City of Ghosts Canterbury 2026 brings a full day of ghost stories, Gothic literary history and M. R. James to St Gregory’s Centre for Music on Saturday 3 October. Running from 11am–8.30pm, the new festival mixes live storytelling, folklore, rare archive material and Canterbury’s place in the history of supernatural fiction — a particularly good autumn pick if your spooky season leans more haunted library than scare maze.
Fancy spending the day with things that refuse to stay dead? Check City of Ghosts tickets and current availability →
Latest Update
Checked 11 September 2026: the official Eventbrite listing gives the festival time as 11am–8.30pm on Saturday 3 October 2026. The event is organised by Manoghosts Studios Ltd and takes place at St Gregory’s Centre for Music, 8 St Gregory’s Road, Canterbury CT1 1NT.
City of Ghosts 2026
City of Ghosts is a new Canterbury festival built around the history and continuing appeal of the English ghost story. Rather than being a generic paranormal event, the programme brings together writers, academics, folklorists, performers, archivists and film professionals to look at how supernatural storytelling has developed over more than three centuries.
What Is the Canterbury Ghost Story Festival?
The festival uses Canterbury’s own literary connections as its starting point, then moves through Gothic fiction, M. R. James, Dickens, folklore, archive research and modern screen storytelling. Live performance sits alongside talks, rare material and discussion, making this as much a literary and cultural event as a spooky-season one.
The Apparition of Mrs Veal
The 2026 festival marks 320 years since The Apparition of Mrs Veal, a 1706 text set in Canterbury and widely described in the festival material as the first modern English ghost story. Academics including Cecilia Sayad are due to explore the story and the development of modern ghost-story traditions that followed.
M. R. James
M. R. James is one of the central figures in the programme. The festival includes discussion of his work and archive, including Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad, with original M. R. James manuscript material due to be presented from The King’s School archive by Head Archivist Peter Henderson.
Live Ghost Stories
Acclaimed storyteller Robert Lloyd Parry is due to close the day with two M. R. James ghost stories performed live. His work is strongly associated with bringing James’s stories back into the oral storytelling tradition, making this one of the programme elements that most clearly connects literary history with live performance.
Cursed Objects & Folklore
Dan Baines of Lebanon Circle is among the announced contributors, with the programme highlighting cursed objects, dark folklore and historically inspired supernatural material. These themes are presented as folklore, cultural history and creative practice rather than as independently verified paranormal fact.
Speakers & Contributors
Announced contributors include Robert Lloyd Parry, Dan Baines, biographer Brian J. Corrigan, Dr Mark Jones and Paul Chapman of The Haunted Archive, archivist Peter Henderson and academics including Cecilia Sayad. The festival also references writers, folklorists and film professionals, including prop makers with experience on Guillermo del Toro productions.
Rare Books & Archive Material
One of the strongest reasons to consider the event is the access to rare literary material. The programme says visitors will be able to encounter original pieces and first editions connected to Kent’s supernatural writers, alongside original M. R. James material brought out of the archive specifically for the event.
Canterbury’s Ghost Story Connections
Canterbury provides more than an atmospheric backdrop. The festival explicitly connects the city to The Apparition of Mrs Veal, M. R. James, Dickens and the wider history of English supernatural fiction. That makes City of Ghosts particularly relevant to readers interested in Gothic literature, dark history, folklore and adaptation as well as Halloween events.
Date & Venue
- Date: Saturday 3 October 2026
- Time: 11am–8.30pm
- Venue: St Gregory’s Centre for Music, 8 St Gregory’s Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 1NT
- Organiser: Manoghosts Studios Ltd
Tickets
Tickets are being sold through the official Eventbrite listing. Prices and availability can change, so check the live booking page before travelling.
See live ticket availability for City of Ghosts Canterbury →
Accessibility
Event-specific access arrangements have not been fully published in the festival listing, so visitors with particular requirements should contact the organiser through Eventbrite before booking.
For the venue itself, AccessAble records step-free access through most of the ground floor, step-free access to part of the auditorium and an adapted toilet. The building has no lift to the first floor, and most tiered auditorium rows require steps. That venue information should not be read as confirmation that every festival activity is step-free.
Practical Information
- The programme runs across a long day, so check individual session information when the full schedule is released.
- Use the Eventbrite listing for current tickets and organiser contact.
- If you need step-free seating or other access arrangements, contact the organiser before attending.
- St Gregory’s Centre for Music is at 8 St Gregory’s Road, Canterbury CT1 1NT.
Why See It
City of Ghosts stands out because it treats ghost stories as literature, performance, folklore, archive and cultural history all at once. For anyone who likes M. R. James, Gothic writing, rare books, dark history or live storytelling, it is a much richer proposition than a standard seasonal ghost event.
FAQ
When is City of Ghosts Canterbury 2026?
Saturday 3 October 2026, from 11am to 8.30pm.
Where is the Canterbury Ghost Story Festival?
St Gregory’s Centre for Music, 8 St Gregory’s Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 1NT.
Is M. R. James part of the festival?
Yes. The programme includes M. R. James archive material, discussion of The Haunted Archive and two live M. R. James performances by Robert Lloyd Parry.
Is the festival wheelchair accessible?
The venue has step-free ground-floor access to parts of the auditorium, but festival-specific arrangements have not been fully published. Contact the organiser before booking if you have access requirements.
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