Soon the ghosts will come out to play, cackling witches will take to the skies, blood-craving vampires will be seeking to quench their thirst and skeletal figures will be punching their way out of the dirt. When these supernatural beings roam the streets it can only mean one thing: Halloween in Manchester is here.
Whether you’re adding the final flourishes to a year-in-the-making costume or digging out crooked cat ears from the back of your cupboard, the haunting holiday promises plenty of dastardly fun in the form of ghost tours, candlelit concerts and even a spooky silent disco. Once you’ve sorted your own décor, picked up a pumpkin and done your trick-or-treating duties you might have your heart set on keeping the celebrations going. To help you decide, we’ve rounded up the best things to do in Manchester this Halloween…
1. Seek out spirits on this Manchester Ghost Tour
Dip your toe into the astral realm on a hair-raising hunt for ghosts around Manchester. Your smartphone will play the role of the guide; supplying clues that, when solved, lead you to some of the most haunted places in the city. On the spooky self-guided tour you’ll uncover stories that will send the shivers down the spine of even the most stoic non-believer and visit historic sites such as Manchester Cathedral, Palace Theatre and Albert Square. Grab your jumpsuits and proton packs, you’re in for a bumpy ride with this Manchester Ghost Tour.
🎟️ Find tickets here.
2. Hunt down the giant monsters that have popped up around Manchester
If you embark on a walk through Manchester city centre anytime during Halloween week you’ll likely spy a giant inflatable monster or two. The menagerie of oddly-endearing creatures have been invading the city for the past five years and are set to do it once more. Hide-and-seek doesn’t seem to be their strong suit though, as these pop-up Halloween monsters are often spotted hunkering down behind Printworks or peering over Piccadilly Place. The monsters are set to take the town by storm from Friday 25 October this year, so keep your eyes peeled.
🎟️ No tickets needed.
3. Dare to enter a terrifying horror experience in an abandoned asylum near Manchester
Newsham Park Hospital in Liverpool could easily be mistaken for an old hotel left to ruin – its windows boarded up, perimeters overgrown. This Halloween, the haunted building less than an hour’s drive from Manchester will host a spooktacular in the form of Newsham Scream Park, a series of blood-curdling spooky attractions to get you in the gruesome spirit. Each experience will wind through the dark bowels of the building, filled with deepening dread and moments of sheer blood-curdling panic, as guests follow each nightmarish path through Newsham Scream Park.
🎟️ Book here.
4. Sneak drink behind bars at Alcotraz
If the supernatural doesn’t scare you the stone-cold glare of the Alcotraz prison warden just might. A place where breaking the rules is the only way to survive the night, this experience is not for the lily-livered, in fact a concrete liver is exactly what you’ll need when it comes to the cocktail portion of the night. Once you’ve wiggled into your orange jumpsuits and smuggled in liquor, the next step is indulging in some delicious concoctions made by fellow inmates. If a day of booze-fuelled crime sounds like something that to tick off your bucket list then head to Alcotraz Manchester.
🎟️ Book here.
5. Get on a board a Halloween ghost train
The ultimate Halloween event is not-to-be-missed in 2024, with new twists and surprises throughout the popular event, as the East Lancashire Railway launches the ‘Year of The Pumpkin‘. With extravagant decorations and lighting all setting the scene, this year will see the Pumpkin King and his motley crew of spooky scarecrows leave the fields of the Irwell Valley and descend on the railway encouraging visitors to solve eerie mysteries.
The pumpkin themed haunted house walkthrough and the ghoulishly decorated footbridge will see creepy characters including Zombie Bob and his Monster Squad roaming throughout, ready to help investigate with those who dare, alongside Veronica the Witch and Vampire Brian, all before the 60 minute long interactive “scream” train ride through the Irwell Valley.
🎟️ Book here.
6. Solve a murder mystery on the steam railway
If you’re after something immersive for the grown-ups in the gang, look no further than the murder mystery events put on by ELR. Have you got the super-sleuth skills to find clues and solve a murder? The detective persona to interrogate the suspects? The judge and jury deliberation to identify the killer? All on a moving train? The murder mystery evenings on the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) are the perfect way to enjoy delicious food and an evening of murder, puzzles, questioning and solving the ultimate whodunnit.
🎟️ Find out more and book here.
7. Stop a ghostly menace on the Haunted Manchester tour
On a fateful (and fictional) day in Manchester a student named Loky met his watery end when he drowned in the icy depths of the canal. The act was not an isolated incident or unfortunate accident but the malicious work of a serial killer who roamed the banks of the canal, his name: The Pusher. On this Haunted Manchester tour you’ll explore the darker side of the city, solving clues and uncovering stories about the trapped spirits who fell victim to this murderer. Keep your wits about you: everything might not be as it seems…
🎟️ Book here.
