Sheffield Docfest 2026

About

Sheffield DocFest returns to the city from 10 to 15 June 2026 with a varied programme celebrating non-fiction storytelling across film, audio, immersive media and live events.

The UK’s leading documentary festival will present documentary features, shorts, docuseries, podcast events, extended reality exhibitions, talks, masterclasses and more. The 2026 programme will spotlight stories from around the world, while also placing Sheffield’s own cultural history at the centre of several key events.

Maxine Peake Named Guest of Honour

Acclaimed actor Maxine Peake will appear as Guest of Honour at Sheffield DocFest 2026, curating a special strand of the festival programme.

Her contribution includes a live performance with Sheffield band The Eccentronic Research Council. The group will perform The Dreamcatcher Tapes, an album shaped by people’s remembered dreams, with Peake appearing live as part of the event.

Heaven 17 Documentary to Premiere in Sheffield

One of the centrepiece films of Sheffield DocFest 2026 will be the World Premiere of Heaven 17: The Last Temptation.

The documentary follows the Sheffield synth-pop pioneers as they embark on what may be their final tour. Combining tour footage with a story of reflection and reconciliation, the film explores age, loyalty, creative legacy and unresolved tensions from the past.

Rose’s House Explores Sheffield’s Queer History

The short film Rose’s House will also receive its World Premiere at the festival.

The film tells the story of Martine Rose, who bought a terraced house in Sheffield in 1979 and turned it into one of Britain’s first dedicated safe spaces for trans people. The documentary highlights Sheffield’s legacy of inclusiveness, community support and queer solidarity.

Sheffield Reimagined Through Minecraft

Sheffield stories will also feature beyond the cinema screen through Sheffield of Stories, an alternate reality exhibition built within the world of Minecraft.

Audiences will be able to explore a collaborative version of Sheffield through projections and interactive stations. The exhibition presents a fictional-real portrait of the city, reflecting its past, present and future.

As with Minecraft itself, the project remains open to change, allowing audience contributions to shape the experience and create a shared local documentary project.

Sheffield DocFest 2026

• Event: Sheffield DocFest 2026
• Dates: 10 to 15 June 2026
• Location: Sheffield
• Programme: Documentary films, shorts, docuseries, podcasts, immersive exhibitions, talks and masterclasses

Sheffield DocFest 2026 will offer audiences a broad look at contemporary documentary practice, while celebrating the people, places and creative communities connected to Sheffield.

For the full programme visit sheffdocfest.com