Festival FAQs

There is limited on-site accommodation at the University of York available. The accommodation is single en-suite student accommodation offered on a bed and breakfast basis. No double rooms are available. On-site accommodation is managed by Mosaic Events. For any enquiries, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (0) 1904 702165.  

The accommodation provider, Mosaic Events, offer partial refunds on bookings on cancellations up until Tuesday 26 May. The amount is depending on when the cancellation takes place.

•   Cancellations received between Friday 30 January 2026 and Thursday 26 February 2026 will receive a 70% refund minus a £15 administration fee 
• Cancellations received between Friday 27 February 2026 and Thursday 16 April 2026 will receive a 50% refund minus a £15 administration fee 
• Cancellations received between Friday 17 April 2026 and Monday 25 May 2026 will receive a 25% refund minus a £15 administration fee 
• Unfortunately we cannot refund any cancellations received after Tuesday 26 May 2026. 

To cancel your accommodation,  you can contact Mosaic Events (the accommodation provider) by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also phone them directly on (0) 1904 702165 from Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. 

We always strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance in case you need to cancel your booking due to unforeseen circumstances.   

We can refund Festival tickets up until Sunday 31 May, however there will be a £5 administration fee.

From Monday 1 June, we can only offer a refund if the ticket can be reallocated to another u3a member who is on a waiting list.

Unfortunately, after Monday 29 June, we will be unable to offer refunds.

There are various options of catering on site.

There is a restaurant on site which offers sit-down buffet-style lunch and dinner in the evening. There is also a café on site, available for sandwiches and tea and coffee. In addition, a small coffee shop is available during the day for tea/coffee and snacks

Most activities will be free of charge but there may be a nominal charge for craft or sports activities where leaders provide materials or need to hire sports areas. There will also be some external tours available which will need to be booked and paid for separately. You will need to budget for your travelling and meal costs.

If you require a ground floor room, accessible room or have special requirements, please ensure you include these details at the time of booking accommodation. Please note there is a limited amount of ground or accessible rooms available.

Please also include this information when booking your Festival tickets.

Please let us know any dietary requirements when booking your accommodation so we can ensure suitable breakfast options are available. We also ask that you note any dietary requirements when booking event tickets. While food is not included with tickets, it’s important for us to be aware in advance.

We want to ensure that every u3a member who wants to attend the Festival can. If you have additional accessibility needs, please get in contact with us by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will work with you to ensure that you can enjoy your experience at the Festival.