Spooky days out: The best Halloween activities

Our guide to all the best ways to celebrate the spooky season

Ah, October – the most delightfully spooky month of them all. If you’re looking to take your Halloween celebrations to the next level, there are plenty of great Halloween-themed activities in London this year, from low-level frights to the truly ghoulish. Explore our run-down of all our favourite Halloween days out for 2022.

Thorpe Park Fright Nights

Not for the faint-hearted, Thorpe Park’s Fright Nights combine four intense scare mazes and experiences into one huge evening of Halloween festivities. With rides operating after dark, live performers wandering the park looking for someone to spook, and plenty of immersive Halloween fun, Fright Nights are the ultimate thrill-seeker experience.

When: Select dates until 31 October

Where: Thorpe Park Resort, Surrey

The Phantom of the Opera

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s gothic masterpiece has been a West End staple for many years, beloved by audiences worldwide but truly at home on its London stage. When soprano Christine finds a new tutor in the strange, masked figure that wanders the Paris Opéra House, she is unaware that she is about to spark a dangerous, potentially deadly obsession…

When: Now booking until 8 March 2023

Where: Her Majesty’s Theatre, London

The London Halloween Ball

If you want your Halloween to go on all night long, then take a trip down to The London Halloween Ball at Electric Brixton. With amazing stage shows, scary live actors, a trick or treat station and much more, this is set to be the party of the season. The London Halloween Ball is an 18+ event, so best leave the family at home for this one.

When: 31 October

Where: Electric Brixton, London

The Gunpowder Plot Experience

One of the most exciting new immersive theatre experiences that London has ever seen, the Gunpowder Plot Experience takes you back in time to 1605 to play your part in an amazing historical adventure. Starring Tom Felton (The Harry Potter series) as Guy Fawkes, this one-of-a-kind experience blends live performances and virtual reality to allow you to become part of the story, infiltrating the rebels and unearthing a deadly plot.

When: Now booking until 31 March 2023

Where: Tower Hill Vaults, London

Warwick Castle

There’s plenty of family fun happening at Warwick Castle throughout October. Explore Halloween history, meet the Witches of Warwick, venture into the Castle Dungeon and much more. Their Haunted Castle festivities kick off on the 22^nd of October, whilst those ready to explore the darker side of Halloween can join them from the same date at Castle After Dark.

When: Until 31 October

Where: Warwick Castle, Warwick

The Woman In Black

For those ready to experience a story that truly gets under your skin, The Woman In Black awaits at Fortune Theatre. This gripping theatrical experience introduces audiences to a deserted mansion, a deadly curse, and a dark figure that haunts the stage. Just pray you never lay eyes on her…

When: Now booking until 30 April 2023

Where: Fortune Theatre, London

Alton Towers’ Scarefest

Alton Towers is celebrating 15 years of Scarefest this Halloween. Explore four terrifying scare mazes, venture into the Alton Towers dungeon, follow the Whispering Souls through the Garden Lights Walk and ride the Wicker Man after dark. There’s plenty for both families and serious thrill seekers, so whether you’re happier exploring the Lakeside Cemetery or knocking on doors in Trick or Treat Town, Alton Towers has you covered.

When: Until 31 October

Where: Alton Towers, Staffordshire

Heathers The Musical

Get ready for a truly killer dark comedy. When Veronica befriends the popular Heathers, she too is ready to become one of the queens of Westerberg High. But her new boyfriend, rebel outcast JD, has other priorities. Faced with some difficult choices, the two of them soon find themselves on a dark path… Irreverent and hilarious, Heathers makes for joyful Halloween watching.

When: Now booking until 19 February 2023

Where: The Other Palace, London

The London Dungeon

If you’d rather stick to the classics, then there’s no better place to be this Halloween that in the London Dungeon. Terrifying shadows wander between these haunted walls and ghostly voices cry out for help… Will you survive the night, or join the legions of the lost? Experience the Home of Halloween this spooky season.

When: Until 31 October

Where: The London Dungeon, London