ARCADE - DARKFIELD

Friday 13 - Sunday 22 Feb, 12-8pm (Closed Mon 16 Feb) -
Location - The Lawn - What Three Words: ///behind.prompting.lift

We’re currently experiencing a temporary payment issue with our ticketing provider. If you’re unable to complete your booking, please email info@frequency.org.uk with your preferred date and time and we’ll manually reserve your tickets for you. We apologise for the inconvenience and are working to resolve this as quickly as possible.

 

 

 

ARCADE is the latest immersive audio experience from DARKFIELD.

Using the nostalgic aesthetic of 1980s video games, ARCADE’s interactive narrative explores the evolving relationship between players and avatars. Over 30 minutes in a completely dark shipping container, this choose-your-own-path experience fully immerses audiences using 360 degree binaural sound, sensory effects, and a bespoke DARKFIELD ARCADE machine for each player.

Participants will be asked deep existential questions about free will and consciousness in world where some may win and some may lose…

Show times: 12:15, 13:00, 13:45, 14:30, 15:15, 16:00, 18:30, 19:15, 20:00 – Plus an extra show at 20:45 on Friday 13th, Saturday 14th, Thursday 19th, Friday 20th and Saturday 21st Feb.

AGE RATING: 16+

 

About the artist(s)

DARKFIELD create immersive audio experiences: Location based experiences in shipping containers, Digital experiences, and bespoke experiences for brands.

DARKFIELD situates each audience member at the centre of intense, evolving narratives using 360 degree binaural sound, striking set design, pitch darkness and other sensory effects. The design of the experiences are rich, innovative and detailed – strange worlds that unfold and steal you away from reality.

DARKFIELD work with an array of partners to present experiences individually or as a collection, and to transmit digital experiences via our platform: DARKFIELD RADIO. They create and present work in public spaces, outside arts venues, at festivals, markets, or as part of private events.

Access information

WARNING: Contains themes of violence to humans, including children and animals, death, warfare, explicit language, and sexual content. Also contains flashes of light.

Sensory triggers: sudden sprays of water, gusts of air, red and white singular light flashes, single loud gunshot sounds.

Complete darkness: may not be suitable for those with claustrophobia

Can I attend ARCADE if I have access requirements?
Yes – we have access spaces in every show. Please let patrons know how they can book an access ticket, so we know they are coming and can prepare the space and entry ramp into the container, if required. If audiences have specific access needs, let us know and we can advise how the experience can be adjusted on a case by case basis.

Is ARCADE suitable for those who suffer from Claustrophobia?
ARCADE takes place in blackout conditions inside a shipping container and may not be suitable for those with claustrophobia.

Can I leave the container once the experience has started?
At the start of the experience, audiences are given a demonstration of the full blackout they will be in throughout the experience, and are given an opportunity to leave at this point if they find the darkness isn’t for them. After this warning we ask audiences not to leave, in order to preserve the lighting and immersive conditions for the audience. You can instead remove your headphones at any time, though some background sounds may still be audible.

Is there an age rating for ARCADE?
ARCADE is 16+

Is ARCADE suitable for those who are pregnant / have heart conditions / high blood pressure?
DARKFIELD experiences happen in the dark, are quite loud, intense, and can be claustrophobic, with some movement or vibration effects. We let audience members decide for themselves whether this would be suitable for them. There are two seated spaces, if you require one please let box office know at the time of booking.

Is ARCADE scary?
ARCADE is a game like experience with game like mechanics – we would describe the experience as intense or unnerving rather than scary. We avoid describing DARKFIELD’s work as scary or terrifying, as that is not the aim of the work. Different audiences have different reactions, some find the work scary but other audiences do not find the work scary at all.

Select a day

Select a day

Select a location

Select a location

Select type of event

Select type of event

Walking Histories

Lincoln Free Walking Tour
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
Walking tour experience through the historic streets of Lincoln alongside the Reimagining Lincolnshire project, unearthing and illuminating hidden heritage stories in the city, in particular focusing on historically marginalised communities.

The People’s Market

Human Studio
Indoor
21st February
The People’s Market transforms Lincoln’s historic marketplace into a living archive of everyday activism. At Frequency, it will present a work-in-progress AR prototype, inviting audiences to shape its design through collective community feedback, exploring stories of past and present activism through play, discovery, and interactive storytelling.

The Fox and the Otter

Lumo Workshop
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
The Fox & The Otter is an illuminated walkabout performance inspired by the viral CCTV footage of a fox and an otter who unexpectedly befriended each other on Lincoln High Street. Recreated as glowing puppet lanterns, the two animals travel together through the high street, bringing their story of unlikely friendship to life.

The FlightPaths Trail

Electric Egg
Outdoor
Launching 19th February
A free immersive audio-visual trail launching as part of the Reimagining Lincolnshire project, exploring Lincoln’s WWII histories through geo-located stories and films via the Echoes Explorer app.

The Finish Line

Flexer & Sandiland
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
Celebrate reaching the top of Lincoln’s famous Steep Hill! The Finish Line is an interactive installation where your arrival is met with cheers and a round of applause. Take a moment to enjoy being recognised for your climb and join in the shared celebration at the summit. A playful tribute to determination and the thrill of reaching the top.

Talking Heads

Impossible Arts
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
Imagine three towering Easter Island style heads that talk and sing, and one of them suddenly has your face. Step up, speak or sing, and watch your expressions appear on cue. Talking Heads is playful, surprising and impossible not to join in.

