This Halloween, you’re never far away from a frighteningly fun time in the capital. There’s spine-chilling shows, haunted hotspots and spooky sights to seek out – if you dare.
In a city with nearly two thousand years of history, it’s hardly surprising that a few scary stories and eerie experiences from London’s chilling past have lingered. So when it comes to finding ways to spend the spookiest night of the year, the question is: how brave are you feeling? Because with a Victorian mummy’s curse on the South Bank and a full-scale horror invasion of a Greenwich mansion that might just have you sleeping with the lights on, scream-worthy scares are lurking around every corner.
Ghoulishly good sights
For a truly spooky start to your fright fest, few places set the scene quite like The London Dungeon on the South Bank. Here, the city’s gruesome past is brought to life as you wander through plague-ridden streets, encounter Mrs Lovett and the grisly tale of Sweeney Todd, and navigate the twists and turns of the Whitechapel Labyrinth.
This year, its annual Halloween takeover sees the Curse of the Mummy is let loose across the venue (17 Oct-1 Nov). Based on the Victorian legend of the Unlucky Mummy’ and the folklore that surrounds the misfortune that befell those who drew lots to purchase a mummy-board while travelling in Egypt, you’ll find yourself in London in 1889 where the relic has just arrived – along with something much less desirable or welcome. Historical figures, such as the Victorian clairvoyant Madame Helena Blavatsky (who allegedly detected an evil influence connected to the object), guide visitors through three immersive theatrical shows. Expect sensory effects as you explore Egyptomania and the occult, and discover why some tombs are best left undisturbed.
From here, take a boat trip down the River Thames to the centuries-old Tower of London, which has served as a royal palace, a prison, an execution site and the resting place of tortured souls who arrived via the famous Traitors’ Gate never to leave. This October half-term, the landmark’s history doesn’t feel quite so distant as Halloween at the Tower of London (24 Oct-1 Nov) sees wandering spirits – including a poet and a pirate – in theatrical costume roaming the grounds. Head for the Haunted Forge, the Enchanted Wishing Well and the Raven’s Observatory, where ‘ghosts’ gather at set times throughout the day.
If you’d rather trade creepy cobbled courtyards for ghoulish gardens, head west to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where its atmospheric light trail is one of the highlights of the season. The 1.5km illuminated route winds through the grounds, past eerie installations and live fire performers. This year, the legendary Headless Horseman is joined by a host of new creepy characters and spine-tingling encounters. Step into the shadows of the Cursed Tomb, where a mysterious explorer watches over all who enter. Brave Dracula’s lair if you dare, then test your courage in the Medieval Dungeon, where the fearsome executioner lies in wait. If you make it through, celebrate your survival at the Monster Disco, where the music and skull-shaped mirror balls create a frightfully fun finale. Halloween at Kew runs from 16 October to 1 November.
Think your nerves can handle an attraction that is downright scream-worthy? After almost 17 years creating terrifying experiences in Ireland, The Nightmare Realm debuts in London at the historic Avery Hill Mansion in Greenwich (9 Oct-1 Nov) with a cast of more than 70 performers and a brand-new theme, A Nightmare from Overseas.
The building has largely been closed to the public for the past few years, adding to the thrill of an immersive night of horror that will get the heart of even seasoned scare-seekers racing.
Two headline experiences anchor the night: Avery Hill Asylum, set inside a Victorian institution where the obsessive Dr Thorne has taken medical experimentation too far, and Sundown Manor, where an ancient family has crossed the Irish Sea in search of victims. Between the two, you can catch your breath in Halloween Town, a ‘living village’ of roaming characters, secret rooms and food stalls, plus five hidden experiences tucked throughout the grounds. It’s worth noting that you need to be aged 13 or over to attend and this is not for the faint-hearted.
Not every Halloween outing in the city needs to end in a scream, though. While you’re visiting Greenwich, head to The Queen’s House to hear tales of tragedy and ghostly goings-on during an eerie after-hours guided Dark History and Haunted Tour (30 Oct & 1 Nov). It’s both gripping and fascinating, and concludes with a drink in the Loggia overlooking Greenwich Park. Strictly for those aged 18 and over, will you spot any spectral shapes in the dark?
