York, U.K.’s Dead Northern Horror Film Festival Announces Shock-Filled 2026 Edition

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September 3, 2026

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Events | Film Festivals | Movies | News

Written by Joseph Perry

Joseph Perry is the Film Festival Editor for Horror Fuel; all film festival related queries and announcements should be sent to him at [email protected]. He is a contributing writer for the "Phantom of the Movies VideoScope" and “Drive-In Asylum” print magazines and the websites Gruesome Magazine, Diabolique Magazine, The Scariest Things, B&S About Movies, and When It Was Cool. He is a co-host of the "Uphill Both Ways" pop culture nostalgia podcast and also writes for its website. Joseph occasionally proudly co-writes articles with his son Cohen Perry, who is a film critic in his own right. A former northern Californian and Oregonian, Joseph has been teaching, writing, and living in South Korea since 2008.

From classics such as Aliens and Aswang to cutting edge new fear fare like Wrath of the Gods and Free Buffet, Dead Northern Horror Film Festival has features and shorts galore for horror devotees of all stripes. Taking place 25-27 September, 2026 in York, U.K., the fest also boasts a Dead by Daylight-inspired immersive experience and more. Following is the official press information, and to learn more, check out the official site at https://www.deadnorthern.co.uk/.

Dead Northern Horror Film Festival has unveiled the full programme for its 2026 edition, bringing three packed days of independent horror, premieres, cult classics, filmmaker Q&As, live events, talks and immersive experiences to York from 25-27 September 2026.

Following the previously announced partnership with Behaviour Interactive’s Dead by Daylight, this year’s festival promises its biggest programme yet, combining the best of independent horror with classic cinema, special events and experiences created specifically for Dead Northern audiences.

The 2026 programme features three UK feature premieres, 10 UK short-film premieres, two World Premieres and 13 regional premieres, alongside a packed selection of feature films, curated short film blocks, filmmaker Q&As, Dead Talks, the Dead Northern Awards and the return of signature event Spirits With Spirits.

And, as previously announced, Dead by Daylight’s 10th anniversary will also be celebrated throughout the weekend, with a special 40th anniversary screening of Aliens and an immersive experience taking over the basement at City Screen.

The full programme and individual tickets for screenings and events are available now: view the programme and book tickets.

FRIDAY 25 SEPTEMBER

Dead Northern 2026 opens on Friday morning with Student Shorts, introducing audiences to the next generation of independent horror filmmakers with Gloryhole, Where’s Ollie?, Hunger, Foreign Bodies, Loop and Nightfeeds.

The programme then turns to classic horror with Aswang (1994), before guest programmer Christina Brennan hosts the first Dead Talk of the weekend, Not Every Vampire Wears a Cape.

Friday afternoon brings the Twisted Tales & Comic Carnage short film block, featuring films including The Belly, Lucky Bastard, Muff, Bloodsuckers and Pleased to Kill You.

The regional premiere of Friday The 69th follows, accompanied by a filmmaker Q&A, before the programme moves into the world of horror music videos with a dedicated screening featuring Bokassa, Brothers Song, Making Music From Monsters and Many Ways to Kill.

Friday evening continues with the regional premiere of Loner and a filmmaker Q&A.

Then it’s time to get social.

The Independent Horror Society joins Dead Northern for the festival’s welcome social and Alien: Deep Space Trivia, warming up audiences for what promises to be one of the weekend’s biggest screenings.

ALIENS – 40 YEARS OF HORROR

At 22:15, Dead Northern will present James Cameron’s Aliens (1986) as a special late-night screening presented by Dead by Daylight, celebrating the film’s 40th anniversary.

The landmark science-fiction horror classic is a natural fit for a festival partnership built around a shared love of monsters, survival and cinematic horror, and will give audiences the chance to experience one of the genre’s most enduring films on the big screen.

But Aliens is only one part of Dead by Daylight’s presence at the festival.

ENTER THE FOG

As previously announced, the basement at City Screen will be transformed throughout the weekend into a Dead by Daylight-inspired immersive experience, created in collaboration with Behaviour Interactive.

Festivalgoers will be able to step away from the cinema and into an interactive physical experience on Saturday and Sunday inspired by the world of the game, with challenges, surprises and more waiting below the festival.

The activation forms part of Dead Northern’s wider collaboration with Behaviour Interactive to celebrate 10 years of Dead by Daylight, bringing the game’s world into the physical festival environment.

SATURDAY 26 SEPTEMBER

Saturday begins with Monsters & Mindgames, a collection of short films including 3:03AM, 305 Fishkill, Gumboro, The Hold, Lady Puritan, Vowels and Cyclops.

The morning continues with the UK Premiere of Free Buffet before the Fatal Futures short film block explores a darker side of what the future might hold.

The afternoon brings the UK Premiere of The First Day, accompanied by a filmmaker Q&A. Saturday evening sees the return of one of Dead Northern’s signature events:

SPIRITS WITH SPIRITS

Cocktails and Ghost Stories

A Dead Northern favourite, Spirits With Spirits combines horror storytelling with cocktails for a suitably unusual Saturday night experience.

