Everyone should experience a Manchester Halloween once. Throughout October, the city comes alive with the undead! See ghostly parades, take part in costume contests, or join a ghost tour around the city’s spookiest areas. You could even experience life in jail in the city’s very own ‘Alcotraz’ prison. In Manchester, there’s no shortage of scary mysteries. Discover 10 fun things to do this Halloween, and we’re sure you’ll have a terror-ific time!
1. Manchester Ghost Tour
Calling all thrill-seekers and history enthusiasts, the Haunted Manchester City Exploration Game is a walking tour of the city’s darker side.
Guided by a series of 13 spine-tingling clues, you’ll discover over 10 new, creepy places around Manchester that you’ve never seen before! It’s a 65-minute adventure that’s self-paced and departs from 18 Lower Byrom St. You’ll follow the story of Loky, a restless spirit who needs your help to stop his killer, a mass murderer known as ‘The Pusher’, from claiming any more lives. The Manchester Ghost Tour is a sightseeing, story-telling experience that’s perfect for Halloween.
2. Virtual Reality Experience
Step into new worlds this Halloween at DNA VR Manchester! Battle hordes of zombies or explore the ocean’s depth with any of DNA’s 40 immersive virtual reality games. You can visit alone, in single-player mode, or fight with friends in multiplayer.
Opt for the Premium Free Roam ticket to experience an unmatched, wireless VR event. In groups of up to four, you can freely interact with virtual worlds. The venue, located at 30 Brown Street, offers tickets for £33. Children aged 12 and over can also take part in the fun this spooky season! With drinks available on-site, DNA VR offers everything you need to push your imagination to the limit.
3. Alcotraz Cocktail Bar
At Manchester’s Alcotraz Cocktail Bar, insubordination will not be tolerated. Their “Cell-Block Three Four” experience will see you and a group of friends become inmates in the bar’s replica jail cells. Upon entry, you’ll be given an orange jumpsuit and tasked with smuggling your favourite liquor past The Warden.
Prison guards will carefully man you (some just as crooked as you); they may even help you plot to take down The Warden. Plan your escape as you drink cocktails crafted with your smuggled liquor. Alcotraz is an immersive theatre, speak-easy drinking experience that all Halloween lovers should try once.
4. The Manchester Science Festival
Curious about the world around us? Use this Halloween as a chance to dive into 250 years of human innovation.
The Manchester Science Festival, which runs for 10 days from October 18th to 27th, offers a range of exhibits, interactive activities, and adult-only evening events. Visitors can explore some of society’s most ground-breaking scientific discoveries and chat with real-life experts. Be sure to get your hands dirty with practical experiments as you take part in one of the UK’s most popular science festivals.
When? – 18th-27th October
5. Spooky Movies at the King St Townhouse
Who doesn’t love a scary movie? Get ready for a night of pure, cult-classic fun with Halloween cinema screenings at the King Street Townhouse. Relax in their cosy 20-seat screening room, and be sure to order your favourite snacks and cocktails before the movie starts.
Get ready for a night of laughs and magic with Hocus Pocus (1993), a tale of three witches brought back to life by a Halloween-hating teenager. For horror fans, the spooky chills of The Exorcist (1973) and the terror of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) will keep you on the edge of your seat. Rounding off this iconic line-up is, of course, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).
When? – 25th-31st October
6. Halloween in the City
Halloween in the City is Manchester’s spookiest celebration, running from 25th to 31st October. Over a six-day period, the city comes alive with massive MCR Monsters, a hair-raising parade, spooky street zones filled with live DJs, and the Monsters Rock! Music Festival. Bring your family as you take part in Trick v Treat games. Or, don your spookiest gear for the event’s Fancy Dress Challenge! With family-friendly activities scattered around the city, you can expect plenty of wholesome fun at this annual event.
When? 25th-31st October
7. Halloween Brunch
Trick or treat yourself to a brunch unlike any other this Halloween. Running on select weekends throughout October, Manchester’s Spooky Brunch is the ultimate Halloween daytime party.
Costumes are encouraged during this two-hour session, during which you and other guests will chow down on bottomless pizza and a selection of drinks, including prosecco, beer, and themed cocktails. Who knows, you may even win a prize for best dressed!
This high-energy event has plenty of tunes (courtesy of resident DJs) and a competitive dart event where you can battle it out on the board.
When? – 26th-27th October
8. Paint a Pumpkin!
‘Paint a Pumpkin’ is an all-materials-included, no-experience-needed night of fun hosted at Seven Bro7hers Beerhouse. On the 27th of October, painters of all skill levels can get together and decorate three foam pumpkins (guided by a talented resident artist). With paint, aprons and pumpkins provided, all you need to bring is your creativity.
Paint as a solo adventure, or invite your family: everyone can do it! If you’re feeling extra spooky, come in costume for a chance to win a ticket to one of the upcoming paint-and-sip events.
When? 27th October
9. Brick or Treat Monsters Party
If you have young children to entertain this Halloween, Manchester’s LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre is hosting a spooktacular “Brick or Treat: Monster Party” from 28th September to 3rd November. Join the fun, and you’ll get your very own LEGO® pumpkin to take home. Then, journey around the haunted ‘Miniland’ in search of items on your ‘Scarevenger’ hunt list.
Once you’re all tired out, sit back, relax and enjoy “The Great Monster Chase”, a 4D cinema experience. Kids can meet mascots, brew LEGO® potions, and, at the end of the event, get involved in a monster dance party.
When? – 28th September – 3rd November
10. Silent-Ology
Strap in for a silent movie and a night of string instruments this Halloween with Found’s Silent-Ology event.
Hosted in Arch 19 (an exclusive venue in the Redbank neighbourhood), this evening promises an immersive cinematic experience for lovers of all things spooky. Sit back, relax and enjoy ‘Nosferatu, a Halloween classic first released in 1922.
Let the string quartet’s haunting melodies move you as you sip your free welcome drink. For just £10, you can bask in the venue’s candle-lit set-up as you follow the tale of Thomas Hutter, an estate agent who stumbles upon a vampire. It’s the perfect combination of spooky and sophisticated!
When?- 31st October
Looking for an apartment in Manchester?
Experiencing Halloween in Manchester should be on everyone’s bucket lists. But instead of making the annual trip, why not settle here permanently? Victoria Riverside’s Crown View Apartments and Bromley Street’s Townhouses Apartments & Duplexes are the perfect choices for new Manchester residents. Enquire today, and enjoy Halloween in your new home!
Interested in buying a new home at Victoria Riverside, get in touch today.