8. Prepare to enter a world of horrors at this spooky abandoned theme park
The North West’s favourite horror event, Scare City, has announced its return to the abandoned Camelot site for its fifth Halloween, promising a world of terror like no other. Scare City is the North West’s favourite horror extravaganza. Starting out as a drive-in cinema in 2020, it’s now a walk-through horror attraction based in the abandoned Camelot Theme Park.
This year’s event is set to feature a selection of terrifying zones including the Slaughter House, where Camelot’s resident cannibal lives, who has set the date for his annual dinner party. A number of familiar faces will be making an appearance with the return of Carni Valley set in the darkened depths of the huge abandoned theme park, and the launch of new zone ‘Arakhne‘, a horrifying spider experience where visitors will enter the spider queen’s web of fear with her cluster of sinister spiders.
🎟️ Book here.
9. Tremble with fear as you enter a terrifying virtual reality experience
Manchester’s largest virtual reality arcade, DNA VR, is giving guests the chance to live out their horror movie dreams (and nightmares!) with an array of horrifying and gruesome immersive virtual reality experiences. Visitors will find a wide-range of hair-raising virtual horror simulations to complete, such as navigating their way out of the Hospital Of Horror escape room, evading the supernatural in Manor Of Escape, or fighting off hordes of the undead in Arizona Sunshine, there is something for every horror-lover at DNA VR.
🎟️ Book here.
10. Celebrate spooky season at this magical Halloween trail
This October, the creators of the Manchester’s acclaimed Twilight Trail will unveil The Halloween Trail, a spooktacular Halloween themed light show at Trafford Centre. Running until Sunday 3 November, the immersive experience promises to captivate visitors of all ages this spooky season.
Featuring over 100,000 lights, the mesmerising trail is filled with captivating installations that centre around a Skeleton Village theme. Conveniently located at Manchester’s Trafford Centre, the venue offers easy access via trains, trams, and buses and benefits from the shopping centre’s free parking.
Guests will be greeted by supernatural surprises and moments of spooky delight as they arrive at the experience, with thousands of tiny laser beams coming together to create a mist-filled garden of light. Vibrant, colourful bats will illuminate the space while LED eyes watch from above, adding to the eerie ambience, and so much more.
🎟️ Book here.
11. Immerse yourself in this Halloween horror show in the city centre
This Halloween, a brand-new immersive scare experience is launching in Manchester’s city centre, five minutes’ walk from Piccadilly Station – ‘Time To Die‘, at Diecast.
From the teams behind Diecast and the award-winning Newsham Scream Park in Liverpool, and curated by the infamous masters of horror, Area 51, Time To Die is taking horror to a whole new level. Truly nightmarish, terror-filled nights await this October with two terrifying scare experiences – The Die Is Cast and The Toymaker − running until Saturday 2 November.
WARNING: These are extreme level scare attractions designed to unsettle and terrify – recommended for adults only, the minimum age is 14 years old and above.
🎟️ Find tickets here.
12. Take the family along this spooktacular lakeside trail
The Halloween Lakeside Trail takes place at Partridge Lakes in Culcheth, Warrington until Thursday 31 October 2024, and tickets are on sale now. This is the second year of the event on the 70-acre site set in the idyllic Cheshire countryside.
The Halloween Lakeside Trail is an enchanted walk where you can immerse yourself in a wickedly fun family-friendly experience. As dusk falls, embark on a magical quest through the mystical forest where you will wander through Skeletons’ Hollow, dance with friendly ghosts and journey through the woodland spider’s tunnel to the magical witches’ lair.
The captivating lakeside trail is perfectly spooky, not scary, and where Halloween magic comes to life. So, get ready for an unforgettable adventure for the whole family around the stunning dog-friendly venue.
🎟️ Book here.
13. Try your hand at picking your own pumpkins
Whether you’re doing it for the ‘gram or just absolutely love getting your carve on, there are plenty of spots to pick your own pumpkinin Manchester. For many, picking a pumpkin straight off the shelf is enough, but for others, us included, getting down and dirty and feeling like you’ve earned this symbol of autumn is what we want.
With more pumpkin patches popping up every year, we’re spoilt for choice, and if you travel in any direction out of Manchester, you’re sure to find a farm, field or makeshift spot to pick your own, and it’s the perfect activity for all the family. See our full guide here.
14. Spook your mind at the brand new Museum of Illusions
Although not an exclusively Halloween activity, a visit to Museum of Illusions should be on the cards for a mind-bending day out, and you’re sure to leave at least a little spooked. The brand new 10,700 sq ft space is filled with “fascinating holograms, mind-bending illusion rooms, and astonishing exhibits intended to trick the mind and puzzle perceptions” – similarly to the other Museum of Illusions sites across the globe.
