From picture-perfect pumpkin patches and spooky sweets to rambunctious nights out and mysterious events, Halloween in London is truly thrilling.
Whether you want to get all dressed up and party the night away, head to a cinema to binge-watch horror movies or just want to use the event as an excuse to eat good food in weird surroundings, here’s our selection of unmissable happenings across the capital.
The best foodie Halloween events
Sip & Slay at Kapara
This Halloween, Soho restaurant Kapara has a series of wickedly wonderful things up its sleeve. On Saturday 26 October you can book you and your friends in for a Beetlejuice-themed bottomless drag brunch, filled with delicious food and accompanied by the spookiest and kookiest drag performances out there.
Priced at £59 per person for three courses plus 90 minutes of bottomless drinks (including Beetlejuice-themed cocktails), the brunch makes a great pick for those looking to commemorate the occasion with friends. Other fun cocktails include the Day-O-Coco and the Sandworm Slam. Just say their names and they’ll appear. sevenrooms.com
Murder Mystery Dinner at The Ivy
This year The Ivy will be hosting an exclusive murder mystery event on Halloween night. Tickets will include a three-course dinner, champagne and a gripping, immersive theatrical performance that all mystery and Halloween-lovers will be sure to adore.
For one night only, The Ivy West Street will be the setting for The West Street Murders, where guests will be taken back in time to the 1920s and London’s most notorious figures will gather under one roof. When one meets a deadly fate, everyone becomes a suspect. Complete with live jazz music with gourmet food and drinks, this event promises to be truly exciting.
Tickets are priced at £120 per person and include a welcome glass of champagne, followed by canapes and a three-course dinner featuring classic Ivy dishes. opentable.com
Scream at The Refinery x Taste Film
From 18-27 October, prepare for a night of terror as the immersive dining experts at Taste Film bring the horror classic Scream to life at The Refinery City Point by Drake & Morgan.
This one-of-a-kind cinematic dining experience invites you to relieve the cult slasher movie while indulging in a six-course menu inspired by it. From nerve-racking appetisers to frightfully delicious mains and desserts, each course is carefully curated to match key scenes, making this an interactive event perfect for horror buffs and foodies alike.
Tickets start from £72.50 per person, with both afternoon and evening showings available. tickettailor.com
Read more: Best London bars and restaurants for cosy heated outdoor dining for 2024
The best Halloween film screenings
Rooftop Film Club
With locations in Peckham and Stratford, Rooftop Film Club is hosting a whole series of frightfully scary screenings throughout October.
From family classics like Hocus Pocus and The Addams Family to newer and more disturbing movies like The Substance and Joker: Folie à Deux, there’s a screening for every kind of film fanatic. rooftopfilmclub.com
Halloween open-air cinema at Down Hall
Essex’s Down Hall Country Estate and Enchanted Cinema are hosting a weekend full of Halloween-themed family-friendly movies and spooktacular thrillers. Whether you’re a fan of spine-tingling adventures or are simply seeking a fun and eerie atmosphere, this is a great pick.
From Ghostbusters and The Nightmare Before Christmas to The Shining and Edward Scissorhands, there’s a range of spooktacular screenings to pick from. The best part? Tickets start from just £10 per person. downhall.co.uk
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Clapham Grand Movie Nights
The Clapham Grand is hosting some fantastic Halloween film screenings this October, including The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Hocus Pocus. Each screening will be accompanied by dance-offs, special games, costume competitions and prizes, so if you’re looking for more than just a film-viewing experience, this is definitely the spot for you. claphamgrand.com
The best Halloween parties and events
The Mansion London
Taking place on Saturday 26 October from 9pm until 4am in a top-secret venue that will be revealed to ticket holders just 48 hours before the party starts, Black at the Mansion promises to be a party like no other.
Previous years have been hugely successful, with sold-out events featuring hundreds of glamourous partygoers celebrating all things Halloween. While the exclusive party location won’t be disclosed until closer to the event, it’s a private and unique venue that’s previously been a winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize for architecture and offers dance floors and secret areas to socialise.
As well as two dance floors featuring sets by DJ Amin Sane and DJ Fabrizia, saxophone player Katy Jungman will be bringing her musical skills and mesmerising stage presence to the party. Expect cage dancers, a tarot reader and an onsite makeup artist, too.
Tickets start from £36 for standard entry and £155 for VIP tickets including queue jump, private table, dedicated waiter service and £100 towards the table. themansionlondon.com
Sky Garden’s Annual Halloween Party
On Halloween night, Sky Garden invites you to a night of supernatural revelry high above the city that will see the 35th-floor space host a Day of the Dead celebration with live music, DJ sets, skull painting and themed cocktails.
For those wanting to make the most of the evening, Sky Garden’s Darwin Brasserie can be booked in advance for a three-course Halloween set menu to awaken the senses. Costumes are encouraged and tickets start from £65 per person, including a welcome glass of champagne or speciality cocktail. designmynight.com
Read more: The best pumpkin patches near London to visit before Halloween
Tulley’s Farm Pumpkin Nights
While it’s located outside of London, in the West Sussex countryside, Tulley’s Farm had to get a mention in this round up, with it being the ultimate Halloween destination and all. The Farm’s Shocktober Festival is already infamous for its gory and terrifying attractions, but did you know that Tulley’s also hosts a more wholesome, less frightening alternative?
Tulley’s Farm’s Pumpkin Nights allow you to pick pumpkins by moonlight, enjoy tasty treats and commemorate the season without being scared beyond your wits. You can stroll through the pumpkin field while listening to live music and enjoying some drinks from the pumpkin bar, too.
Complete with live roaming characters, selfie stations and a delicious selection of street food (think toffee apples, smash burgers and loaded hot dogs), this is probably the most wholesome Halloween evening event you’ll find. From £12.95. pumpkinnights.co.uk
Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Calling all lovers of Netflix’s Stranger Things — this is the event for you. Hosted at the Phoenix Theatre in London, Stranger Things: The First Shadow invites you to step into the eerie world of Hawkins in 1959. The spine-tingling production is a prequel to the series and immerses audiences in supernatural suspense — truly a must-see for fans of the hit show. Tickets start from £37 per person. londontheatredirect.com