Meanwhile, in King’s Cross, the London Canal Museum’s Halloween Tunnel Boat Trips (29,30 & 31 Oct) are just as atmospheric. You would be forgiven for thinking the ghosts of boatmen past are watching as you cruise through the long, dark Islington Tunnel, especially when the ghost stories begin. Boat trips set off at various times throughout Halloween weekend and come complete with the opportunity to tour the museum once you’re back on dry land. Look out, too, for the Spooky Halloween Fun Day (27 Oct), where creepy creature crafts, a spooky top 10 trail and a ghostly boat trip to St Pancras Lock and back make for the perfect family day out.
For something considerably more energetic that is sure to quicken the pulse, The 02 is going all-out for Halloween too. As part of Duran Duran’s Danse Macabre Halloween show at The 02 arena on 31 October, the venue is stepping into the spirit of the occasion with a number of events across the site, including a Halloween Silent Disco, the fun conclusion to an Up at The 02 climb. This is your opportunity to scale the roof of one of London’s most famous landmarks, pop on some headphones and bop along to a petrifying playlist (31 Oct).
Stage frights
The city’s theatres, meanwhile, are no strangers to things that go bump in the night (Theatre Royal Drury Lane is reputedly haunted by the Man in Grey’), with audiences treated to magic, mystery and the macabre this autumn. Potterheads will want to hold onto their sorting hats as, after a decade as a two-part production, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been reimagined as a one-part play (from 9 Oct). Set 19 years after the conclusion of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, see Harry’s second son, Albus, and Scorpius, son of Draco Malfoy, in a time-travelling adventure with the potential for terrible consequences. Head to the Palace Theatre and have your Protego spell at the ready!
Not all theatre magic comes courtesy of Hogwarts, however. For anyone after a jump-out-of-your-seat scare, Paranormal Activity at the Ambassadors Theatre should be at the top of your list. Based on the hit horror film franchise, the stage version follows James and Lou, a newly married couple who relocate from Chicago to London, only to discover that the past – and something considerably less explicable – has followed them. As the tension ratchets up, you realise the psychological drama is as much about the baggage each person brings to a marriage as it is the demonic presence that lurks in the shadows.
For something a little less unnerving but no less gripping, Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre has been defying gravity in the capital for the past 20 years, and Halloween is as good an excuse as any to finally see Elphaba’s journey from misunderstood outsider to the Wicked Witch of the West. With its showstopping costumes and a score most visitors already know by heart, it’s a family-friendly way to spend Halloween.
Also celebrating a big anniversary, marking 40 years in the West End this month, Phantom of the Opera at His Majesty’s Theatre needs no introduction. The mask, the chandelier, the underground lair beneath the Paris Opera House – its haunting, candlelit staging feels especially fitting in this spookiest of seasons.
Those looking for yet more theatrical thrills can immerse themselves in the suspense of and tension of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap at St Martin’s Theatre, a classic whodunit and the capital’s longest-running play. Or why not head to another of Christie’s thrillers – Witness for the Prosecution – cleverly staged in the former council chamber at County Hall? Watch the drama of Leonard Vole’s murder trial from the public galleries, or become a member of the jury and pass your verdict on a case full of twists and turns.
Finally, we have already said goodbye to The Upside Down on screen. But the portal gate is closing here in the capital too, with the final curtain coming down on Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre on 27 December. Don’t miss the chance to see the Hawkins origin story and Henry Creel’s descent into darkness in this much-loved stage adaptation.
Also departing this realm on 2 January is Beetlejuice The Musical. So, brush up on the lyrics to Day-O (The Banana Boat Song) and head to the Prince Edward Theatre to let ‘the ghost with the most put the high jinks and hilarity in your Halloween. Because the capital can be as fun or as spooky as you care to make it.
