The creative industries have a habit of telling people to survive without support. Break in, burn out, repeat. SISTALAND Festival was built as a refusal of exactly that – and in 2026 it’s going bigger than ever.
Founded by production designer and creative director Nikita Dare, SISTALAND exists to support women, trans women and non-binary creatives – FLINTA* people navigating the film and wider creative industries, where the door has rarely been held open for them. What began as a small WhatsApp group, then a sold-out pilot festival in Bristol, has grown into a national community: a safe space for people who too often feel ostracised in the industries they work in.
This year it heads outdoors. From Friday 10 to Sunday 12 July 2026, SISTALAND lands at Chew Valley Lake in Somerset, bringing together more than 500 filmmakers, artists, makers, founders and cultural changemakers for three days of talks, workshops, screenings, performances and community-led action. Camping and glamping are available on site, so you can actually stay in the experience rather than commuting in and out of it.
You may also like: London sapphic & queer events to fill your June 2026
What’s on
The 2026 theme – “Community Powers Change” – sits at the heart of the weekend, exploring how collective action, peer support and alternative networks can build a fairer creative future. It’s a pointed response to the isolation, financial instability and lack of access still facing so many women, trans and non-binary people in the sector.
The programme leans into honesty rather than hustle. Expect candid conversations on burnout, money, motherhood, visibility and survival in the arts, alongside industry panels with award-winning filmmakers, producers, artists and founders. There’s The Exhale, a dedicated wellbeing and nervous-system reset space, and The Money Clinic, offering practical financial guidance for freelancers – because rest and rent are both part of the picture.
There’s plenty for the after-dark crowd too: outdoor screenings, immersive installations, live performances and late-night connection spaces, plus workshops on pitching, confidence and creative sustainability. The 2026 edition arrives with collaborators including UN Women, Media Trust and Lush.
“It was built because people were exhausted”
For Dare, the festival was never about another night of awkward small talk over warm wine.
Article continues below.
“SISTALAND was never built to be another networking event,” she says. “It was built because people were exhausted, isolated and struggling silently in industries that often ask us to survive without support.”
“This festival is about honesty, creativity, rest, community and building a future where more people get to stay in the creative industries, not just break into them.”
That distinction – staying, not just breaking in – is the whole point. Plenty of initiatives get people through the door. Far fewer ask what it takes to keep them there.
The details:
- Date: Friday 10 – Sunday 12 July 2026
- Venue: Chew Valley Lake, Somerset (camping and glamping available on site)
- Tickets: On sale now, with payment plans and subsidised options available
- Instagram: @sistalandfest
Nonchalant x
You may also like
This article was written by one of our creative team writers here at Nonchalant Magazine.
