Wildscreen, the not-for-profit behind the world’s biggest gathering of the wildlife film, TV and content industry, the Wildscreen Festival, has announced that next year’s event, slated for 19-22 October 2026, will move 12 miles down the road to the historic city of Bath, a World Heritage Site.
Alongside Bristol, the home of the Wildscreen Festival for the past 40 years, Bath is located within the West of England region, which is the UK’s third largest production hub.
The region is home to world-class creative industries; as well as being a global hub for natural history film, it is also home to Oscar-winning animators, studios and filming locations, as well as music and createch.
The move is said to ensure the hybrid festival remains affordable for both the charity and its attendees, spanning over 2,000 delegates from over 60 countries.
It is underpinned by the wider context of the current challenges facing the film and TV industry and feedback from the global community of wildlife storytellers about the importance of keeping the festival accessible to all within the industry during this time.
Lucie Muir, Wildscreen CEO said: “The decision to move location has not been taken lightly but we are extremely excited about providing a fresh experience for our attendees next year against the beautiful backdrop of Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“The city offers first rate facilities and excellent transport connections and, more importantly, this move will allow us to keep ticket prices the same as in 2022 and 2024 to ensure the festival is open and affordable to as many people as possible.”
The main festival events will take place in Bath during 2026, with the public screening programme taking place at venues across Bath and Bristol around the festival period.
BBC Studios Natural History Unit is once again on board as headline sponsor of the festival, “marking its commitment to supporting the evolution of the wildlife film and TV genre”.
Jonny Keeling, head of BBC Studios Natural History Unit, said: “We’re thrilled to be supporting the 2026 Wildscreen Festival as headline sponsor once again – and this time in an exciting new location.
“I’m sure the global community of wildlife filmmakers will be inspired and energised by the gorgeous setting of Bath. This festival is such an important event – sparking new ideas for compelling content to engage audiences across the world.”
Vanessa Berlowitz, co-founder of Wildstar Films and Wildstar Academy, added: “Wildstar is proud to be a long-term supporter of Wildscreen as we share a mission to nurture a more equitable and global community of storytellers.
“Bath is a stunning city and a major creative and cultural hub – an ideal location to host our global community. A change of scenery will be positive, helping us focus more deeply on the impact we seek to have with our stories of the natural world.”
Wildscreen also revealed that the Panda Award and Official Selection film competitions are open for entries.
The Panda Awards are the highest honours in the international natural world storytelling film, TV and content industry, spanning 18 categories including cinematography, independent film and on-screen talent.
The winners will be announced at the Wildscreen Panda Awards Ceremony, which will also take place in Bath on 22 October 2026.
Now in its fourth year, the Official Selection competition acts as a “global launchpad” for new voices, original stories and vital messages.
The selection is curated by a global team of programmers, with screenings taking place around the Wildscreen Festival spanning venues across Bristol and Bath.
More information is available on the Wildscreen website.
