Best Things to Do in Manchester for Halloween 2023
This year is set to be a monster smash with special events, film shows and spooky food & drink menus
Floating Art will be hosting a Japanese Ghosts Painting Workshop at GRUB.
A long, long time ago, before Christianity took over the western world’s cultural calendar, the Autumn solstice was the biggie of the year. It was a time when everyone knuckled down and did the best they could to survive the coming winter. Wood was gathered, fruit and veg was preserved and the longer darker nights provided the setting for spooky tales to the backdrop of shadows and smoke.
Despite the evolution of central heating, electric lights and 24-hour supermarkets, humans still love to be bewitched by the idea of monsters and magic. Most of us also enjoy no more than half an excuse to dress up, drink too much and eat lots of sweets. Halloween has become HUGE.
Manchester has really got into the Halloween spirit over the past few years and there’s a monstrous weekend of events, screenings, special menus, cocktails, family fun and more planned across the whole region. There’s so much going on I wasn’t sure whether to list in by date, theme or even alphabetically, so instead I’ve just mixed it up into a cauldron of copy.
Here’s what to expect from a visit to Manchester in Halloween week…
Image credit - Deanna Thomas
Halloween in the City
Monsters and ghouls are set to return to Manchester for an eighth instalment of Halloween in the City, featuring a monstrous line-up of free family-friendly festivities. Thousands of families and visitors are expected to head into the city wearing their spookiest costumes for the free two-day event over the weekend of Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th October from 10am.
Monster activities across the city centre have all been organised by Manchester City Centre Business Improvement District, on behalf of city centre retailers, restaurants, and businesses.
From Wednesday 25 October, during half term, the legendary MCR Monsters (created by artists Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas) will be back. It’s fun spotting the 16 colourful invasion of giant inflatable monsters which appear across Manchester city centre rooftops. If you take a pic, remember to tag @halloweenmcr and #MCRMonsters. Also this year, as night falls, buildings across the city will be turning a ghoulish green, making Manchester a terrifyingly good place to be this Halloween.
Will you spot all 16 monsters creeping about on the rooftops of Manchester this Halloween?
Monsters Rock! Music Festival with spooky DJs, live performances, gruesome competitions, carnival rides and even monster portaloos on the Main Stage at Exchange Square.
Saturday 28th October
10am-12pm: DJs Fat Boy Slime and Grave Haslam
12pm-2pm: Half Baked - Band
2pm-4pm: Ellis Davies – Duo
4pm-4.30pm: Dr Butler’s Hatstand Medicine Band
4.30pm: Trick v Treat Scariest Team Winner Announcement
4.40pm-6pm: Dr Butler’s Hatstand Medicine Band
6pm-7pm: DJ Ghostman
Sunday 29th October
10am-12pm: DJs Fat Boy Slime and Grave Haslam
12pm-2pm: The Thingumajigs Band
2pm-4pm: Ellis Davies – Duo
4pm-4.30pm: DJ Ghostman
4.30pm: Trick v Treat Scariest Team Winner Announcement
4.40pm-5pm: DJ Ghostman
Don’t miss the crazy Monster’s Rock Party Procession courtesy of Walk the Plank, featuring giant puppet monsters, giant skeletons, stilt walkers and a five-piece band outside Manchester Arndale & Market Street at 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm on both days.
Each day from 10am – 4pm, families can head to New Cathedral Street near Zara to pick up a wristband and join Team Trick or Team Treat to take part in ghoulish games across the city, including Monster Portaloos at New Cathedral Street, a Monster Rock Out stage at Manchester Arndale, a Skeleton Hoopla on St Ann’s Square and more, where they will be able to win points for their team throughout the weekend. The team with the most points will be announced as the winners from the Main Stage on Exchange Square at 4.30pm on both days. Those who come along in fancy dress will also be given the opportunity to win extra bonus points for their team, as well as monstrously fun, on-the-spot prizes.
St Ann’s Square will be taken over by a family-friendly freakshow of roaming circus acts, sideshow stalls, hula hoop workshops, a hall of mirrors and a Halloween in the City market, where visitors can shop a variety of Halloween-themed products including crafts and sweet treats.
Get into the Halloween spirit with screenings from CBeebies and CBBC in a wonderful indoor woodland chill out zone at The Royal Exchange, 10am – 7pm on Saturday and 10am – 5pm on Sunday featuring twinkling lights, comfy seating and family crafts.
This free event is open to all ages and will feature episodes from family favourites such as Hey Duggee and Shaun the Sheep.
There’ll be a Hell-ter Skelter on New Cathedral Street that lands you in a pit of smoke and flames (if you dare!). £1 per person per ride.
Artist Filthy Luker has designed an Eyeball Hunt across the city. If you spot some of the hundreds of eyeballs that have appeared on windows, railings, trees, lampposts and doorways across the city centre turning hotels, shops, theatres, art galleries and city buildings into mini monsters, take a pic and tag in @halloweenmcr #eyeballhuntmcr
Strap on your boots and jump in the rink as Scare Skate returns to the city for another year of spooky ice-skating at Cathedral Gardens between 27th – 31 t October, 11am – 9pm (last skate at 8pm). Click HERE to book.
