Aesthetica Fringe: York’s Citywide Celebration
Step beyond the cinema screen and into the city. This year, the Aesthetica Fringe transforms York into a hub of creativity, connection and culture. From live comedy and music at York Theatre Royal to exhibitions and art installations across the city, it’s a vibrant celebration of contemporary art in all its forms. Explore the Film Poster Exhibition, discover cutting-edge innovation at the UNESCO City of Media Arts Expo, and experience the Aesthetica Art Prize and Future Tense exhibitions at York Art Gallery. Across every venue, we’re inviting you to join with us in celebrating imagination, innovation and the power of creativity.
Aesthetica Fringe | 5-9 November
The Aesthetica Fringe is a citywide celebration of emerging creativity across all art forms. From live music and comedy to exhibitions, installations and performance, it’s about making York a cultural playground. These are artist-led events, created, planned and performed by creatives in the city. York is a UNESCO City of Media Arts, and the Fringe embodies this status by activating galleries, venues and public spaces with diverse work. Alongside the BAFTA-Qualifying Film Festival, the Fringe builds a space where creativity steps out of traditional venues and into every corner of York. Discover 20+ free and ticked events across the city.
Beyond the Frame | 5-8 November
Join us for three unforgettable evenings at York Theatre Royal, featuring comedy from Sophie Duker (Taskmaster, Live at the Apollo), leading film critic Mark Kermode in conversation and a silent film screening with live accompaniment by The Dodge Brothers. Plus, during the day on Saturday 8 November, attend the New Music Stage – a festival-within-a-festival featuring live music from rising stars. Here, Aesthetica is evolving beyond a traditional film festival into a vibrant celebration of screen culture, live performance and fresh voices. These shows broaden our programme, blending comedy, conversation, film and music. Separate ticket required.
Film Poster Exhibition | 5-9 November
The first promotional movie poster was made in 1895 for the French short L’Arroseur Arrosé. For early cinemas, displaying posters outside the building was integral to generating audiences and interest. Today, in our fast-paced digital world, we’re still using visuals to catch attention. We are thrilled to bring back the Film Poster Exhibition for the third year running. This year’s show-stopping exhibit at City Screen features 50 pieces from our Official Selection. All of the filmmakers involved in the festival were invited to submit their poster for selection. The chosen posters will be on display for visitors to enjoy. Free to with festival pass, no need to pre-book.
Aesthetica Art Prize & Future Tense | Until 25 January
Experience two cutting-edge contemporary art exhibitions at York Art Gallery. The first, Future Tense: Art in the Age of Transformation, foregrounds immersive light art. Here, you can step into Submergence by art collective Squidsoup. It’s an installation of 8,000 colour-changing LEDs you can walk through. Liz West, meanwhile, draws on Isaac Newton’s experiments with light refraction through prisms. At the same time, visit the Aesthetica Art Prize 2025, which features 25 shortlisted artworks, from paintings and sculpture to photography and digital art, that confront big issues. Plus, discover this year’s Aesthetica Art Prize-winners: Tobi Onabolu and Sam Metz.
UNESCO City of Media Arts Expo | 6-8 November
York is 1 of 26 cities worldwide selected by UNESCO because of its extensive outputs in Media Arts. It is the only one in the UK. Set within this year’s Aesthetica Film Festival, the EXPO showcases exceptional work from media arts and creative businesses based in the region. There are 25 organisations to meet at the at Guildhall in York. Together, they cover virtual production, VFX, film & TV, interactive design, gaming, graphic design, publishing, XR and more. Free to all, no need to pre-book.
Aesthetica Film Festival runs 5-9 November in York, UK. To purchase your pass, click here.
The download the festival programme, click here.
