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Halloween in Manchester and the North

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

Let’s face it, Halloween is the best holiday. It’s got everything: scary movies, fancy dress and plenty of sweets…but how to celebrate All Hallows Eve once you’re tired of trick or treating?

Fear not, we’ve got you covered. Whether you prefer to spend this October exploring the North’s creepiest corners on a Halloween tour, drinking blood red cocktails in your meticulously put together costume, spotting witches at the theatre with the family, or just holed up with some horror films — there’s plenty of spooky goings-on for the culturally curious to investigate.

Our top picks

CULTPLEX presents: STAB 2025

CULTPLEX presents: STAB 2025 at Cultplex, Manchester, 1 October–1 November 2025, From £8.00 - Book now

A month-long horror extravaganza this October. Nobody does Halloween quite like CULTPLEX.

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Chucky
n.a

Les Savy Fav at Brudenell Social Club

Les Savy Fav at Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, 31 October 2025, From £25.00 - Book now

Blurring the line between performance art and punk show, New York’s Les Savy Fav return to the Brudenell on All Hallows’ Eve.

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the artist in a mask
Image supplied by Leeds Inspired

PVTV Fringe Flicks: Surreal Short Films feat. Hotel Kalura at DoES Liverpool

PVTV Fringe Flicks: Surreal Short Films feat. Hotel Kalura at DoES Liverpool, 10 October 2025, From £1.00 - Book now

People Versus TV present programme of surreal and experimental short film in a welcoming, social space that brings together Liverpool’s burgeoning indie film scene.

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Hotel Kalura still
Sophie Koko Gate

Helen Anna Flanagan & Gavin Gayagoy at FACT

Helen Anna Flanagan & Gavin Gayagoy at FACT, Liverpool, Until 23 November 2025, Free entry - Visit now

FACT’s new two artist-show explores isolation through digital, immersive environments.

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Helen Anna Flanagan, Burnt Toast
Helen Anna Flanagan

Halloween: The Ghosts of Manchester

Halloween: The Ghosts of Manchester at St Ann’s Church, Manchester, 31 October 2025, From £25.00 - Book now

Explore Manchester’s creepiest corners this Halloween, when Jonathan Schofield Tours will reveal the city’s ghosts with the most.

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St Ann's Church
Mike Peel

Flecky Bennett’s Ghost Walks

Flecky Bennett’s Ghost Walks, online, Until 17 December 2026, From £15 - Book now

Meet, Flecky Bennet, your guide through the dark and demonic side of the city as he takes you on one of Manchester’s award winning ghost walks.

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Flecky Bennett’s HALLOWEEN 2018 Ghost Walk

Shiverpool: Ghost and History Tours

Shiverpool: Ghost and History Tours, Until 27 February 2027, From £13.50 - Book now

Expect chilling street theatre and immersive thrills as the award winning Shiverpool return to Liverpool’s streets.

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Leeds Halloween

Leeds Halloween, 25 October–2 November 2025, Free entry - Find Out More

Join the ghosts and ghouls of Leeds and prepare your coats, hats, scarves and gloves for some chilling events across the city.

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Temple Newsam
Joanne Crawford, LCC

Ghosts of Temple Newsam

Ghosts of Temple Newsam at Temple Newsam, Leeds, 4–19 October 2025, From £15.00 - Book now

Explore one of Yorkshire’s most haunted houses in a chilling journey through centuries of strange, unexplained sightings and noises.

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A portrait of the Blue Lady
Image supplied by Leeds Inspired

Seasonal Guides

The Jungle Book at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre
Open Air Theatre in Manchester and the North

Open air theatre shows are happening across the north over the next few months – we’ve collated our top picks into a neat guide for you.

Helen Chadwick posing with a sculpture called Piss Flowers taken during the exhibition Helen Chadwick: Effluvia, held at the Serpentine Gallery, London, in 1994
Cultural Calendar 2025

Our editors’ biannually updated list of some of the best-looking arts and cultural events in Manchester and the North in 2025.
Festival-goers at Green Island
Festivals

Here’s our guide to the best summer festivals with experiences taking place in a field or on the streets near you.
Summer Holidays: the best things to do with kids
Summer Holidays: the best things to do with kids

Check out our definitive and regularly updated guide of things to do with the family over the summer holidays.
Outdoor Art in the North

Our guide to the North’s outdoor art, which has a special relationship to community, cultural heritage and the landscape it’s situated in.
Outdoor Activities

Get out and about with our guide to interesting, unusual and distinctly cultural outdoor events and outdoor activities.
FaleSaSacred House
Visual Arts at MIF25

From indigenous wisdom in paint and performance to immersive sound installations, MIF25 returns with a unique visual arts programme.

Destinations

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Spotlight on

Walking Tours in Manchester by Jonathan Schofield

Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.

Take me there

Culture Guides

Exhibitions in the North

Galleries around the North are gearing up for a new season of exhibitions - from iconic art prizes to smaller, artist-led gems.

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Wisp Press Image
Music in the North

From corrupted shoegaze to experimental electronica, post-hardcore to Indian classical, these are the shows that should be on your radar.