HippFest 2026 marked another successful year for Scotland’s annual celebration of the silent era. The 16th edition of the Festival welcomed audiences to the Hippodrome Cinema for five days of silent film with live music, culminating in a screening of King Vidor’s cinematic masterpiece, The Crowd (1928) with piano accompaniment from John Sweeney.

Over 2,800 tickets were issued for screenings and events that took place in and around Bo’ness, with a further 600 people tuning in to enjoy the Festival’s online content in the run up to the festival dates, Wednesday 18 - Sunday 22 March 2026. Audiences flocked from across the UK and beyond to enjoy the programme.

Festival Director, Alison Strauss was delighted with this year’s turn out,  saying: “The Hippodrome is the beating heart of Bo’ness and it’s been truly magical seeing our beautiful cinema filled with people from all corners who have travelled here to be part of the HippFest community.  I am grateful to all our audiences for their part in making the Festival so special – whether by joining in one of our workshops, voting in our audience awards, writing reviews, donating money on top of the cost of their ticket, or trusting us and taking a chance on an unfamiliar title.

At the same time I’m proud of the tremendous team of freelancers and Falkirk Council colleagues, whose hard work, enthusiasm and expertise make HippFest such a high calibre event.”

HippFest’s 16th edition shone a spotlight on the early decades of cinema; exploring topics of land and nature, Scottish stories, and a celebration of the Jazz Age. A total of 27 feature films and shorts - including two world premieres - were shown across the programme, all with live accompaniment from 43 musicians, including 30 young artists from across the Falkirk region.