Festival opens in

-16 days

The Budget Guide to Doc/Fest

Sheffield Doc/Fest on a Budget

Taking part in Doc/Fest doesn't have to be expensive, whether you're coming to the festival as someone in the Industry or as a member of the public. There's lots of ways to make Doc/Fest more affordable and we're committed to making it as accessible as possible to everyone who wants to come here.


So here are our main tips:

Cheaper and free delegate passes

We offer a range of reduced-rate festival passes. If you're a student, a senior citizen or in receipt of Benefits, you're probably eligible for our bargain £75 concessionary pass. You can email us to check if you're eligible.

Otherwise, if you're a member of one of our partner organisations, Shooting People(Now sold out), DFG(Now sold out) or The D-Word, you can get a discounted pass at £150 plus VAT.

Or if you apply to be a festival volunteer, you can see Doc/Fest from the inside in exchange for some hard work. Volunteers receive a free festival pass, meaning that for the half of the festival when you're not working you can see the festival screenings for free! (subject to availability of tickets)

Plus our friends at The Independent are running a competition to win delegate passes so watch out for that too.

Cheaper and free film tickets

If you're not planning on attending the whole festival, there are lots of ways to get reduced-rate or even free tickets for screenings which are open to the public. Some films are free to students and we also offer a "10 doc pass" – 10 films for the price of 8 (£44 and £36 concession). For more information on these tickets, contact the Showroom Box Office on +44 (0) 114 275 7727

How to travel to Sheffield on a budget

We already offer you special discounts on train travel to Sheffield. You might be able to get even more special rates from Megatrain where tickets can be as little as £2 return from London, or QJump, which is good for national train travel

Or if you're coming from further afield, Eurostar offers all-inclusive fares in advance from continental Europe right through to Sheffield, if you're flexible about when you can travel.

Where to stay for free or nearly nothing

We've got a few suggestions for Budget Hotels and cheap apartments but if they're still too much of a strain on the budget, then try Couch Surfing or Airbed & Breakfast for the opportunity to stay with someone friendly in Sheffield if you don't mind possibly staying on a sofa.

We're also running an "Adopt-a-producer" scheme for producers involved in the festival - if you're participating in the festival as a producer and are on a tight budget, we might be able to help you with accommodation with a local resident. Contact Tom in the Doc/Fest office to find out more.

Getting all the festival information for free

If you're not planning to buy a full delegate pass but you still want to know what's going on and who'll be where when, don't worry, you can still get lots of this info without the delegate festival catalogue. Free printed programmes are available from the box office and will also be free in The Independent just before the festival.

Socialising and Networking at Doc/Fest on the cheap

Remember, all our decadent parties are open to every festival delegate and if you want to impress the documentary movers and shakers, the Showroom Festival Bar is always open to all delegates to hang out and soak up the atmosphere. There'll even be Happy Hours with cheap drinks - probably the best time to pitch your latest idea.

Budget eating and drinking

Sheffield isn't an expensive place to eat and drink, and our Eating and Drinking guide contains a number of places which won't break the budget. And don't forget that cafes and restaurants aren't the only option - buying provisions from a supermarket can last you all day.

And we want your tips on doing Doc/Fest on a budget as well so if you've got any more suggestions, contact us!

Download the Doc/Fest map of Sheffield at the left of screen.