Halloween 2023: London events for spooktacular fun
From fright nights to spooky screenings, immersive experiences to bloodthirsty raves, Halloween in London brings chills and thrills
Halloween at the Natural History Museum
Spooky specimens await at the Natural History Museum this Halloween, as visitors are welcomed for an evening of scares. There are two tours running during the event for an additional fee: the Tank Room Tour offers the chance to peer at a plethora of jars containing specimens from around the world – including a giant squid! – preserved in alcohol. If that doesn't sound scary enough, then opt for the aptly named Spooky Tour and pay a visit to some of the museum's strangest specimens. Shake it all off afterwards, throwing some shapes at a silent disco in the grand Hintze Hall.
When: Tuesday 31 October, 6:45pm–10:30pm
Where: Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD
Click here to book
Squid Game Virtuals 
Launched just in time for spooky season, Sandbox VR's latest experience invites brave players to step inside the world of hit Korean Netflix series Squid Game and try their luck at some of its twisted challenges. Teams of up to six players can strap on a headset and play the likes of 'Red Light, Green Light' and 'Cross the Glass Bridge'. The winner will be the last player standing.
When: Now open
Where: Sandbox VR, The Post Building, High Holborn, London WC1A 1PB
Click here to book
Savage Garden's Spooky Circus
Cocktails promise to be more chilling than chilled at rooftop bar Savage Garden. Don your scariest outfit and head up to the 12th-floor venue, where a circus-themed night of carnage awaits. Knock back some themed tipples (the pumpkin and ginger purée-based Midnight Nightmare sounds much more appealing than the black garlic gin-spiked Creepy Crypt Keeper!), and watch daring performances from contortionists and aerial silk performers.
When: Friday 27 October, 7:30pm–1:30am
Where: Savage Garden, 12th Floor, Dou
Click here to book
Hallowed Peak: The Lunar Festival
Part real-life, part video-game, Phantom Peak is so sprawling an immersive playground that visitors can apparently spend almost five hours uncovering plots, meeting characters and getting lost inside its worlds. This October, it's adding a creepy tinge to the whole experience, so watch your back as you join the townsfolk in the lead-up to an important election.
When: Wednesday 11 – Tuesday 31 October, various times
Where: The Southwark Construction Skills Centre, Canada Street & Surrey Quays Road Behind, London SE16 7PJ
Click here to book
Belgravia Pumpkin Trail
A gentler, family-friendly Halloween can be found throughout the streets of Belgravia, where a Pumpkin Trail is encouraging visitors to wander between 14 wholly autumnal (not to mention Insta-worthy) window displays.
When: Monday 23 – Tuesday 31 October, all-day event
Where: Throughout Belgravia
Find out more
Halloween at Shakespeare's Globe
Shakespeare's Globe is fully embracing spooky season, running a Ghosts & Ghouls Family Tour to teach little visitors and their grown-ups about the scary happenings of the Bard's most chilling plays, and a Shakespeare’s True Crimes Walking Tour, delving into the wider area's criminal history.
When: Ongoing – see website for dates and times
Where: Shakespeare's Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DT
Click here to book
Halloweek at The Cauldron London and The Wands & Wizard Exploratorium
Brew your own cocktails, sorry potions, at a spooky mixology masterclass with sister venues the Cauldron in Stoke Newington and the Wands & Wizard Exploratorium in Soho. In the 1hr 45m class, you'll make a warm mug of HallowCream cider and a far more sinister sounding Blood of your Enemies, which might resemble a raspberry vodka martini with white chocolate. Mocktails are available for non-drinkers and those visiting with the kids.
When: Tuesday 24 – Tuesday 31 October
Where: The Cauldron, 5d Stoke Newington Rd, London N16 8BH / Wands & Wizard Exploratorium, 26 Greek Street, London W1D 5DE
Click here to book the Cauldron and here to book the Wands & Wizard Exploratorium
Halloween afternoon tea and late-night tours at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Those craving a side of drama with their Halloween should head to the famously haunted Theatre Royal Drury Lane, which is capitalising on its reputation and hosting gruesome-looking Halloween afternoon teas by day and a series of spooky theatre tours by night. The former is a chance to tuck into savoury bites and cakes by acclaimed London baker Lily Vanilli (hello, sticky toffee pudding with a cauldron of salted caramel). The latter will lead you through the theatre's out-of-bounds corridors, hearing about the scandals and ghostly figures haunting them, including the infamous Man in Grey.
When: Monday 16 – Tuesday 31 October (tea) / Tuesday 3 – Tuesday 31 October (tour)
Where: Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Catherine Street, London WC2B 5JF
Click here to book
London Dungeon: The Exorcism of Peter Moore
The London Dungeon is a spooktacular horror fest at any time of year, of course, but never more so than at Halloween, when it stages especially gruesome, story-led experiences. This year, it's taking scare-seekers back to 1814, when a Peter Moore is tackling a sinister force and the threatening whispers of centuries-old curses deep within the dungeon's chambers.
When: 11am – 4pm, daily
Where: Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7PB
Click here to book
Funicular Productions: The Murdér Express Part Deux
One of Funicular Productions’ signature experiences, The Murdér Express Part Deux begins like its predecessor at fictional Pedley Street Station. From here, you'll hop on board an elegant but eerie-looking steam train with an ominous-sounding name. Sip on cocktails, tuck in to a fancy feast but don’t get too comfy. This time, there's a precious diamond, the jewel of the empire, which has gone missing on board. Now everyone is a suspect, including you. Look forward to entertainment and storylines from a professional cast, and a multi-course meal from MasterChef: the Professionals finalist and long-term Funicular collaborator Louisa Ellis.
