The spookiest, creepiest, scariest (why do we celebrate this again!?) holiday is back! It’s time to dress up as brain-eating zombies, blood-thirsty vampires, cauldron-stewing witches and whatever the latest meme is… Beetlejuice!? Whether you’re spooking yourself at a scare maze or picking out the perfect pumpkin, there’s a splattering of harrowing Halloween events to choose from in Birmingham.
1. Pick the perfect pumpkin
Before you do anything else on Halloween (yes, even before dressing up) you have to pick your own pumpkin. Luckily, there are several local Birmingham pumpkin patches nearby. Many of these are open to the public for the entire month of October, so there’s no excuse not to be prepared on All Hallows’ Eve. Pick up a few in case your jack-o’-lantern carving skills aren’t quite up to scratch.
2. Escape a terrifyingly immersive scare maze
Get ready for the fright of your life as Luna Springs relaunches its custom-built scare maze, designed around an abandoned nuclear facility. The Digbeth-based venue is inviting Halloween enthusiasts back to its immersive horror experience (October 11 to November 2) for Meltdown: Victor’s Revenge Part II. Guests can expect a twisted maze, live actors around every corner, a fun fair, street food, DJs and a bar – as Victor Isotope returns with a vengeance. Luna Springs’ Scare Maze brunches are also returning with 90 minutes of bottomless drinks
3. Explore Birmingham’s haunted streets
Birmingham is one of the spookiest cities in the UK and, from wandering around its haunting locations, we can see why. So maybe the best way to celebrate Halloween in Birmingham is to head out on a walking tour of the city. This haunted exploration game of Birmingham might be the best way to do it. Follow instructions, solve clues and hear about creepy stories. To get your tickets head here.
4. Visit Birmingham’s huge Halloween Market
Happening on Hurst Street, this seasonal event takes place from 10am on Saturday, October 12. The Halloween Market will feature various food and craft stalls – including a new range of chocolate from Marshall and Co. to mark the start of UK Chocolate Week – live music and free Halloween activities for children. Plus, there’s a pumpkin carving contest with four free tickets to the Peter Pan pantomime production at the Hippodrome for the winners!
5. Party at a ghoulish rave
Birmingham’s hottest club hosts the scariest, most ghoulish rave this Halloween. CRU2 transforms XOYO the nightclub on October 26 for the spooky season – with Burgaboy, Trilla, GS, Denon Reed and R2R all performing. Get dressed up and dance the night away. You can learn more here.
6. Enjoy a twisted immersive bingo night
The award-winning Bongo’s Bingo is known for the quintessentially quaint pastime of bingo and adds a large dollop of madness to the mixture. The immersive live show features rave rounds, dance-offs, and crazy prizes (including, giant pink unicorns, Henry Hoovers, mobility scooters and karaoke machines).
On October 26 & November 11, Bongo’s Bingo invites you to The Haunted House at The Forum for a Halloween special. Get ready for en masse karaoke, audience participation, a scary soundtrack, and lots of scary surprises along the way. And it wouldn’t be Halloween without the opportunity to dress up! You can learn more here.
7. Have a drink at Birmingham’s new horror-themed bar
Inspired by ‘Wednesday’ and ‘Stranger Things’, Merlin’s has opened just in time for Halloween. The restaurant/cafe/cocktail bar will deliver an immersive horror experience across two floors – from creepy animatronics to blood-curdling cocktails – for all ages. Located at Martineau Place on Corporation Street, the ground floor café and restaurant will serve unique dishes from Hell’s Kitchen, while upstairs is a strictly over-18s cocktail bar filled with foggy atmospherics, devilish theatrics and live music.
8. Enter the Upside Down
Everyone knows that the 80s were the best decade for horror films, but no one knows this better than the creators of Stranger Things. Head into the eerie world of Hawkins, Indian and enter the Upside Down for an unforgettable Stranger Things Halloween Party in Birmingham on October 26. On top of a unique Stranger Things-themed experience, you’ll discover world-class DJs and electrifying surprises at Sector 57 in Digbeth. Get your tickets now for the Even Stranger: Halloween Upside Down Party in Birmingham here.
9. Head to The Skellington Ball
What’s Halloween without Tim Burton? The theme for this year’s infamous Night Owl Halloween party is the man himself! The Skellington Ball on Saturday, October 26 will delight in the macabre for this DIY immersive experience – with everything themed around films like Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas and more! Plus, there are prizes for the best Tim Burton and Halloween costumes! To learn more head here.