In addition to the museum’s signature, most popular and photo-worthy exhibits, such as the Walk-in Kaleidoscope, Vortex Tunnel, and Infinity Room, visitors will be treated to custom-made installations that celebrate Manchester’s unique culture and heritage.
🎟️ Book here and give it a go.
15. Catch a spooky movie at King Street Townhouse
Step into the intimate and immersive 20-seat screening room at King Street Townhouse for spine-chilling Halloween cinema screenings and delightfully wicked cocktails crafted just for the occasion. Complete with popcorn and pick’n’mix, the line-up of classic horror and new-age thrillers will keep you on the edge of your seats.
From Rocky Horror Picture Show to Practical Magic and The Exorcist, there’s a spooky movie for every taste this season. Choose from a screening only ticket (£15) with food and drink available to purchase on the night, or upgrade to Cocktail, Screening, Snacks (£30) or Afternoon Tea, Cocktail, Screening, Snacks (£65), for an unforgettable spooky season outing.
🎟️ Find tickets here.
16. Immerse yourself into the work of STAB film season at Cultplex
2022 at Cultplex saw the birth of STAB, a weekend long celebration of horror movies, and it was such a wild success that they’re doing it all again. This time, it won’t just be a weekend worth of Halloween treats but a whole month of some of cinema’s best horrific output. Kicking off with the local horror classic Living Dead at Manchester Morgue on Wednesday 2 October, the season is set to be broader than ever, with absolute classics like The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, right up to the double bill of the recent Shiva Baby and Bodies Bodies Bodies.
The now synonymous Scream marathon will screen at Cultplex on October 6, with a mammoth four Scream films, and throughout the season you can catch the likes of Death Becomes Her, The Exorcist, Alien, The Slumber Party Massacre and so many more hair-raising flicks. The zombie all-nighter will also be making a return, so all you undead fans can be delighted and frightened all night long.
🎟️ You canfind tickets for the entire STAB season at Cultplex here.
17. Have a tipple with the backdrop of a spooky film at Ducie Street Warehouse
Bringing the warehouse to life, the Lounge will host a series of spooky films projected on a large screen. Available for all guests to enjoy, the spacious Lounge is the perfect space to sit back and enjoy a film whilst having direct access to the main bar for drinks and nibbles. A back-to-back screening from 5pm on Thursday 31 October will show Hocus Pocus (1993), Get Out (2017), and Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) – quite the marathon, if we do say so.
🎟️ Just pop by Ducie Street Warehouse anytime this month, and see what’s playing.
18. ‘Scary Fish’ take over at Sexy Fish Manchester
Sexy Fish – renowned for its extraordinary evenings and immersive dining- has announced a spell bounding ‘Scary Fish’ take over in celebration of Halloween. Set to be one of Manchester’s biggest Halloween parties, the venue will be transformed for one night only on Saturday 2 November with a selection of fire performers, mystical ‘Scary Fish’ creatures, jellyfish dancers and more – creating a symphony of the seas.
Throughout the evening, guests can dine a la carte, or on one of Sexy Fish’s omakase menus, highlighting a selection of chef’s choice Japanese-inspired dishes and starting at just £48. The Hiro Omakase ( £48pp) and the Sekushi Omakase menu, priced at £86pp, with wine pairings to accompany – highlight dishes include the likes of Tuna Tataki, Glazed Pork Belly Skewersand Spicy Yellowtail Maki.
🎟️ Book your table here.
19. Five days of skullduggery at Tattu
Tattu is set to be the perfect setting for spooktacular celebrations with luminous green hues, terrifyingly good limited edition specials, a spine-chilling bottomless brunch and a final Sunday Sunsets closing dinner! Limited edition Halloween specials include; Pumpkin Dumplings dressed with a spider’s web garnish and a touch of sweet chilli ‘blood’, a ghostly Yuzu Drop Dessert embalmed in passion fruit, shiso, and almond.
For the perfect pairing, Tattu has created some spine-chilling elixirs such as; the Dragon’s Curse cocktail in collaboration with Ojo De Dios Mezcal and Deadman’s Chest: a four-person sharing cocktail created exclusively for Halloween with Beluga Noble Vodka, Tequila, Cointreau, Raspberry, Lychee and Lime. Tattu’s limited edition specials will be available from Friday 25 – 31 October, whilst the Saturday Brunch will only be available on Sunday 26 October from 12-3:45pm
🎟️ Book a table here.
20. Putt up a storm at Treetop Golf
Until Sunday 3 November, Treetop Golf at the Printworks invites families to don their best Halloween costumes for a chance to win a £50 voucher, along with free face painting on select dates. Explore the Tropical Trail or the crumbling surrounds of the Ancient Explorer, and scare family and friends silly with your golf skills.
🎟️ Book a session here.
