Horror Legends Invade Welsh Coast at Rhyller Thriller 3

Rhyl’s Little Theatre is set to transform into a horror hub this summer as Rhyller Thriller returns for its third year on 30 and 31 August. Organisers have secured an international bill of genre heavyweights to headline the seaside mini-festival, promising two days of screenings, market stalls, community events and Q&A sessions.

Italian horror royalty Dardano Sacchetti will make his UK festival debut. The veteran screenwriter whose credits include The Beyond, Demons and House by the Cemetery will join guests and fans for screenings of his classic collaborations. Fellow Fulci alumna Cinzia Monreale, best known for her ethereal turn in The Beyond, arrives in Rhyl for the first time. The festival also welcomes Laurence R. Harvey, whose unsettling performance in The Human Centipede II remains one of modern horror’s most talked-about roles.

Alongside these headline names, audiences can catch the complete Gates of Hell Trilogy – City of the Living Dead, The Beyond and House by the Cemetery – on the big screen. Welsh director Julian Richards will introduce his cult landmark Darklands, and indie sensation The Beast of Riverside Hollow will screen with a Q&A led by co-director John Williams.

Organisers describe Rhyller Thriller as a grassroots celebration of horror cinema that reaches well beyond downtown London, aiming to build community spirit in North Wales through affordable screenings and events. A free horror market will run alongside the films, inviting local craftspeople and artists to showcase horror-inspired books, props and apparel. Festival founders hope the weekend will bring a shot in the arm to Rhyl’s cultural life and local economy.

The roots of Rhyller Thriller stretch back to a charity partnership and a monthly horror night that revealed a hunger for genre on the Welsh coast. What began with micro-shorts for a few pounds has grown into a two-day symposium of classics, cult hits and independent premieres. Alongside screenings, filmmakers and actors will appear for panel discussions, workshops and meet-and-greets, inspiring a new generation of horror creators.

Tickets for Rhyller Thriller 3 are on sale now via Eventbrite. With an Edwardian-style auditorium and a nine-foot screen, the Little Theatre becomes a rare horror destination in August. Whether you thrill to Fulci’s fog-shrouded tombs or Robert Bournemouth’s indie creepfest, Rhyl offers “no more room left in hell” – and that’s exactly the point.

For more information on the event, visit: www.rhyller-thriller.com/