The Spooky Fiver: Five Things to Do in London for Halloween

At this time of year, everything becomes spookier.  The shadows on your wall seem more menacing, the wind howls like a banshee through the city streets, and London transforms into a city of the dead.  Well, maybe not really, but it certainly is fun to pretend during Halloween and London has more than enough spooky events to make your October memorable.  Whether you’re hoping to commune with the dead or be scared out of your wits, you can find someone for everyone in London.  We’ve listed five of our favourites below, but you can let us know your own in the comments (and yes we know, Halloween isn’t really a thing in Britain but it is for many visitors to this great city).

Dia de Los Muertos

Not as scary as the name might imply, Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos is actually a day to remember lost loved ones.  As a cultural gift to the people of London, the Mexican Embassy has hosted this even for several years and seeks to help the British people understand more about this 3,000-year-old Mexican holiday.  While it seems the festival itself isn’t being held this year, there are plenty of other Dia de los Muertos events throughout London from a Latino dance festival in Hereford to a Mexican music concert at Queen’s Hall to help people understand more about his celebration of life.

Horroctober & Horror Quiz – Prince Charles Cinema

Nothing’s better than a good scary movie during October, and Prince Charles Cinema has special screenings of all your spooky favourites throughout October.  In addition to its usual fare, the PCC shows such classics as Hammer’s The Horror of Dracula, Hocus Pocus, and The Blair Witch Project, amongst others.  The cinema also hosts an annual Horror Film Quiz on 24 October that horror movie buffs will certainly wish to attend.  Of course, for all of these events, you have to purchase a ticket, so make sure you do so in advance.

Hammer House of Horror Live

Hammer Studios has been a leader in horror cinema since the 1950s, but during October Hammer turns its attention to live theatre to frighten an audience.  You may have seen a vampiric ceremony carried out in the studio’s numerous Dracula films, but you’ve never seen one in person until–THE SOULLESS ONES!  Carmilla, Queen of the Vampires, leads her minions in a dark ritual that will allow them to walk in daylight in this two-hour performance.  The show runs through the remainder of the month at Hoxton Hall, so book your ticket now and don’t dare go alone…you may never come back.

Hogwarts after Dark

The Warner Brothers Studio Tour in London is one of the best places to experience the Harry Potter films, and the studio tour always puts on something special for holidays.  During the final weekend of October, Hogwarts After Dark brings out the scariest parts of the Potterverse as you spend two hours at the school, first dining and enjoying cocktails before being led into the Forbidden Forest where spiders and Death Eaters lurk.  You can then wander the Harry Potter sets after hours and learn more about the secrets that went into making the blockbuster film franchise.  Plenty of original props are on display, and the Death Eaters all wear original costumes from the film.  It’s certainly a must for any Potterhead.

Halloween Ghost Walk

The Original London Ghost Walk is one of the best in the city, so you better believe that they do Halloween proper.  Tour guide Richard Jones is an authority on the city’s spectral inhabitants, having authored the book Haunted Britain and Ireland and hosting the programme Most Haunted.  On 31 October, he leads those brave enough to follow through London’s graveyards, dungeons, and most ancient buildings.  If you can’t make it for Halloween, OLGW hosts many other walks throughout the week and even a Jack the Ripper tour through Whitechapel for those with an interest in history’s most infamous serial killer.