Halloween happenings around Manchester include spooky screenings, themed cocktails, Halloween wine tastings and more…
Deep-south inspired dive bar, Mean-Eyed Cat on Oldham Street, has given the classic Old Fashioned a spooky makeover. With pumpkin spiced syrup, orange zest and pumpkin chocolate, this boozy, sweet cocktail is bursting with autumn flavours to warm your bones.
Downstairs, the Tiki Hideaway has put a spell on the traditional Pina Colada with winter spices and pumpkin puree to get you into the Halloween spirit.
Mean-Eyed Cat are throwing a Halloween weekender with free shots for everyone dressed as a Mean-Eyed Cat. Expect a Halloween-themed playlist, roll the dice for freebies and discounts before 9pm and there’s free pizza with every drink 'til 9pm.
All day coffee and wine bar, Provence, is delivering the ultimate spooky wine tasting session with a line-up of no-nonsense wines from around the world on Thursday 26th October, 7pm – 8.30pm.
Guests will receive five full glasses of wine, including the suitably named Crazy Creatures Grüner Veltliner from Austria, a refreshing Illusion Chenin Blanc from South Africa, a full-bodied Alma de Chile Carmenere from Chile, a Calaveras Tinto from Spain, and a rich Selene – Cramele Recas from Romania.
The £45 ticket includes a charcuterie sharing board with a selection of bread, cheeses, meats, olives and vegetarian antipasti. Booking for Spooky Sips at Provence can be made here.
Three characters from the popular cult musical will be the horrible hosts at each of Nell's sites on the 27th October from 8pm. Magenta will be at Common in the Northern Quarter, Dr Frank-N-Furter will be at Nell’s New York Pizza & Bar at Kampus and Riff Raff will be making an appearance at The Beagle in Chorlton.
A special Halloween themed pizza, The Frank-N-Furter - made with black tomato sauce, burnt onion, house sausage, chives, crispy onions, house chilli, parm, EVOO will be available as well as a couple of one off cocktails: The Time Warp - Havana 3, Blue curacao, edible glitter and lemonade, and The Transylvanian Zombie - THREE types of rum with lime, and a dash of Jaeger.
Bookings are recommended but they usually save space for walk-ins.
The Beeswing wine bar and kitchen up the secret staircase at KAMPUS is hosting another wine tasting and food matching session with a difference on Thursday 26th October at 7.30pm. Kelly Bishop who also runs regular Manchester Wine Tours is hosting this fun evening of matching some serious 'crisp' wines with some not so serious food stuffs. Tickets are £33.22 per person and can be booked via Eventbrite
All the businesses based at Great Northern Warehouse have also planned a frightfully fun Halloween
Independent expert chocolatiers Dormouse Chocolates have created a pumpkin spice bar (£6) This autumnal treat has been created with their delicious blend of ethically sourced milk chocolate, a mellow blend of spices and white chocolate infused with sweet pumpkin – perfect for enjoying on those cold autumn nights.
Suki Suki has created special edition spooky Boo! Buns and a range of creepy cocktails. Available on 27th October – 1st November, the charcoal infused Boo! Buns are available with tasty Korean chicken or tofu fillings. Halloween themed cocktails, include the Spooky Suki, the Cherry Scary, and the Poison Apple Iced Tea.
And that’s not all…on 27th October, be sure to keep an eye out for any red balloons dotted around the city. Each balloon will feature a QR code, which the lucky finder simply needs to scan and head to Suki Suki to claim their FREE Boo! (or bao) bun.
Enjoy a host of scarily good offers this Halloween at Paradise Skate World, including 50% off walk-in tickets across Halloween weekend to those who come dressed up in their spookiest Halloween costume. Make sure not to miss the haunting Halloween cocktail special, the Dead On The Beach, made with vodka, cranberry, orange juice, pineapple juice, and finished with an edible eyeball and a grenadine shot.
On Friday 27th October, Paradise Skate World will hosting the Cosmic Creep skate event, in collaboration with international roller-skater, Brats on Quads! From 7pm – late, join the ultimate Halloween party on the skating rink, complete with Halloween face painters, and spooky surprises along the way.
Creepy Cocktail specials at Impossible this Halloween include the Witches Brew – Decorrum, apple and maraschino deep red cherry, the Poison Apple – Cazcabel Blanco, green apple, Midori and fresh lime, the Dracula Sour –Disaronno, Gomme syrup, lemon and grenadine, or the Drink My Blood – a deliciously spooky mix of Don Papa, Chambord, bubble-gum and cranberry. The Halloween cocktail specials are £10 each, or two for £15.
Unpredictable Entertainment, who have hosted some of the biggest music bingo parties across Manchester in the last two years, have joined forces with Moxy Manchester on Saturday October 28th for an afternoon of musical bingo with sing-offs, dance-offs and prizes including a £100 bar tab. To sign-up for a FREE ticket, click here.