21. Celebrate spooky season as O’Neill’s
O’Neill’s at the Printworks is set to host a Halloween weekender from 31 October to 2 November, offering special discounts for students and hospitality workers, along with themed cocktails, prizes for the best fancy dress (bottle of fizz), and live music to keep the party alive. The weekend will be structured as follows:
- Thursday: 2 for £12.50 cocktails
- Friday: Live music 7-9pm and all the hits from 9pm
- Saturday: Live music 7-9pm and fab DJ at 9pm
🎟️ Book a table here.
22. Trafford Palazzo Halloween Havoc
Trafford Palazzo is hosting two weeks of frightfully-fun, family-friendly activities until Friday 1 November. Trafford Palazzo will commence its ‘Halloween Havoc‘ events with its very own spooky-themed scavenger hunt where visitors must find all the witches’ items to win a prize.
Throughout the two weeks, families can enjoy spooky roaming characters, as well as special guest appearances from much-loved mascot Maximus Palazzo in his fancy dress. There will be face painting stations and slime-making workshops to get families Halloween ready, with all events being free of charge – tickets to some events must be booked in advance. Visit the website here for more information and see below for a sneak peek at what Trafford Palazzo has in store this half-term:
- Spooky Treat Making – Friday 1 November, 11am-4pm
- Spooky Spider Hat Craft – Thursday 31 October
23. Halloween at MediaCity
There’s always something going on at MediaCity and October is no different. This Halloween, families can enjoy a range of events and activities with something suitable for all ages, including pumpkin decorating, slime making workshops and Halloween crafts, as well as a Spooky Silent Disco at Kargo MKT.
The popular Furry Friends Market also returns to Kargo.MKT’s terrace with a special Halloween theme, where all things pet-related will be on offer from some of Salford’s best pup-friendly traders including treats, artwork, accessories and more. Dog lovers can also treat their pups to a Howl’oween Dog Tea Party, complete with specially selected platters containing a variety of iced dog biscuits, as well as pet-safe Puppuccinos!
🎟️ Find tickets and events here.
24. Explore Afflecks in its spooky getup
Afflecks is bringing a host of hair-raising activities, haunting experiences and special treats to town, as per usual. The iconic 180 year old building will be transformed into a Halloween experience, designed to showcase all things witchy and wonderful. With special events taking place throughout the week, there is something for the whole family to enjoy.
Activities and attractions include: Spooky sketching, Friday Night Sounds, spellcasting, a Ghoulish Glam Make Up Masterclass, Witches Broom Workshop, Sunday Speed Dating and Animaid’s horror event activity series – read more here.
🎟️ Book onto specific events here, otherwise no ticket required.
25. Masquerade Party at Lucky Cat
Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay is hosting a special Halloween Masquerade Party in collaboration with Casamigos Tequila to celebrate the spookiest day of the year. Guests are invited to dress in their best costume and step into a world of elegance where they can enjoy a DJ, photobooth, professional photographer, two drinks and delicious canapes with their ticket, plus there are plenty of other surprises in store for the evening – the party starts at 8pm on Thursday 31 October and ends at midnight.
🎟️ Tickets are available to buy for £40pp here.
26. Spookey House Party Awaits at Junkyard Golf
Junkyard Golf is hosting a Halloween house party with a twist, inspired by classic USA parties, for Halloween this year. Expect Manchester’s own Big Fat Jenna, an influencer known for iconic Halloween looks, DJ and Spooky Surprises from 7pm – 11pm, Eerie Cocktails & Shot Roulette and of course Halloween Décor & Photo Ops!
🎟️ You can book a slot here.
27. Try Polish Pierogi with a Halloween twist
Platzki‘s much-loved Pierogi Festival has returned, this time with a Halloween twist! On October 30th and 31st, from 12pm to 9pm, guests can indulge in a frightfully good feast at the Great Northern Warehouse.
The polish cuisine is a concept created by two food fanatics who took a humble Polish potato pancake and transformed it into a taste fest. The festival will showcase a bewitching array of traditional Polish pierogi, featuring devilishly good flavours such as pork and plum, ox heart and potato, and vegan sauerkraut and mushrooms, among others. Guests are welcomed to join without reservations, but are encouraged to arrive early, as the event will operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
🎟️ No booking required.
28. Club de MONSTER – Halloween Kids Social Takeover
This weekend, Club de Padel is letting the kids take over for a spooky morning of Halloween fun and games. From 10am-12pm, kids can get creative and make their own witches potions using a range of materials, there will also be foamy spider webs, pumpkin painting and fancy dress competitions, the scarier the better. It’ll be an immersive sensory experience using a range of materials where they can get a little messy and have loads of fun.
Treats are provided by Deansgate Square neighbours Medlock Canteen, and tunes will be spun by Our Kids Social resident DJ Helen Thompson. All are welcome to attend from 10am, this is a free event however ‘monster’ padel sessions with Coach Dan are ticketed at £5 each.
🎟️ You can book here.