Salem Horror Fest 2026 Scratches the Surface with First Wave of Headliners!
Raise your claws, because Salem Horror Fest 2026 has revealed dates and the first wave of headliners! Announced by our friends at Rue Morgue, the event will take place from Thursday, April 30th—Sunday, May 3rd.
Founded by Artistic Director Kay Lynch in an effort to help audiences understand fear, this will be the ninth edition of the Salem Horror Fest. This year’s theme features a black cat that you can see in the poster below, and it already has us feeling witchy.
Located in Salem, MA, the fest will feature various headliners, including the veneration of the life and work of Mick Garris. He’ll host a screening of Sleepwalkers (an early collaboration with Stephen King), followed by a Q&A with Rue Morgue’s Andrea Subissati. The daughter of horror legend Vincent Price, Victoria Price, will deliver the keynote address. Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes) and Linnea Quigley (The Return of the Living Dead) each have something fun lined up, as well.
Overseeing are Kay Lynch, Co-directors Leslie Adams and Brody Bellamy, Submissions Coordinator Steve Kleinedler and Production Manager Luisa Cornish.
As of now, the full programming list includes:
- Nine repertory films, including Sleepwalkers, which is playing opening night, Thursday, April 30th
- Podcast Girl, That’s Scary! will be discussing 1982’s Cat People
- Nine feature-length official selections and over 40 short-film official selections, from filmmakers across the globe
- Book talk with various authors and a screenwriting discussion featuring Garris and Clay McLeod Chapman (Wake Up and Open Your Eyes)
- New collaboration with The House of the Seven Gables on Sunday afternoon with Victoria Price, followed by dinner and a screening of a documentary on her father’s film legacy
- Listening party with Michael Berryman and raffle tickets to win a tarot reading with Linnea Quigley
- Continued collaboration with the George A. Romero Foundation, which provides mentorships to up-and-coming filmmakers
Scratch the surface and get your tickets now for Salem Horror Fest 2026.
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