Guests can also enjoy Moxy’s cocktail of the month, the Smoky Maple Old Fashioned, for £9.
Street food and drinks events company GRUB, based at Red Bank in Manchester’s Green Quarter, are doing spooky season right with a week of fun activities, tour guided walks, painting, scary quizzes and boozy happenings.
On Wed 25th October there’ll be a frightening version of GRUB’s regular monthly trivia night Fizzy Quizzy where a gallon of North Brewing Co’s Springwell Lager is up for grabs. On the same day you’ll also find a special version of the popular Life Drawing with Hop, with eerie music to get you in the mood and expert guidance for artists of all levels. In the downstairs dining room there will be a Hallowe’en Makeup Masterclass to get you prepared for the extra flourishes you can add to your Hallowe’en costume.
Sign up to North Manchester FM’s Hannah Kate as she takes intrepid adventurers on a ‘Weird History Walking Tour’ of the Green Quarter’s Eccentric Past.
On Thursday 26th October, Manchester Macrame Co will be on hand to teach a ‘Ghoul Bunting Workshop’ to add a homemade vibe to your festive decorations using high-quality and sustainable materials.
Friday 27th October is jam packed with activities for a Freaky Family Fun Day with crafts, movies, board games, face painting, spooky storytime and cookie decorating with popular traders Tiny Beast Bakes. Later on, Blooms By Beam will craft eco-friendly fabric pumpkins to add a cosy autumn atmosphere in your home. Join artist Libby Ayres for a bewitching night of art and music at the Hallowe’en Sip & Paint special.
GRUB’s in-house cinema space Cultplex will be showing THREE bottomless, singalong screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The Saturday evening show has already SOLD OUT, but a few tables remain for the Saturday matinee and Friday night.
On Saturday 28th October, you can embrace the Hallowe’en spirit at Floating Art’s Japanese Ghosts Painting Workshop. Choose to paint eerie vengeful spirits or iconic characters like Scream and Slimer while learning traditional techniques from a skilled local artist, suitable for all skill levels.
On Sunday 29th October you can look at the lighter side of Hallowe’en with a Simpsons Pub Quiz in Cultplex before entering a pumpkin carving competition with huge prizes to be won at both.
More info and ticket links to all the GRUB events can be found here.
King Street Townhouse, the Manchester boutique hotel with its own private cinema, has a programme of scary film screenings taking place at the end of October leading up to Halloween. Taking place in the cellar of the historic building on Booth Street, they will be showing seven classic Halloween films which are perfect for horror fans.
Tickets start at £15 via Eventbrite and guests have the option to complete their experience with popcorn, pick’n’mix, cocktails, and even afternoon tea beforehand.
Click on the film schedule links below to book tickets:
Friday, Oct 27, 20:00 – Hocus Pocus (1993)
Saturday, Oct 28, 20:00 – Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Sunday, Oct 29, 17:00 – The Addams Family (1991)
Sunday, Oct 29, 20:00 – The Shining (1980)
Monday, Oct 30, 20:00 – Practical Magic (1998)
Zouk Tea Bar & Grill, off Oxford Road, is hosting a devilishly good Bottomless Brunch on Saturday 28th October with Prosecco, scare artists, live music & more.
With three sittings at 1pm, 2.30pm and 4pm, guests will be greeted with a Red Dragon cocktail, before dining in a spooky setting with suspended skeletons, giant spiders, and life-sized ghouls.
A starter of poppadoms, pickles and Pani Puri shots will be followed by one dish from the main menu, and desserts, including Zouk’s Chocolate Graveyard, created exclusively for Halloween.
Tickets are £35 per person and include the welcome cocktail, food, bottomless prosecco and live entertainment. Each sitting is a maximum 90 minutes.
Visit the Zouk website to see the full menu or to book a table.
The Trafford Centre’s annual Spookfest event is back from 13 – 31 October (closed 16 and 17 October) for the ultimate Halloween family day out. The outdoor space will come alive with exhilarating funfair rides including Rock Rage, Ghost Train and Extreme. A Pumpkin Tower, standing at five metres tall with over 250 flickering pumpkins and jack o’lanterns casting an eerie glow, will be the perfect spooky selfie spot.
Free face painting is on offer from 1.30 – 5.30pm on the 14 - 15, and 21 - 29 October (excluding 26 October), and there will even be character appearances from family favourites including:
· Batman & Maleficent: 21 October
· Jack Skeleton: 22 October
· Scooby Doo & Maleficent: 23 October
· Jack Skeleton: 24 October
· Batman & Maleficent: 25 October
· Scooby Doo & Maleficent: 27 October
· Maleficent & Aurora: 28 October
· Jack Skeleton: 29 October
Guests are advised to book Spookfest early to avoid disappointment. Tickets are available HERE
With so many spooky happenings across Manchester, this Halloween is set to be an absolute monster. Have I missed anything? Let me know in the comments below and don’t have nightmares…
