Halloween Events In London 2013

M@
By M@ Last edited 125 months ago
Halloween Events In London 2013

Note: we've excluded any events that had already sold out at the time of original publication (11 October). Please let us know about any events we've missed, and we'll add them to this growing article.

Peculiar Parties

For the Love of Mic Dead Rappers Special, 25 October
The Shoreditch hip-hop night at Concrete presents an evening of partying to dead rappers. Hip-hop fancy dress and make-up encouraged. £4/£5, prebook, 9pm-2am

Belle Epoque Dark Circus Party, 26 October
More big-top scariness and glamour in the 'surreal and subversive party, taking place at The Camden Centre on Euston Road. £20, prebook, 9pm-3am

A Danse Macabre, 25 and 26 October
The Last Tuesday Society are an old hand at playful meddlings around the subject of death. For Halloween, they've put together 'two Halloween balls of the utmost magnificence'. And they're not kidding. Ten stages, a full symphony orchestra and 200 performers share the bill with wiked witches, a trans-Siberian marching band and the usual unusuals you expect from the Last Tuesday folks. And it's in the abandoned Coronet picture palace near Waterloo. Dress code: the beautiful and the damned. £25, prebook, 9pm-4am

lts

Pop Up Ping Pong Zombie Shelter, 26 October
With sliders and cronuts on the menu, this pop-up ping-pong zombie party on Kings Road sounds like it's trying to cram every possible events fad into one venue. The premise is simple: a zombie army has descended on London, so you and your mates are taking shelter in this party till it all blows over. Along with the diversions mentioned above, you can also expect DJs, beer pong, cocktails and fancy dress. We predict: ping-pong balls that look like eyeballs. £10, prebook, 6.30pm-1am

“Haunted House of Horrible!” Halloween Party, 26 October
Masters of cheese Club De Fromage are offering two rooms of Halloween pop and indie classics in a suitably decked out O2 Academy Islington. There will be coffins, cobwebs, apple bobbing and fancy dress prizes. You can even precede your partying with a screening of Scream, if you really want to go the whole hog. £10-£15, prebook, from 7pm

Halloween Ball at Charlton House, 26 October
The Greenwich attraction holds a spooky fancy dress ball in aid of Maidstone and Lewisham Samaritans. £30 (includes cocktail), prebook, 7.30-11pm

Halloween Party at The Ship, 26 October
The Kennington pub (one of the best in the area according to our readers) holds its Halloween bash with themed cocktails and prizes for most creative costume or special effects make up. Music comes from Didjitalis. Free, just turn up, from 8pm

ALAWEEN Zombie Apocalypse Indoor Festival, 26 October
Eight stages, a cinema and a cocktail bar? Underground electronic music, promenade theatre, installation art, crowd participation and audio visual spectaculars? Buried in the vaults beneath Waterloo? This sounds like one of the bigger, brasher parties in a busy Halloween line-up. The punning title, in case you're wondering, is a play on ALAN, the well-known organisers of parties, who are also behind this event. £15/£20/£25, prebook, 8pm-4am

Boxpark Party, 31 October
The Shoreditch shipping-container mall gets creepy, with cobwebs and skeletons and stuff. DJs soundtrack the party, with a screening of Day of the Dead on the upper deck. Also expect ghost story telling, themed food and drink, and face/talon painting. Prize for best costume. Free, just turn up, 6-9pm

The Musical Bingo Halloween Ball, 31 October
Like normal bingo, but with tunes. And games. And DJs. And, this time, spooky fancy dress. £8, prebook, 7-11pm

Welcome To The Funhouse, 31 October
The Book Club's Halloween bash is styled around a sinister funfair with plenty of clowns, conjurers and circus performers to freak you out. A hall-of-mirrors, wretched face painting and DJs also await. £5, prebook, 8pm-2am

Soundcrash Audio Visual Party, 1 November
DJ Yoda, DJ Cheeba and DJ Woody perform at The Village Underground with audiovisual installations and edible treats. £19.50/£14.50, prebook, 10pm-4am

Halloween Ball at Hackney Empire, 1 and 2 November
The London Gay Men’s Chorus and London Gay Big Band present the Halloween Ball at Hackney Empire. Over 160 musicians will entertain with horror-referencing tunes such as Thriller and Bat Out Of Hell. Hosted by drag artist La Voix. £10-£30, prebook, 3.30pm and 7.30pm

