Dead Northern Horror Film Festival will return to City Screen Picturehouse in York from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September 2026, adding a new physical horror attraction through a partnership with Behaviour Interactive’s Dead by Daylight.
The three-day festival, known for independent horror cinema, will extend its offer beyond screenings through a Dead by Daylight-inspired activation in the venue’s basement. For film festivals, cinema operators and games companies, the collaboration shows how horror IP can move between screen, game and live environments to create a stronger event proposition.
Dead by Daylight, developed and published by Behaviour Interactive, has become one of the most prominent multiplayer horror titles of the past decade. Its 4v1 format places one killer against four survivors, drawing on original characters, licensed horror icons and a growing catalogue of in-game settings. Bringing that universe into a festival venue gives Behaviour an opportunity to connect with a focused horror audience in a live setting, while giving Dead Northern a differentiated attraction around its film programme.
Basement Space Becomes A Horror Activation
During the festival weekend, City Screen’s basement will be converted into a Dead by Daylight-inspired environment, with challenges, surprises and staged moments planned for attendees. Details remain limited, but the format suggests a compact, site-specific attraction designed to translate the tension and unpredictability of the game into a physical visitor journey.
For venue operators, the project is notable because it uses an existing cinema building in a different way. Basement and back-of-house spaces can be difficult to monetise, but with the right creative and operational planning they can support temporary installations, timed entry activity and sponsor-led activations.
This type of format also gives festivals an additional layer of value. Instead of positioning cinema screenings as the sole attraction, Dead Northern is creating a wider weekend programme that encourages movement through the venue, supports social sharing and gives partners a more active role in the event.
Aliens Screening Links Film And Game Culture
The partnership will also include a late-night screening of James Cameron’s Aliens on the Friday evening. The 1986 film will mark its 40th anniversary in 2026 and remains an important reference point for science-fiction horror, action cinema and game design.
For a horror festival, Aliens offers a strong bridge between cinema culture and interactive entertainment. Its influence can be seen across survival horror, creature design, squad-based tension and industrial sci-fi settings. Placing the screening alongside a Dead by Daylight activation allows Dead Northern to connect film heritage with contemporary horror gaming in a single weekend format.
Festival director Josh Lawson has described the partnership as a natural fit for Dead Northern’s focus on creating memorable moments for horror audiences. He has also noted that the Dead by Daylight 10th anniversary gives the collaboration added significance.
Cross-Sector Lessons For Visitor Experience Brands
For the wider visitor experience sector, the Dead Northern partnership highlights the commercial potential of game IP within cultural and event settings. Horror is especially suited to this model because it relies on atmosphere, anticipation, group response and controlled uncertainty, all of which can be translated into live environments.
The collaboration also reflects a growing opportunity for cinemas and festivals to add physical participation to screen-based events. With audiences able to access films and games at home, venues are under pressure to create formats that cannot be replicated through standard viewing or gameplay.
By pairing independent cinema, a landmark anniversary screening and a branded horror activation, Dead Northern is building a festival model that offers value to audiences, sponsors and venue partners alike.
