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 ghost hunt 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. Party at an old skool bingo rave
Ditch the haunted houses and trick or treating, and get yourself down to XOYO this Halloween. With live DJs, nonstop R&B anthems, spooky surprises, and games that go way beyond the usual, this isn’t your usual bingo night! From jaw-dropping prizes to fierce dance battles—and don’t forget your costume—who will be the ultimate winner? You can get your tickets to Old Skool Bingo Birmingham Halloween Special here.
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. Check out this twisted scare maze
The ‘live action scare experience’ Twisted Pumpkin brings fun and scares to Sandwell Valley this Halloween—and better still, it’s raising money for The Midlands Air Ambulance. With both a children’s event (Little Monsters Trick or Treat) and an adults’ main event (Circus of Curiosities) on October 4, 11, 18 and 25, there’s frights for the whole family this spooky season! You can learn more here.
5. Clock in for a week of haunted office horrors
This Halloween, Albert’s Schloss is clocking into Corporate Hell from Monday to Sunday (October 27 – November 2). Prepare for a workplace nightmare, with everything from DJ sets straight from hell’s office party and hell-raising Haus bands to killer kocktails and Schloss’ weird and wunderbar performers with a deadly desk-job twist. Punch in and freak out! To learn more about what’s happening, head here.
6. Go shopping at Birmingham’s new alternative market
Need to get in the Halloween spirit? Look no further than Goth’s Playground. With a focus on “the darker side of products from all categories,” pick up anything from taxidermy to Ouija boards, you’re bound to find what you need here—including piercings, records, clothing, fragrance, and jewellery.
7. Have a drink at this horror-themed bar
Inspired by ‘Wednesday’ and ‘Stranger Things’, Merlin’s is the ultimate drinking hole for Halloween. The restaurant/cafe/cocktail bar delivers 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 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. Go ghost hunting
Birmingham isn’t a particularly scary place, but there are plenty of ghost stories that creep us out… There are spectres, ghouls, poltergeists, phantoms, and all sorts haunting the West Midlands! But your best opportunity to meet a real-life ghost is through one of these ghost tours around Birmingham. From the mystery of Birmingham’s own ‘sublime vampire’ to Dudley Castle’s famous ghost, The Grey Lady, you’re in for a treat AND a trick this Halloween.
9. Let’s do the time warp again…
The Night Owl is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the much-loved Halloween favourite, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with a themed party on October 31. With a full live band performing songs from the soundtrack, dastardly drag performances and a fancy dress freak parade, let madness take its toll… You can learn more here.
10. Have a Halloween trip to the movies
Thinktank Planetarium is screening a splattering of spooky classics this Halloween. The 360° dome becomes the cold, silent void of space on October 31 for the sci-fi thriller, Alien, while a very different kind of extraterrestrial provides family-friendly frights in E.T. that same day. The space-theme continues on November 1, with screenings of Steven Spielberg’s landmark Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and sci-fi satire Starship Troopers. You can learn more here.
11. Try to 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.
12. 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!
13. Catch a classic theatre ghost story
We all love a good horror film, don’t we? Inspired by classic theatre ghost stories, Birmingham Rep brings an equally chilling tale to the stage on October 31 and November 1. Shock Horror combines live performance and big-screen action, as we head to an abandoned cinema searching for answers to long-buried questions. To get your tickets, head here.
14. Visit this spooktacular circus
Get ready for Gandeys’ Halloween Spooktacular—with the circus bringing a brand-new spine-chilling show to Merry Hill. The haunted Big Top will be filled with terrifying frights and jaw-dropping sights as the ghosts and ghouls of the circus come to life! From October 17 to November 2, 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.
15. Stock up at the Halloween House
The UK’s more 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 7-foot Dragon with moving wings and several other breathtaking, creepy animatronics. The store itself also has some chilling surprises hidden around every corner…
16. Walk these haunted halls on a candlelit ghost tour
This Autumn (October 30 to November 1), wander the candlelit Grand Old Mansion and discover the tales of Aston Hall’s ghosts. The Grade 1 building will be bathed in the eerie glow of LED candles as you hear tales of those who lived and died at the hall, as well as the superstitions of those who lived before us. Tickets to the 45-minute tour are a £12 and can be booked here.
17. 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. 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. On October 31, the atmospheric Coffin Works will host a rare, after-hours candlelit tour, with a Halloween-themed cocktail or mocktail included! You can learn more here.
18. Meet an alien family
What happens when an alien family sets its holiday destination as planet Earth? The Roswells will be spending their Halloween exploring the museum, Thinktank. Say hello, grab a selfie, and help these friendly extraterrestrials learn more about life on Earth. Catch The Roswells exploring Thinktank throughout the day this Halloween!
19. Have your future read to you
The Zen Shop is hosting a Halloween Psychic Fair on Sunday, October 26, where you can get tarot and palm readings, meet psychics and mediums, and reap the benefits of Reiki, massage and crystal healing. To learn more, head here.
20. Dance the fear away
For something a little different this Halloween, CircusMash hosts a breathtaking aerial performance, followed by high-energy ceilidh dancing. No experience needed, but there will be a prize for best dressed—so get spooky and weird! Get your tickets here.
21. Climb aboard a Halloween-themed canalboat
This October half term (October 25 to November 1), Sherborne Wharf invites families to celebrate on the water with Ghosties Afloat. This special children’s boat trip combines the excitement of a narrowboat cruise with Halloween-themed activities designed to delight little ones—including face painting, colouring sheets, and more!
After something more adult? Step aboard a narrowboat at the ICC Quayside for a spine-tingling journey through Birmingham’s haunted canals. Hear eerie tales of drowned boatmen and haunted warehouses on a chilling Halloween adventure throughout October. To learn more, head here.
22. Take a trip to Cannock Chase and come face-to-face with the Black-Eyed Child
The first reports of the Black-Eyed Child in Cannock Chase date from the early 1980s, but multiple sightings have even occurred in recent years… Some say she’s a “demon”, others an “alien”, while “the ghost may be linked to a Celtic tribe known for their blood sacrifices.” The most common theory is that she’s the ghost of a young girl murdered from the area. Will you dare find out for yourself?
23. Sign the little ones up for a ‘Kids Halloween Film Club’
Stirchley’s Yardbirds is hosting a ‘Kids Halloween Film Club’ on October 31 & November 1 (12pm-5pm). Kids can enjoy Halloween crafts, trick-or-treat desserts, and spooky drinks, and a kid-friendly Halloween film. Plus, one kids’ meal is just £1 with every adult’s. You can learn more here.
24. Join a deadly Halloween party
The Flapper is throwing a ‘Deady Halloween Party’ on Saturday, November 1—with an alt DJ set from Em Masters, playing everything from Bring Me The Horizon and Korn to Paramore and My Chemical Romance. Plus, there are alt violin performances from HannahCantPlay. Grab your spookiest garb and get your tickets here.