Zombie Masters From Another World, 2 November
The Thinking Bob events team have put together a street game in which you have to solve intergalactic mysteries involving aliens and zombies — that ever-potent combination. The ticket includes free entry to the Halloween Experiment party at The Blueberry Bar, too. £10/£25, prebook, 5-8pm, afterparty 8pm-3am

Zombie Silent Disco, 2 November
The newly opened Earl Derby pub in Kilburn hosts a silent disco, where fancy dressers can shuffle zombie-style to headset music. Free (but £5 deposit on the earphones), just turn up, 8pm

Secretsundaze Halloween Party, 2 November
Dance and DJ-led party at Oval Space in Bethnal Green. Headline act is Function with Redshape, Sven Weiseamnn and others. £19.40, prebook, 10pm-5am

Monster Movies

freddieHalloween Movie Mash-Up Weekend, 25-27 October
Screenings of A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Halloween at the Portobello Pop-Up Cinema (3 Acklam Road) are accompanied by Halloween activities such as pumpkin carving, apple bobbing and maybe dressing up a bit. £5.50, prebook, 6pm

John Carpenter's The Thing, 26 October
Antarctica, 1982, and a shape-shifting monster is picking off the inhabitants of a research station who, despite their scientific training, can't come up with any better coinage than 'The Thing'. Blame Kurt Russell. A special Halloween screening at Union Chapel, Islington raises money for the Organ Restoration Project (that's of the musical variety, not alien-nibbled innards). £14.90, prebook, 6.30pm

The Phantom of the Opera, 26 October
A screening of the silent black & white version with large church organ accompaniment at St John's church Notting Hill. A talk precedes the film. £15.95, prebook, 6.30pm

The Duke Mitchell Film Club: Halloween Horrors, 28 October
The monthly film club at the Phoenix Artist Club on Charing Cross Road hosts an evening of horror shorts, old and new. Free, just turn up, 7pm

Spooky Screenings at The Water Poet, 28, 29 and 31 October
The Spitalfields pub screens Nosferatu (28 October), The Wicker Man, (29 October) and Little Shop of Horrors (31 October). £6.60, prebook, 7.30pm

Pop Up Screens Halloween Programme, 31 October - 3 November
These films specialists are at St James Church in West Hampstead, screening Hellraiser (31 Oct), Saw (1 Nov), Scream (2 Nov) and Beetlejuice (3 Nov). £14, prebook, 8pm

Theatres of Horror

zombie

Asylum: 2.8 Hours Later, 17 October-2 November
Run around town avoiding zombies, then make your way to the zombie disco. This highly popular immersive theatre-game is selling out fast, but tickets are still available on some nights at the time of writing. £40/£60, prebook, start times vary

Strange Factories, 26 October
We're not quite sure we understand the blurb for this one (perhaps that's the point), but it sounds like you'll be watching a  macabre film Strange Factories, which eventually unravels with the characters coming to life around you in a kind of immersive theatrical way. It takes place over 13 nights at the Cinema Museum in Elephant and Castle. £28, prebook, 7pm

phobophobiaPhobophobia, 26 October-2 November
The London Bridge Experience's Halloween show promises more than the usual maze of animatronic zombies, translating as the fear of fears. £23, prebook, times vary.

Short Cuts 5: All Hallows' Eve, 29 October-2 November
A trio of comedic and spooky plays at Hen and Chickens theatre in Islington. £10, prebook, 7.30pm (3pm matinee on Saturday)

It's Your Funeral, 31 October
Experience a 'theatrical New Orleans jazz style funeral of mournful humour and morbid performance' at an undisclosed 'haunted house' in south London. Immersive theatre, live undead musicians and freshly deceased performers are promised. £25, prebook, 8pm-1am

Location Location, 31 October-2 November
A gruesomely theatrical Halloween experience from the International Society of Communication and Drama, with live performance, projections, opera and DJs from Reel Rebels Radio. Set in Stour Space and the surrounding Hackney Wick streets, you pose as a property buyer interested in the area, but are soon haunted by the ghosts of former residents. Post-event party included. £12, prebook, 8.30pm-1am (31st/1st), 4.30-6pm (2nd, a family-friendly day)

Warehouse Werewolves, 2 November
The team behind Ginglik lead you through the eerie streets, canals and warehouses of Hackney Wick for an all-night immersive multimedia night of thrills and kills. £35/£25, prebook, 7pm-6am

