking forward to celebrating outdoor adventures and community with people of all ages and abilities and from all over the globe!