When: Tuesday–Sunday, 6pm–8pm or 8:30pm–10:30pm
Where: Pedley Street Station, Arch 63 Pedley Street, Bethnal Green, London E1 5BW
Click here to book
Ghost tales at Eltham Palace
No scene is quite as suitable for Halloween as an ancient, history-riddled castle. At Eltham Palace, you can take a chilling, fantastical journey back in time to the 1930s. Guided by expert storytellers, you’ll hear tales of the sinister goings-on in the servants’ quarters, supernatural sightings and horrible happenings. What really happened at the palace while its esteemed guests enjoyed lavish feasts, completely unaware? The grounds will be dark at this hour so whatever you do, bring a torch and don’t get lost. Suitable for ages 16+. Those with little ones, meanwhile, should check out the Halloween Quest running from Saturday 21 – Sunday 29 October.
When: Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Tuesday 31 October, at 6pm, 7:15pm, 8:30pm and 9:45pm
Where: Eltham Palace, Court Yard, London SE9 5QE
Click here to book
London Cabaret Club’s El Dia of the Dead
The beautiful art deco auditorium of the Bloomsbury Ballroom is being transformed into a playground for the supernatural this Halloween. The theme? Mexico's Day of the Dead holiday. Come in your most colourful costume and look forward to a specially curated menu that reflects the textures and tastes of the Mexican celebration, and a chance to enjoy world-class entertainment from a candle-lit table.
When: Thursday 26 - Saturday 28 October
Where: Bloomsbury Ballroom, Victoria House, Bloomsbury Square, Holborn, London WC1B 4DA
Click here to book
Midnight Apothecary Halloween Spooktacular
Midnight Apothecary returns to the Brunel Museum with another classy Halloween special. Amid a sea of carved pumpkin lanterns, huddle by a firepit eating s'mores and sipping on your choice of Halloween potion concocted by the team of resident mixologists. Those who dare can also opt to take a tour of the underground chambers below the museum.
When: Friday 27 & Saturday 28 October, 5pm–7:15pm / 7:30pm–10pm
Where: Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe, London SE16 4LF
Click here to book
Halloween at the Tower of London
At the Tower of London, the trapped souls of the building's executed prisoners wait to greet you this Halloween. Designed to chill your bones rather than churn your stomach, the tour takes you past Traitors' Gate, the Scaffold Site and the Bloody Tower, with reported sightings of Anne Boleyn, the Duke of Clarence and Everard Digby along the way.
When: Saturday 21 – Sunday 29 October, 9am–3:30pm
Where: Tower of London, London EC3N 4AB
Click here to book
Thorpe Park Fright Nights
Halloween wouldn't be Halloween without Thorpe Park's annual Fright Nights season – and the screams are just a short train ride from London. Venture into one of three scary mazes, dodge the blades of Creekwood Sawmill, shudder through the cursed village of Mawkin Meadow or simply ride Thorpe Park's most famous rollercoasters in the dark. The thrill-seeking will continue until 10pm during this special season so that you can really immerse yourself in the spooky fun.
When: Check website for exact dates, 10am–10pm
Where: Thorpe Park, Staines Road, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8PN
Click here to book
Fright Night Cinema at the Rivoli Ballroom
Take in some classic horror at a pop-up cinema in the historic twilit Rivoli Ballroom. The only one of its kind in London, the ballroom was, in fact, originally a cinema before it was converted to a dance hall in the 1950s. Famed for its plush furnishings and fittings, the space has appeared in several films itself. This October, it's screening a ream of spooky classics, including The Shining, Hocus Pocus, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Ghostbusters.
When: Wednesday 25 – Friday 27 October, times vary depending on screening
Where: Rivoli Ballroom, 350 Brockley Road, Crofton Park, London SE4 2BY
Click here to book
The London Bridge Experience
It's open year-round but it's at its spookiest around Halloween: The London Bridge Experience invites the brave to get muddled up with the cir-curse, where all kinds of twisted horrors await. Listen to the secrets that stain the history of one of London's most frequented landmarks, but beware: you may find you're unable to ever see it in the same light again.
When: Friday 20 & Saturday 21 October / Thursday 26 – Tuesday 31 October, 6:30pm–11pm
Where: London Tombs, London Bridge, London SE1 2SY
Click here to book
Halloween Ball at the Mansion
The 'Mansion' is actually a network of specially chosen venues in London so the party team is able to throw great gatherings in an ever-changing roster of grand locations. Halloween is no different. In a brand-new surprise venue, expect three dance floors, a VIP area, spooky entertainment, a tarot reader, a macabre art exhibition and a graveyard guarded by a werewolf. Fancy dress is completely mandatory and so is haste – the tickets always sell out.
Where: Secret northwest London location revealed 48 hours in advance to ticket-holders
When: Saturday 28 October, 9pm–4am
Click here to book
Halloween at Benjamin Franklin House
Benjamin Franklin was a stand-up guy. As one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, he was the country's first ambassador to France where he helped spark the French Revolution. Still, there are some cobwebs in his house. This Halloween event is a chance for families with kids ages five to 12 to learn about the history of North America's spookiest holiday, and create some Halloween-themed decorations to take home. Treats and some tricks are promised along the way.
Where: 36 Craven Street, London WC2N 5NF
When: Wednesday 25 & Thursday 26 October, 11am & 1:30pm
Click here to book
Halloween at Hampton Court Palace
There are ghosts in the gallery at Hampton Court – we've heard it first-hand from the staff. The most famous is Henry VIII's wife-cum-victim Catherine Howard, last seen being dragged screaming back to her room down the haunted gallery, under arrest for adultery. Come find her on a new self-guided Halloween ghost tour for adults.
When: Saturday 21 – Sunday 29 October, 10am–5pm
Where: Hampton Court, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 9AU
Click here to book