Family Fangfun

Witch Academy on the London Eye, 26 October-2 November
Join the Witches Academy on the London Eye to hear ghost stories and learn spells while taking in the broomstick-flying views of the capital. £15.66/£25.92, prebook, times vary

Boo at the Zoo, 26 October-3 November
ZSL London Zoo gets spooky for half term with creepy creatures, crafts and other entertainment. Free with standard ticket price, prebook or just turn up, times vary

Horniman Halloween Fair, 26 and 27 October
Go on a spooky trail, find goodies in the special arts and crafts market, join in Bandstand fun and enjoy some Halloween-themed food. Costumes encouraged. Free, just turn up, 10.30am-4pm

Halloween at Avenue House, 27 October
An early evening event with spooky walks, face-painting, fire-juggling, costume competitions, and that most fearsome of drinks - cocoa. £5/£4, just turn up, 5.30-7.30pm

Greenwich Market, 30 October
A day of activities for children, including costume workshops, face painting, pumpkin contest and best-dressed dog show. Meanwhile, adults can peruse the stalls and vote for the scariest stall-holder. Free, just turn up, all day

Ragged Ghoul Museum, 30 and 31 October
Mile End's Ragged School Museum offers arts and crafts, face painting and other activities with a Halloween theme. Free, just turn up, 10am-5pm

Halloween Spooktacular Family Fun Day at Queen's House, 31 October
The Greenwich attraction puts on spooky family activities with a fancy dress competition. £12, prebook, 11am-4pm

Fortnum and Mason's Pumpkin Carving Competition, 31 October
The Piccadilly store hosts separate children and adult competitions — turn up and watch, or book a place to enter. £10 6-8pm (adult), free 3-5pm (child).

Halloween Disco Skate, 31 October
Lee Valley Ice Centre runs a Halloween-themed skating evening. It's in the evening, but looks like it's aimed at families. £6, just turn up, 8.30-10.30pm

Nosferatu, 31 October-2 November
The Unicorn Theatre puts on a family-friendly adaptation of the classic vampire story, with spooky decorations and activities. There's also a party on 31 October (4.30pm). £10-£16, prebook, 2pm/6pm

Terrifying Talks and Tours

Old Operating Theatre, 24, 26, 28 October
The London Bridge museum and venue examines the Victorian fad for taking photos of dead people (24 October), body snatching (26 October) and the links between mysticism and mental illness. Times and prices vary, see website for details

Ghosts, Zombies and Vampires, 26 October
A series of talks on the origins of supernatural myths, from a skeptical, enquiring viewpoint, at Conway Hall. £10, prebook, 11am-3.30pm

Ghosts and Monsters of Smithfield, 26 October
A tour of the area's more horrific associations, including Bleeding Heart Yard, with Scott Wood of the London Fortean Society. £5, prebook, 6.30pm

Haunted Parks and Palaces, 28 October
Another walk from the hard-working Scott Wood, as he takes you on a tour of haunted trees and forgotten plague pits in the West End. £5, prebook, 6.30pm

Southwark Halloween Walks, 28-31 October
Join local legend John Constable for a tour of Southwark and Bankside's ghosts and folklore, including a short vigil outside the Crossbones graveyard, which John has done so much to rescue from obscurity. £10, prebook, 7pm

Things That Go Bump In High Barnet, 28 October-2 November
A special ghost walk through High Barnet and Monken Hadley, said to be the second most haunted village in England. Hear tales of witchcraft and murder. Learn about the fate of the ghostly dead of the Battle of Barnet. See the pirate's grave. £8, prebook, 7.30pm

Hunterian Halloween Late View, 30 October
The Hunterian Museum of anatomy in Lincoln's Inn Fields can be a disturbing place at any time of year. For Halloween, it's staying open late so you can learn about the anatomy of a hanging and discover how the dead ‘rising’ wasn’t always so uncommon in previous centuries. Finally, create your own anatomical souvenir at the ‘pickle a part’ workshop (bring your own jam jar and lid). Free (donations welcome), just turn up, 6-9pm

Unbeliever's Ghost Walk, 30 October
Why should people who believe in ghosts have all the fun? Take a sceptical tour of the Farringdon and Clerkenwell area, with the London Fortean Society's Scott Wood. £5, prebook, 6.30pm

Fibbing Phantoms, 30 October
From the people who brought you London Liars' Tours, Chris Roberts presents tales of deceitful duppies and slippery spirits along the banks of the Thames. £5, prebook, 7pm.

