Sheffield DocFest has unveiled the first highlights for its 2026 edition, revealing an initial line-up of events, speakers and new strands for the UK’s leading documentary festival.
The 2026 festival, titled Realities in Motion, will take place in Sheffield from 10 to 15 June.
Among the newly announced headline participants is this year’s Guest of Honour Maxine Peake, who will curate a strand of the programme and take part in a major conversation exploring working class representation and ideas of Britishness.
The programme also includes appearances from Miriam Margolyes, Andrea Arnold and Chris Packham, alongside a special centenary event celebrating Sir David Attenborough at 100.
Sheffield DocFest has also announced the launch of a brand new family strand, GEN DocFest, designed to welcome audiences of all ages to the festival for the first time.
Raul Niño Zambrano, Creative Director of Sheffield DocFest, said: “‘Realities in Motion captures something essential about where we find ourselves in 2026, a moment defined as much by uncertainty as by constant transformation. At Sheffield DocFest this June, we embrace change not as something fleeting, but as an ongoing force that shapes how we see and understand the world.
“The programme title also speaks to movement in its most active sense, from grassroots activism to global technological shifts, reminding us that realities are continually being reshaped through collective momentum.
“We are incredibly proud and honoured to welcome such extraordinary voices to this year’s edition, including our Guest of Honour Maxine Peake, alongside Andrea Arnold, Miriam Margolyes and Chris Packham as part of our talks programme – artists and thinkers who truly embody the spirit of a world in motion.”
Maxine Peake will appear in conversation with filmmaker Paul Sng, discussing class, representation and storytelling in film and television, while also selecting and introducing favourite documentaries as part of her curatorial role.
Peake said: “I feel very giddy about being this year’s ‘guest of honour’. I adore Sheffield DocFest and the brilliant way it promotes and highlights documentary films and their makers. Documentary film is absolutely essential to human existence. It is able to mine and shine its focus on humanity and our lived experiences like no other medium can.”
Miriam Margolyes will make her DocFest debut, reflecting on truth-telling and the importance of bold storytelling, in conversation with long-time collaborator Simon Draper.
Margolyes said: “I’m so thrilled to be coming. I’m new to ‘dockos’, it’s so inspiring to be among the best at Sheffield, I’ll learn so much.”
Andrea Arnold will offer a rare insight into her creative process, joined by producer Kat Mansoor, exploring the blurred boundaries between fiction and documentary across her award-winning career.
A special event marking Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday will bring together filmmakers, scientists and activists including Chris Packham, Gordon Buchanon, Nadeem Perera, Lizzie Daly and Dominique Palmer, hosted by Alice Aedy.
Aedy said: “Sir David Attenborough profoundly shaped the course of my life. To get the chance to honour him alongside an extraordinary panel, also inspired by his legacy, is something I’m really looking forward to. And where better than DocFest, a platform celebrating impactful storytelling with the power to change our world.”
Chris Packham will also reflect on his career in conversation with BBC Head of Specialist Factual Jack Bootle as part of the BBC Interview strand.
Packham said: “I grew up with Sagan, Bronowski, Moore and Attenborough… I liked doctors of science and the arts, not Dr Who’s. I liked learning, I still like learning, I’ll choose a documentary over drama every time.”
The newly announced GEN DocFest family strand will launch with A Thoroughly Horrible Morning!, featuring cast and creatives from Horrible Histories and Horrible Science, with further events to be announced later this month.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
