FRIGHTFEST

Overview

FrightFest was founded to provide the UK with a fantasy and horror film festival similar to the market leaders in Europe and the US. Now entering its 28th year, the festival has evolved into a community where audiences and guests travel from around the world to experience its unique atmosphere. In addition to numerous one-off screenings, we host four events annually. Our main five-day event is in August, in central London. The 2027 dates are 26th to 30th. We also host a Halloween event in London over the final weekend of October, a three-day Terror-a-thon in Scotland, FrightFest Glasgow in early March, which is part of the Glasgow Film Festival. New for 2027 is FrightFest Newcastle, over the early May Bank Holiday weekend. We are currently accepting submissions for our March, May, August and October events, with a reduced submission fee for early-bird submissions. The final deadline for features is midnight on 1st June 2027, and for shorts, it’s midnight on 6th June 2027. Films selected for Glasgow will be announced in early January, Newcastle in early April and London in mid-July. Halloween is at the beginning of October.

Last updated Sep 18, 2026

Legitimacy Analysis

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Festival Details

FilmFreeway community

• Filmmaker

  Brilliant festival run by people who really care about the genre - clear communication and organisation throughout

• Filmmaker

  A surreal and incredible experience, so honored to have had my feature selected to play there. Everyone was kind, professional, and there were so many great opportunities to meet likeminded people. Very much hoping to be selected again in the future so me and my team can be back at this wonderful festival.

• Filmmaker

  Fantastic festival with amazing audiences. The passion among the crowd is so tangible and it was the perfect event to premiere our short! Thank you

• Filmmaker

  Fright Fest was a blast. Odeon Square is a gorgeous venue — great theaters, top-notch sound and picture. The hospitality was outstanding, and the whole vibe felt warm and welcoming, not just professional. Being right in Leicester Square meant no shortage of restaurants, bars, and hotels close by — easy for out-of-town filmmakers. One tip: if you're bringing merch, bring a lot. This crowd shows up to support filmmakers and wants to rep your swag — we underestimated demand. Overall, a must for horror filmmakers. Great screens, great people, great energy.

• Filmmaker

  FrightFestUK was an amazing festival! Incredible fans, dedicated staff, and a perfect venue!

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