SubFrequency Games

Earth Bound Misfits
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
SubFrequency Games is a high-energy outdoor street party where bass, play and performance collide. Expect big sound, crowd challenges, theatrical hosting and moments of joyful chaos that pull everyone into the experience. It’s loud, welcoming and irresistibly playful - When the Dj’s hit play, we play to win!

Serving Sounds

Working Boys Club
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
Step up, grab a glass, tap a beer mat, and drop a beat. Serving Sounds is a joyful pop-up bar where everyday objects trigger iconic grooves, thumping basslines, and unexpected musical magic.

Resonant Pulse

Lucy Mager
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
Resonant Pulse is a multi-channel sonic installation recontextualising the sounds of Cleethorpes beach to create an interactive and meditative experience. Speakers will be arranged in a circle, facing inward, inviting the audience to stand or move within. Sounds and frequencies will interact within this circle for a full-body audio experience

Migratory Light

Chris McClean
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
A walk-through artwork that translates bird migration into moving light. Drawing on the rhythms of the Humber Estuary, the work invites audiences to step into unseen journeys that connect the city to distant coasts, revealing migration as a shared, living process.

Light Painting

Access Creative
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
An open, all-ages light painting workshop inviting audiences to play, experiment and create with light. Participant will explore colour, movement and long-exposure photography in a fun, accessible way, discovering how imagination and technology combine to transform light into art. In addition, Access Creative will also be joined by Not Quite North, a specialist film lab and vintage camera shop based in Lincoln. They’ll be at Saltergate across all three days, offering their expertise on how to utilise analogue cameras and various hands-on techniques!

Light Gliders

Circo Rum Ba Ba
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
The Light Gliders spin elegantly into view glowing like lanterns and whizzing around the audience full of mischief and grace. They light up a space with their choreographed colour changing lights, magically turning around the audience, dancing between them, a mixture of ballet dancer and sprite. The Light Gliders are tiny, only four feet high and audiences delight in spinning them round then letting them go to whizz off at speed.

LIGHT BOAT

The Institute for Crazy Dancing
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
LIGHT BOAT is the slowest ride on earth: rock gently; turn slowly; and listen to the LB Alphabet as the drum beats and the chains rattle. At the end of the journey, participants are invited to file their Forecast for the future in the Ship’s Log.

Lantern Making Workshop

Lumo Workshop
Indoor
17th and 18th February
Join Lumo Workshop on the Mezzanine Floor of the Cornhill market to create your own small pyramid lanterns! These beautiful lanterns can be personalised and crafted by participants of all ages. Once made, you can collect them on the festival nights from the Cornhill Market to carry through the city, helping to light up Lincoln and become part of the event. A hands-on, creative way to bring the festival to life and join in the celebration of light and community.

Infinite Museum

MBD
Indoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
Infinite Museum is a multi-person Virtual Reality (VR) experience inviting audiences to explore short stories rooted in local heritage. Structured as a virtual museum, each room transports visitors to different moments and environments.

FlightPaths – Installation

Electric Egg
Indoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
The FlightPaths installation was created as part of a collaborative process between artists Electric Egg and the children of Westgate Academy Primary School. The installation explores the themes of home and journeys and looks at the contribution of international aircrew in ‘Bomber County’ during the Second World War.

Drift

William Lindley
Indoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
Drift is a moving image projection exploring Lincoln and Lincolnshire, connecting the county to the city, taking in various locations, including Horncastle, Grimsby, Boston, Spilsby, Scunthorpe, Sleaford, Gainsborough, the fens and the wolds. It will be projected within St Mary Le Wigford, onto screens with a soundscape.

Dragon’s Breath

ITHACA at the Castle
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
ITHACA Studio will be returning for Frequency 2026, lighting up Lincoln Castle with a new immersive experience created especially for the festival.

DJ and Beatbox Workshops

Noise Academy
Indoor
21st February
Noise Academy's open DJ and beatbox workshops are fun, high-energy sessions where young people can explore rhythm, sound, and performance in a relaxed, inclusive environment. Participants learn core skills, experiment creatively, and build confidence through hands-on music making, guided by experienced professional tutors.

Circa

Limbic Cinema
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
A mesmerising installation that will transform the Deans Green at Lincoln Cathedral, and invite audiences to connect with the biological patterns and rhythms of nature.

BOUNDING LIGHT

Vent Media
Outdoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
Bounding Light shows how light can be shaped by edges, lines, and boundaries. By working within the building’s existing structure, the artwork invites people to see a familiar historic building in a new way — not as something fixed and unchanging, but as a surface that can be brought to life through light and movement.

ARCADE

DARKFIELD
Indoor
Friday 13 - Sunday 22 Feb, 12-8pm (Closed Mon 16 Feb)
DARKFIELD’s ARCADE is an interactive experience that uses the aesthetic of 1980s video games, complete darkness, 360 degree binaural sound and sensory effects to immerse players in a war-torn world through which they can choose their own path.

An Elevated Platform

Flexer & Sandiland
Indoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
A dysfunctional Karaoke for the body, An Elevated Platform echoes a world saturated with social media, where every action we make is both celebrated and scrutinised in equal measure.

4 Bit Playground

Pather and Johnston
Indoor
19th, 20th & 21st February
4 Bit Playground is an interactive kinetic installation of autonomous cube-creatures that respond to human presence and each other. Each cube has programmed personalities that generate social behaviours, transforming their space into an ecosystem that questions the expectations we place on machines, our relationship with them and collective machine agency.