Devon County Show draws record crowds

The 2025 Devon County Show has been hailed a triumph by organisers after three days of sunshine, standout attractions and record-breaking ticket sales drew tens of thousands to Westpoint Arena.

Show Manager Lisa Moore praised the "extraordinary atmosphere" created by blue skies and warm spring weather, which helped deliver a seamless setup and boost advance ticket sales to new heights.

“The weather was truly on our side,” she said.

“It created the perfect atmosphere and gave people confidence to come out and enjoy everything the show has to offer.”

Rooted in agriculture, the show hosted hundreds of livestock and equine competitions, from traditional breed classes to a newly introduced fancy dress cattle event, which drew large crowds on Saturday.

Each day brought unique highlights. The opening day saw actor Martin Clunes officially launch the Heavy Horse Festival, while new features such as the Alpaca Café, Family Fun Zone and BBC Devon’s Engage Stage made their debut.

Friday’s events included a visit from The Princess Royal, this year’s Show President, who toured the site and watched her own Suffolk Punch horse win its class in the main ring. Kaleb Cooper drew younger fans with a packed Q&A and book signing, followed by a walk around the farming area.

Saturday, the designated family day, offered free entry for children and a busy schedule of activities. TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp made a guest appearance in the Crafts and Flowers Pavilion, hosting a lively Q&A and celebrating local makers.

Organisers reported strong attendance across the weekend, aided by well-managed transport and parking and a push to encourage public transport use to ease congestion.

“Early figures suggest that this could be a record-breaking year,” said Lisa Moore, “possibly even topping our 2023 attendance of 97,000. We’re absolutely delighted.”

As a charity-run event, all profits from the Devon County Show go back into supporting the rural community—something Moore says is at the heart of the show’s continued success.

“We’re so grateful to our volunteers, our team, and every single visitor who bought a ticket. This is a show built on community spirit, and we can’t wait to see what next year brings.”