FAQs
When is York Unlocked festival weekend 2026?
Saturday 3rd October - Sunday 4th October.
I haven't booked a ticket can I still come?
YES! In fact, very few of the experiences we offer require a ticket all.
We have many buildings and spaces to enjoy during York Unlocked, and only a few are only accessible with a ticket.
Any building in our festival weekend with listed opening hours and no ticket required is open for you to drop in (within those times!). No booking or planning necessary!
And tickets may become available again. Any tickets cancelled will be made available through the same links. In 2025 over 100 tickets were cancelled before the event.
Where is it and what are the opening times?
At various locations across the city of York in North Yorkshire.
All the buildings are listed in our programme or here, and have different opening times and days which they are open.
How much is entry?
Free. All York Unlocked is free, however some of buildings require free pre-booking prior to the weekend.
Booking opens SOON, details including a downloadable programme are available on our website – here
How do I book?
Some of the buildings require free booking prior to the event, but many don’t and you can just turn up during their open times.
Booking for the select few that need pre-booked tickets opens soon.
Details of which buildings will need pre-booked tickets can be found in our programme here , or sign up to our newsletter or our social media.
Keep an eye on the booking page for the opportunity to get any returned tickets.
I can't use my ticket now, what should I do?
If you have booked tickets that you can’t use anymore we’d love it if you could cancel the booking, so someone else can use them.
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Open your Booking Confirmation Email (from York Unlocked).
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Click the blue Manage Tickets link at the bottom.
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Enter your booking email address when prompted.
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You will receive a new email with a link – click it to access your booking.
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From there, you can view and cancel your tickets.
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Please note: cancelling will remove all tickets in your booking.
Keep an eye on the booking page for the opportunity to get any returned tickets.
If you only need to cancel one ticket from a group, email info@york-unlocked.org.uk with Ticket Cancellation in the subject line.
If you booked a ticket directly with the Holy Trinity Goodramgate, please see their website for cancellation details.
Do buildings have parking?
No, there is no dedicated parking for York Unlocked during the Festival Weekend.
York can be very busy during the weekend, so for venues in the city centre York’s Park and Rides might be a great option for you.
Alternatively York has many public car parks.
Do the buildings have toilets?
Each venue has different facilities and many will not have public toilets onsite.
York does have public toilets with controlled entry at 50p :
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Coppergate Shopping Centre
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Front Street
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Nunnery Lane
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Rougier Street
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Rowntree Park (Free)
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Silver Street
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St George’s Field
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St Leonard’s Place
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Union Terrace
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West Bank Park (Free)
Please see here for details https://www.york.gov.uk/PublicToilets
What happens in case of bad weather?
The event goes ahead rain or shine! Many sites are indoors, but we recommend dressing for the British autumn as you walk between venues.