How to get Sky Arts

Dan Howdle • November 19th, 2024

Sky Arts is a digital TV channel from Sky TV. As its name suggests, Sky Arts shows films, documentaries and interviews related to music, movies, literature, dance, theatre, photography, painting and many other areas in the world of the arts.

In this guide we will tell you how to get Sky Arts, how you can access it in HD and 4K, how to get it with and without a Sky TV subscription, and also what kind of programmes you can expect to see on the channel.

What is Sky Arts?

Sky Arts is a TV digital channel from Sky TV available in HD and 4K formats with a Sky TV or NOW TV subscription. It specialises in broadcasting programmes from all areas of the arts. You can, for example, watch thought-provoking discussions with leading creatives, innovative documentaries exploring contemporary art movements, and live performances ranging from theatre to classical music.

Current highlights include Portrait Artist of the Year and Landscape Artist of the Year, showcasing talented individuals competing to create stunning artwork. Music fans can enjoy The Great Songwriters, featuring interviews and intimate performances with acclaimed composers and artists, while theatre lovers might appreciate National Theatre Live.

For those interested in film, Discovering Film continues to profile legendary actors and directors, providing deep insights into their careers. Fans of architecture and design can explore series such as The Art of Architecture, which examines some of the world’s most striking buildings and their creators.

How can I get Sky Arts?

Sky Arts in high definition (HD) is now standard as part of any Sky TV subscription or as part of a NOW TV Entertainment Pass. However, Sky if yo0u want it in 4K though, you'll have to subscribe to Sky's UHD & Atmos add-on, to NOW TV's Ultraboost add-on, or add it onto your existing TV subscription with BT/WW, TalkTalk or Virgin Media, where methods vary.

Via Freeview

Sky has made the standard definition (SD) version of Sky Arts available using just a Freeview set-top box or a Freeview-enabled Smart TV. Although this is the SD version, the programme content is the same as the high definition (HD) version, it's just that the visual quality is poorer.

As part of a Sky TV subscription

If you want to have a Sky TV subscription, you will get access to Sky Arts in HD with any package you choose as it is included as standard in every bundle. Choose from Sky Glass or Sky Stream. If you want it in 4K though, you'll have to add Sky's UHD & Atmos pack.

NOW TV

You can also watch Sky Arts with Sky-owned NOW TV. The NOW TV Entertainment membership includes Sky Arts along with other premium Sky channels including Sky History, Sky Nature and Sky Atlantic. All NOW TV memberships come on a one-month rolling contract so you can cancel at any time. Simply sign up online and watch via the app on your Smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or games console.

TalkTalk TV subscription

Because part of TalkTalk TV is delivered via NOW TV you'l get Sky Arts in HD as part of your TalkTalk TV package, and at no extra cost. TalkTalk TV can only be taken with TalkTalk broadband.

Virgin TV subscription

You'll get Sky Arts as standard in all Virgin Media bundles. To watch Sky Arts in HD, customers will have to sign up for any bundle that includes Sky Entertainment, which is almost all of them. TV channels are delivered via Virgin's branded TV 360 box.

EE TV subscription (via BT or EE)

Sky Arts is available in HD with BT TV packages via the included NOW TV Entertainment membership that enables you to watch Sky TV channels without the need for a separate contract. EE TV is supplied with its own EE TV box that can connect to an aerial or straight to your BT or EE router. You also have the option of an EE TV-locked Apple TV 4K, but we won't get into the details of that here.

What shows can I watch on Sky Arts?

Sky Arts, as its name suggests, broadcasts programmes related to books, films, music (rock, jazz, classical and soul all feature), painting and many other areas of the wider world of the arts. It also shows some quirky drama series from the past, including Tales of the Unexpected and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Here are some of the arts genres coveredas well as some of the twiddly bits:

Books

Sky Arts targets book lovers particularly with its Sky Arts Book Club Live show. This is hosted by Simon Savidge and guests, featuring lively discussions on new and classic books. It also includes interviews with prominent authors and insights into literary trends.

Painting

Sky Arts features interviews and profiles of famous painters, as well as documentaries about art styles and different periods in painting (and sculpture). One of the most popular shows on the channel is Portrait Artist of the Year, presented by Stephen Mangan, with judges Kate Bryan, Kathleen Soriano, and Tai Shan Schierenberg bringing expert critique to each episode.

Docudramas

In order to bring the arts to life, Sky Arts also features docudramas both heavy and light in nature. These include Urban Myths, which offers a comedic take on famous but often apocryphal cultural moments, and Boswell & Johnson's Scottish Road Trip, featuring comedian Frank Skinner as the legendary writer Dr Samuel Johnson and crime writer Denise Mina.

Music

There is lots of music and music insight to be had with Sky Arts. Live concerts and gigs feature jazz, classical rock, alternative, reggae, and soul stars. Popular programmes include The Great Songwriters, offering in-depth interviews with some of the biggest names in music, and Guy Garvey: From the Vaults, which explores musical gems from ITV's archives.

Film

Film buffs will enjoy interviews, documentaries, profiles, and behind-the-scenes shows, including The Directors, which examines the life and works of renowned directors from Alfred Hitchcock to Greta Gerwig. Discovering Film also continues to profile outstanding actors and their careers, featuring figures like Audrey Hepburn and Sidney Poitier.

Documentaries

Sky Arts is well provisioned with factual programming. This includes historical documentaries such as Casanova Undressed, in which historians look at the life and times of famed lover Giacomo Casanova, as well as insightful programmes like The Art Mysteries with Waldemar Januszczak, which delve into hidden details of iconic artworks.

Other genres

Some shows on Sky Arts are not so easily pigeon-holed. For example, timeless episodes of Melvyn Bragg's arts magazine The South Bank Show Originals continue to air, alongside engaging photography contests like Master of Photography. Meanwhile, Tales of the Unexpected remains a staple for fans of classic drama.

What do I need to watch Sky Arts?

Sky Arts standard available via any Freeview set-top TV box and via Freeview-enabled smart TVs. The standard definition (SD) version of Sky Arts features the same programme contents at a reduced visual quality.

To watch Sky Arts HD with Sky, you need a subscription to Sky TV or a NOW TV Entertainment Membership or a Premium Virgin TV subscription. If you sign up to Sky Stream, you can either take Sky broadband as well or a different provider, and you will be able to watch Sky Arts in HD via whichever Sky TV equipment you choose: either Sky Stream or Sky Glass. You can also watch in 4K if you subscribe to the UHD & Atmos add-on.

Virgin Media TV requires you to also have Virgin Media broadband, and you will be supplied with a Virgin Media TV 360 box on which to watch it.

For NOW TV, you just need any broadband service and a means of watching your NOW TV content, whether that’s on a smart TV or via the app on a games console or tablet, for example.