10. Try and escape the creepy Shrewsbury Prison
This former Victorian-era prison is full of mystery, and you can enjoy unrestricted access to Shrewsbury Prison this Halloween. Whether you’re after a guided of self-guided tour, you’ll uncover the terrifying tales of notorious inmates and experience the life of being a prisoner yourself. While here, don’t miss your chance at the fully immersive prison escape room with “realistic details and mind-bending puzzles.” To get your tickets to Shrewsbury Prison: The Cell Escape Room head here.
11. Wander the creepy walls of Warwick Castle
During the October half term join ghosts, ghouls, wizards and witches at one of our favourite castles at its very spookiest. Warwick Castle’s The Haunted Castle has a whole host of half-term fun-filled frights, sights and delights – from the brand-new Dead Centre Stage (where you’ll find frightful games, spooky stories, quizzes, and a Halloween disco) to fan-favourite Witches of Warwick. You can also learn about the dungeon’s gruesome history. Just watch out for The Headless Horseman roaming the grounds!
12. Hang out with a horror icon
The award-winning iconic landmark venue, Millennium Point hosts a very special scream-filled screening for Birmingham horror fans for Halloween. A 40th-anniversary screening of A Nightmare On Elm Street brings Freddy Krueger – a true horror icon – to Birmingham’s biggest screen, with an exclusive recorded introduction from the star himself, Robert Englund.
13. Visit this spooktacular circus
Get ready for Gandeys’ Halloween Spooktacular – with the circus and its brand-new action-packed Big Top Show heading to Merry Hill. From October 23 to November 3, witness an international cast of skeletons, vampires, Jack o’lanterns and, of course, the scariest of the lot, circus performers come together for this year’s seasonal sensation. To learn more head here.
14. Stock up at the Halloween House
The popular Halloween megastore, Halloween House is now open at Merry Hill. From classic costumes and horror masks to make-up and home décor, the store stocks one of the largest collections of Halloween merchandise, retaining its title of Europe’s biggest Halloween store. Grab anything from Scream masks to a 7ft Dragon with moving wings and several other breathtaking, creepy animatronics. The store itself also has some chilling surprises hidden around every corner…
15. Scream your lungs out at Alton Towers
Alton Towers is a terrifying place to be any time of year. But when Scarefest is in town, you’re in for the fright of your life. Open October 11 to November 3, do you dare take on the theme park’s terrifying rides in the dark? With over 40 rides and attractions at this year’s Scarefest – including the all-new Nemesis Reborn plus Wicker Man and The Smiler – the screams will be neverending. To get your tickets to Alton Towers head here.
16. Trick-or-treat at Thinktank museum
Thinktank’s annual Spooky Science Family Night has a new twist for this Halloween. On Friday, November 1, your kids are invited to go trick-or-treating in the safety of Thinktank museum. There will be a total of five stations spread throughout the museum, each with a different treat to collect. Meanwhile, explore the museum after dark and take part in spooky activities – like life-sized ‘Operation, a silent boogie under the Hurricane plane, and the Gross Encounters theatre show. Fancy dress is optional, but those who take part will be entered into a prize draw! You can learn more here.
17. Go wild and weird at this Spooky Spectacular
Between October 19 and November 3, West Midlands Safari Park will be brimming with Halloween decorations and hundreds of pumpkins for its annual Spooky Spectacular event! This year, the family-friendly event features extra-special activities like Patch’s Silly Science Show – packed with bubbling potions and eerie explosions – the Monster Mystery Trail and Crazy Craft Club. To learn more head here.
18. Visit Birmingham’s former coffin factory
Newman Brothers’ Coffin Works once produced some of the world’s finest coffin furniture, including for the funerals of Joseph Chamberlain, Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother. A morbidly fascinating trip, if a little unnerving – perfect for Halloween – an extensive and unique collection of shrouds, coffin furniture and paper archives gives us an insight into changing attitudes toward death over the last 100 years. You can learn more here.
19. Go mad at this UKG bingo
Join Zumhof for a very special Halloween edition of UKG Bingo Madness in Birmingham. With a heady mix of old-school garage tunes, Halloween-themed decor, and fantastic prizes to be won, you won’t quickly forget this electrifying night on October 26. Get your tickets for the Halloween UKG Bingo Madness here.
20. Hear a chilling Halloween reading at Back-To-Backs
Head to Back-To-Backs this Halloween for a terrifying reading of The Judge’s House – by Dracula creator Bram Stoker. Read by actor Richard Usher, The Judge’s House tells the tale of a student who discovers a desolate fortified Jacobean manor and an infestation of gnawing rats… The fourth production from NeuNoir, Bram Stoker’s The Judge’s House visits Stourbridge Town Hall (Sat 26 Oct 2024), Birmingham Back-To-Backs (Sun 27 Oct 2024) and Greyfriars House, Worcester (Fri 1 Nov 2024). To get your tickets head here[/trackLink].