The evening then heads back into the cinema for the regional premiere of Dead Reset, including a filmmaker Q&A.

At 23:00, filmmakers and audiences come together for the Dead Northern Awards Ceremony & After Party, celebrating the talent behind this year’s programme and announcing the festival’s 2026 award winners.

SUNDAY 27 SEPTEMBER

Sunday morning opens with Home Grown Horror, showcasing independent horror from UK filmmakers, before the festival presents the World Premiere of Evil Thread, followed by a filmmaker Q&A.

The Personal Demons short film block follows, featuring films including Deck of Many Horrors, 27B, The Tenant, God Forbid, Thresholds, The Cure and The Binding.

At 16:15, Dead Ink presents a special Dead Talk, Terrors from an Ancient Land: How Monster Stories Connect Us to Our Roots, exploring the relationship between monster stories, folklore and our cultural roots with a panel of special guests.

Sunday afternoon continues with the regional premiere of Wrath of the Gods, paired with the short film Krampus.

The penultimate short film block of the weekend, Good for Her, brings together Chimera, Dogs Reign, Cegsex, Borglesque, Manic and Darling – the latter receiving its World Premiere as part of the festival.

Finally, at 21:15, Dead Northern 2026 comes to a close with the UK Premiere of Game Over.

THE SHORTS

Independent short filmmaking remains at the heart of Dead Northern. This year’s programme is divided into carefully curated blocks covering Student Shorts, Twisted Tales & Comic Carnage, Music Videos, Monsters & Mindgames, Fatal Futures, Home Grown Horror, Personal Demons and Good for Her.

Across those blocks, audiences will discover 10 UK premieres, one World Premiere short film and nine regional premieres, giving filmmakers the opportunity to bring their work to new audiences while giving Dead Northern attendees the chance to discover films they may not otherwise encounter on the big screen.

MORE THAN JUST FILMS

Dead Northern has always been about more than simply watching films, and the 2026 festival will once again transform City Screen into a meeting place for horror fans, filmmakers, authors and genre businesses.

Two premium lobby vendors will join the festival this year.

Dead Ink Books will be at the festival promoting their new book Beasts of England, bringing the independent publisher’s dark and distinctive catalogue to York.

Also joining the festival is INDICATOR, the specialist home-video label from Powerhouse Films.

INDICATOR’s range focuses on classic and criminally overlooked cinema, with releases mastered from the finest available materials and presented on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. Their Limited Editions are particularly renowned for their extensive special features, newly commissioned essays, archival material, improved subtitles and exclusive booklets.

For Dead Northern audiences, it is another opportunity to discover and take home some of the films that have helped shape the genre.

Alongside the lobby vendors, audiences can expect filmmaker Q&As, Dead Talks, the Independent Horror Society quiz, Spirits With Spirits, the Dead Northern Awards and After Party, the Dead by Daylight immersive experience and much more throughout the weekend.

And there is still more to come, with further guests, partnerships, festival activities and surprises to be announced in the run-up to the festival.

A WEEKEND BUILT FOR HORROR FANS

From independent filmmakers making their first steps into the genre to international premieres and landmark films that have defined horror for generations, Dead Northern 2026 brings together a deliberately broad programme.

There are monsters and vampires, psychological nightmares, horror comedies, science-fiction horrors, folk influences, twisted tales and films that refuse to sit neatly inside any one category.

And sitting alongside them are the people who make the genre what it is – filmmakers, authors, programmers, publishers, game creators and, most importantly, the audience.

FESTIVAL DIRECTOR JOSH LAWSON SAID:

“We honestly couldn’t be happier with this year’s programme. Every year the standard of submissions seems to get higher, and this year we’ve had to make some incredibly difficult decisions to get everything into one weekend.

“The premiere numbers are particularly exciting. We’ve got 10 UK premieres across the shorts, a World Premiere, nine regional premieres and a really strong collection of independent features. There is so much here that we think audiences are going to discover something completely new to them.

“But we’ve also always wanted Dead Northern to be an experience rather than just a series of screenings. That’s why the Q&As, talks, quiz, Spirits With Spirits and awards are so important to us. “And then there’s Dead by Daylight. We’re celebrating their 10th anniversary with them, we’ve got Aliens celebrating 40 years, and we’ve got the basement experience which we’re really excited for people to get their hands on.

“Throw in Dead Ink, INDICATOR, all of the filmmakers and everything else we’ve got happening across the weekend, and it feels like we’ve really got something special this year.

“Now we’ve just got to survive the weekend.”

THE FULL PROGRAMME AND INDIVIDUAL TICKETS ARE LIVE NOW The full Dead Northern Horror Film Festival 2026 programme is live now, with the complete timetable, film information and event details available online.

Individual tickets are also on sale now, giving audiences the chance to build their own Dead Northern weekend around the films, premieres and events they most want to see.

View the full programme and book individual tickets.

With limited-capacity screenings, premieres and special events throughout the weekend, horror fans are encouraged to check the programme and secure their tickets as soon as possible.