Doors of Doom, 31 October
Well, this is a novel one. Kigu, who make animal onesies, are going to hide lots of doors around east London. You have to track the doors down, knock on them, receive a trick or a treat, then solve clues to find the after-event party. £5, prebook, time tbc

London Walking Tours Halloween Special, 31 October
Sean Mitchell presents the ghosts and goriness of the Thames and its bridges, taking in the Tower of London. £5, prebook, 7pm

Halloween at the Grant Museum, 31 October
A special late night opening in which to surround yourself with dead animals in jars and other creepy objects, all specially labelled for Halloween. £5, just turn up, 6.30-9pm

Night Safari, 31 October
The Natural History Museum's ticketed late opening offers talks on the 'scariest monsters of all time'. Then explore the galleries with a glass of wine, or perhaps Halloween punch. £28, prebook, 7-10pm

Screen shot 2013-10-09 at 12.51.23

Halloween Cycle Ride, 31 October
Bikeminded, Kensington and Chelsea's cycling initiative, hosts another spooky, spokey bike tour around the borough. Titled The Ballard of Lord Stanley Oberwain, you'll be transported back to the end of the 19th century, where ghastly secrets are tormenting a wealthy nobleman. The immersive theatre unfolds as you cycle round the streets. Period dress encouraged. £5/£7, prebook, 7-9pm

Halloween Tour of Valence House, 31 October
The Barking and Dagenham local history museum stays open late for a supernatural tour. £7.50, prebook, 7-9pm

Halloween Sinister Tour, 31 October
Meet outside Blackfriars Tube main entrance (north bank) for Diane Burstein's sinister walking tour of London. £8, just turn up, 7pm

London Fortean Society, 31 October
The Forteans meet in The Bell, Spitalfields every month to discuss the strange, but for Halloween they've put on a set of ghostly talks. Learn about poltergeist hecklers and listen to ghostly folk songs and tales. £3, just turn up, 8pm

Twitter Tour of the Tower of London, 31 October
The Tower will be running a special virtual tour of its 10 (supposedly) most haunted spots, using social media to convey images and video. Tune in via Facebook and Twitter from 8pm

Miscellaneous Mwaaaa-ha-has!

Sleepover at Mrs Lovett's Pie Shop, various dates
The London Dungeon and Wimdu have forged an unlikely alliance to offer guests a sleepover in the dungeon's macabre pie shop, straight out of Sweeney Todd. Guests will also be treated to pie and mash in the Ten Bells pub, a tour of the London Dungeon, and a bedtime story from Mrs L, before bedding down on your horsehair mattress. £86, prebook, all night

KaraUke's Halloween Fancy Dress Party, 17 October
Sing along to a ukulele band in the Royal George while dressed up as a corpse. Light entertainment has finally reached its noble pinnacle. Free, just turn up, 7pm

karauke

Late View: Guildhall Gothic, 25 October
A chance to roam around the Guildhall's catacombs, view the new Victoriana exhibition, take part in an Art Macabre death drawing session, and watch retellings of the 19th century's scariest stories. £11.25, prebook, 6-10pm

Scream Printing, 29 and 31 October
Haha, it's like 'screen printing', but they said 'scream printing' because it's Halloween. Haha. Learn to screen print with glow-in-the-dark ink in a pair of workshops at Print Club in Dalston. Spooky costumes are mandatory. £55, prebook, 11am-4pm

Flirt n'Dessert Dead Famous, 29 October
A singles night with a difference at Shoreditch's The Book Club. Turn up dressed as a dead celebrity of your choosing, then flirt and mingle with other dead celebrities. £12, prebook, 7-12pm

DCR Presents: The Haunting, 31 October
A bit of everything at Red Gallery, on Rivington Street, as DCR presents a film screening, 'photographic flagellation of the macabre and uncanny', sound installations, DJs and more. £5.50, prebook, 7pm-2am

KERB Halloween Hellraiser, 1 November
The King's Cross street-food market throws a spooky party under the West Handyside Canopy, with gruesome menus and drinks. Free entry, just turn up, 6-11pm

Curious note on spelling. We only found one venue that still puts the apostrophe in Hallowe'en, and that was foody poshters Fortnum and Mason.

Last Updated 11 October 2013