Dracula Returns -A Conference and Celebration

Dracula Returns is a conference and celebration marking the 101st anniversary of Dracula’s first licensed stage appearance. The event is the culmination of an Arts and Humanities Research Council Curiosity research project charging Derby with the dark energy of the Count.

The conference takes place at Derby’s iconic Museum of Making – itself the home to as much history as the renowned vampire himself – across four days, kicking off on Thursday 15 May and concluding on Sunday 18 May 2025. Expect explorations of the many diverse aspects of Dracula and vampires in media, science and technology from our varied array of participants!

Over the course of four days, you can expect insightful presentations, helpful panels, exciting keynote speeches, engaging screenings and more from our core conference. Alongside these daytime events we’ll also be presenting a variety of evening entertainment from Thursday to Saturday nights, taking in theatre, poetry and music!

A person in black evening dress and eyeliner with slicked back hair drinking red liquid outside of the Old Bell Hotel in Derby — Image courtesy of Visit Derby

What will the Conference include?

This event brings together scholars, practitioners, and members of the public for four days of events and discussions about Dracula in its many forms including theatre, literature, cinema, television, photography, and digital and online media. The multidisciplinary nature of the conference is aimed at a broad spectrum of speakers.

The conference period includes celebratory cultural activities that we warmly encourage all to attend:

Thursday 15 May – evening drinks reception at the House of Holes (the current incarnation of the Grand Theatre).
Friday 16 May – Poetry Doesn't Suck! Vampire Performance Poetry Slam at the Museum of Making.
Saturday 17 May – The Derby Monster Mash at The Hairy Dog.
- Closing party with three live garage rock bands (The Razerbills, Snakerattlers and The Sleazoids,) DJ Joe Atom and AFAB drag queen Boo as the evening's compare!

Conference tickets cost £101 plus booking fee. A limited amount of bursaries are available for students, low-income and project partners. If you qualify for one of these, get in touch with dracula@derby.ac.uk.

Otherwise, to book your ticket, visit TicketSource.

Book your ticket

Conference schedule

Check out the at-a-glance event scheduleView the full event schedule

For any queries, please email dracula@derby.ac.uk

Dracula in Derby

In 1924, at the world premiere in Derby, Dracula stepped onto the stage. He was charming and suave, a different vampire to the monster of Bram Stoker’s novel.

When the curtain rose, Hamilton Deane's adaptation debuted Dracula in evening dress and a cloak. The monstrous Nosferatu of the novel was recast as an urbane and sophisticated figure, while retaining a threatening edge. The Derby Dracula became wildly successful; the show toured the country and, from the West End, transferred to Broadway, where Bela Lugosi was cast as the Count. This production was then adapted by Hollywood for the iconic 1931 film.

Since then Dracula has manifested in diverse forms: books, cartoons, toys, video games and many hundreds of films, from Blacula (1972) to children's favourite Hotel Transylvania (2012). Dracula is one of the most adapted characters in the world, reappearing in diverse cultures and forms, transcending gender and ethnic boundaries through his/her/its appeal. The home of this cultural journey is Derby.