diff --git a/changelog.d/12910.removal b/changelog.d/12910.removal
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4bd4f877f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/12910.removal
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Remove unused `contrib/experiements/cursesio.py` script, which fails to run under Python 3.
diff --git a/contrib/experiments/cursesio.py b/contrib/experiments/cursesio.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 7695cc77ca..0000000000
--- a/contrib/experiments/cursesio.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,165 +0,0 @@
-# Copyright 2014-2016 OpenMarket Ltd
-#
-# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-# You may obtain a copy of the License at
-#
-#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-# limitations under the License.
-
-import curses
-import curses.wrapper
-from curses.ascii import isprint
-
-from twisted.internet import reactor
-
-
-class CursesStdIO:
-    def __init__(self, stdscr, callback=None):
-        self.statusText = "Synapse test app -"
-        self.searchText = ""
-        self.stdscr = stdscr
-
-        self.logLine = ""
-
-        self.callback = callback
-
-        self._setup()
-
-    def _setup(self):
-        self.stdscr.nodelay(1)  # Make non blocking
-
-        self.rows, self.cols = self.stdscr.getmaxyx()
-        self.lines = []
-
-        curses.use_default_colors()
-
-        self.paintStatus(self.statusText)
-        self.stdscr.refresh()
-
-    def set_callback(self, callback):
-        self.callback = callback
-
-    def fileno(self):
-        """We want to select on FD 0"""
-        return 0
-
-    def connectionLost(self, reason):
-        self.close()
-
-    def print_line(self, text):
-        """add a line to the internal list of lines"""
-
-        self.lines.append(text)
-        self.redraw()
-
-    def print_log(self, text):
-        self.logLine = text
-        self.redraw()
-
-    def redraw(self):
-        """method for redisplaying lines based on internal list of lines"""
-
-        self.stdscr.clear()
-        self.paintStatus(self.statusText)
-        i = 0
-        index = len(self.lines) - 1
-        while i < (self.rows - 3) and index >= 0:
-            self.stdscr.addstr(self.rows - 3 - i, 0, self.lines[index], curses.A_NORMAL)
-            i = i + 1
-            index = index - 1
-
-        self.printLogLine(self.logLine)
-
-        self.stdscr.refresh()
-
-    def paintStatus(self, text):
-        if len(text) > self.cols:
-            raise RuntimeError("TextTooLongError")
-
-        self.stdscr.addstr(
-            self.rows - 2, 0, text + " " * (self.cols - len(text)), curses.A_STANDOUT
-        )
-
-    def printLogLine(self, text):
-        self.stdscr.addstr(
-            0, 0, text + " " * (self.cols - len(text)), curses.A_STANDOUT
-        )
-
-    def doRead(self):
-        """Input is ready!"""
-        curses.noecho()
-        c = self.stdscr.getch()  # read a character
-
-        if c == curses.KEY_BACKSPACE:
-            self.searchText = self.searchText[:-1]
-
-        elif c == curses.KEY_ENTER or c == 10:
-            text = self.searchText
-            self.searchText = ""
-
-            self.print_line(">> %s" % text)
-
-            try:
-                if self.callback:
-                    self.callback.on_line(text)
-            except Exception as e:
-                self.print_line(str(e))
-
-            self.stdscr.refresh()
-
-        elif isprint(c):
-            if len(self.searchText) == self.cols - 2:
-                return
-            self.searchText = self.searchText + chr(c)
-
-        self.stdscr.addstr(
-            self.rows - 1,
-            0,
-            self.searchText + (" " * (self.cols - len(self.searchText) - 2)),
-        )
-
-        self.paintStatus(self.statusText + " %d" % len(self.searchText))
-        self.stdscr.move(self.rows - 1, len(self.searchText))
-        self.stdscr.refresh()
-
-    def logPrefix(self):
-        return "CursesStdIO"
-
-    def close(self):
-        """clean up"""
-
-        curses.nocbreak()
-        self.stdscr.keypad(0)
-        curses.echo()
-        curses.endwin()
-
-
-class Callback:
-    def __init__(self, stdio):
-        self.stdio = stdio
-
-    def on_line(self, text):
-        self.stdio.print_line(text)
-
-
-def main(stdscr):
-    screen = CursesStdIO(stdscr)  # create Screen object
-
-    callback = Callback(screen)
-
-    screen.set_callback(callback)
-
-    stdscr.refresh()
-    reactor.addReader(screen)
-    reactor.run()
-    screen.close()
-
-
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    curses.wrapper(main)