Halloween in London: Six Spooky Events

If you’re looking for a way to celebrate Halloween in London, look no further! Whether your interests are family-oriented or a little more fearsome, we’ve got a recommendation to suit.

If you fancy yourself a daring Slytherin rather than a goodie-goodie Gryffindor, brush up on the Dark Arts this Halloween with a trip to the Warner Bros. Studios in Watford (just outside of London). The team at the famous film studio always celebrate Halloween in style, and this year is no exception: from the 27th September to the 10th November, the more devilish aspects of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World are ready to be explored.

With a Great Hall festooned with floating pumpkins (like a scene straight from the movies), thrilling live duels featuring the Death Eaters, and a behind-the-scenes look at how horrible effects – like troll bogeys – were actually created, there’s no better Halloween treat for families and Potter fanatics.

Do you prefer crime thrillers to horror-themed thrills? Then slip on a bodysuit and join the forensic specialists at the Natural History Museum, where a special ‘Crime Scene Live’ event will run on several occasions during the autumn and in early 2020.
Armed with the science used in real-life criminal investigations, you and your sleuthing team will explore the museum, gathering clues and conducting tests. Your aim? To find out who has stolen a priceless stone from the museum, and establish where, when, and how the various crimes were committed. At the end of the night, all will be revealed! Do you have what it takes to crack the case?

A one-of-a-kind venue in London, this majestic ballroom (which features in a few films itself) will transform into a spooky cinema during October. Enjoy genuine thrills and chills in a glorious, vintage setting with the Rivoli’s roster of frightening films: Halloween on the 24th October; The Rocky Horror Picture Show on the 25th October, and, finally, The Shining on Friday 26th.

With tickets available from just £10, this is one of the most affordable – and atmospheric – ways to celebrate Halloween in London.

A prolific writer, broadcaster and expert guide, Richard Jones is sometimes known as the ‘doyen of darkness’: his wide knowledge of paranormal history, sinister mythology and the city of London makes him uniquely positioned to lead the scariest ghost walks in town. Indeed, Richard has written over twenty books about ghosts and has been running guided walks around the city since 1982 – so you know you’ll be in safe hands!

In honour of the spookiest night of the year, Richard is running a special Halloween ghost walk. During the walk, participants will explore ancient alleys and creepy churchyards, marvelling at some of the city’s most imposing buildings whilst learning all about the ghostly encounters that have occurred nearby. A new – and thrilling – way to explore the capital!

Before Bram Stoker there was Dr Polidori – who created fiction’s first ever bloodsucker in his tale The Vampyre, which was published 1819. This means that 2019 marks the 200th anniversary of humanity’s obsession with vampires. What better way to celebrate than by attending a specially-themed ball?

Famed for their ingenious revels, the gang at A Curious Invitation extend (in their own words) a ‘courteous invitation to all undead nocturnal walkers of the Earth to join [them] at a ball of the utmost magnificence’. The Bicentennial Vampyre Ball takes place over two evenings – 25th and 26th October – and promises a night of fantastic entertainment: with aptly-named performers like ‘The Blood Tub Orchestra’ taking to the stage, a mausoleum decked out with velvet-lined coffins in which to catch your breath, and a vampire cabaret of fire-breathing, burlesque, and other undead delights. Strictly for adults!

There’s spooktacular fun for kids and adults alike at Fortnum & Mason this year: their annual Halloween Pumpkin Carving Classes on Oct 26th and 27th are suitable for the whole family. You’ll be taught how to carve a truly unique jack-o’-lantern and can even indulge your competitive spirit – there’s a prize for the best pumpkin in each class!

But that’s not all the prestigious grocers have in store this year: they’ve also secured the services of Dr Andrea Tanner, who will be introducing a Halloween twist to F&M’s traditional ‘Delicious History’ tasting tours. Prime your nerves with a piquant Bloody Mary before allowing Dr Tanner to guide you around the building, during which she’ll fill you in about the ghosts that are meant to reside there and disclose other fearsome secrets from the company’s 300-year-history. Gulp!