What's On, Bristol at Home, Festivals
Forbidden Worlds Film Festival: The Big Scream
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When: 22 October 2026 – 24 October 2026
Where: Bristol Megascreen, Bristol
Tickets: From £5
Bristol's cult film festival gets suitably sinister for Halloween with The Big Scream, a three-day celebration of horror and genre cinema on the big screen.
Forbidden Worlds Film Festival, created by a group of Bristol-based cinephiles devoted to classic and obscure genre cinema, returns to the Bristol Megascreen for The Big Scream, running 22–24 October 2026 under the theme 'European Slaycation'.
The line-up
This year's three nights of cult horror from the continent include Mario Bava's giallo classic Blood and Black Lace, Dario Argento's Deep Red, gory French body-horror Baby Blood, theatre-set slasher Stagefright.
Local talent
The festival opens with a selection of locally made horror shorts courtesy of BFI Network, with Q&As alongside the filmmakers – a chance to catch emerging Bristol horror talent before the main event.
Good to know
Festival and day passes are available, alongside individual tickets for single screenings; concession pricing is offered for students and those on eligible benefits. Full programme and booking details are on the festival's official website.