What’s on in the Arts – Halloween special!

Derry~Londonderry

Derry Halloween 2025 - check out some of Arts Council NI’s funded clients who are taking part in Derry Halloween this year, Europe’s LARGEST Halloween Festival!

• Verbal Arts Centre

SHERLOCK BONES & THE MAYOR’S MISSING CHAIN at VERBAL ARTS CENTRE on TUES 28th - THURS 30th OCT, 6pm - 9pm FRI 31st OCT, 11am - 3pm, duration: 1 hour, adm: FREE, suitable for 4 - 8 years.

Step into the world of Sherlock Bones, our detective hero, to solve the case of the Mayor’s missing ceremonial chain. This is an immersive storytelling event where children become the detectives. Through a series of themed rooms and activities, they work in teams to complete creative challenges, earn clues and piece together the riddle of the missing chain.

• North West Carnival Initiative

THE HOWLING WOLF AWAKENS, BISHOP STREET, TUES 28th - THURS 30th OCT, 6pm - 9pm.

In the shadowed depths of Bishop Street, the haunting She-Wolf emerges from the darkness, her amber eyes fixed longingly on the glowing Samhain Moon. With each desperate attempt to reach the sacred light, she is pulled back by the restless spirits and ghostly bones that guard this cursed cobblestone path. Witness her eternal struggle as she prowls between worlds, forever trapped by the vengeful dead who refuse to let her pass. Brought to you by North West Carnival Initiative in partnership with Macnas.

PATH OF LIGHT, ST COLUMB’S CATHEDRAL, TUES 28th - THURS 30th OCT, 6pm - 9pm

As dusk falls and the night awakens, journey through an illuminated dreamscape designed to enchant and inspire. Explore a world bathed in gentle glows, soft shadows and shimmering tones. Thoughtfully crafted to evoke wonder, this immersive experience offers a moment of calm, reflection and awe beneath the autumn sky. Brought to you by Sheila Byrne and North West Carnival Initiative.

Carnival Parade and Fireworks, CITY CENTRE, FRI 31st OCT at 7pm.

The North West Carnival Initiative presents the Carnival Parade - the beating heart of Derry Halloween. A dazzling celebration of community, creativity and carnival spirit. Watch as floats, performers and extraordinary Samhain characters bring the story of Halloween to life, their costumes crafted with months of imagination, skill and dedication. All cheered on by tens of thousands in fancy dress

SLIANTHA THE SAMHAIN SERPENT, SHIPQUAY STREET, TUES 28th - THURS 30th OCT, 6pm - 9pm.

Dare to walk the length of Shipquay Shriek as a giant inhabitant creeps through the city centre? Fire pits and eerie ambience bring this immersive trail to life – a spine tingling spectacle for the brave. Delivered by North West Carnival Initiative.

• In Your Space Circus

DIAMOND DJ, TUES 28th - THURS 30th OCT, 6pm - 9pm.

Derry Halloween is bringing back the much loved DJ of the Dead Skeleton to The Diamond. Dance to Resident DJ, Walter de Burgh and enjoy his spooktacular moves at the greatest Halloween celebration on the planet. Brought to you by In Your Space Circus.

FANG GOGH, PUMP STREET, TUES 28th - THURS 30th OCT, 6pm - 9pm.

A whimsical portrait puppet artist brings a delightful spooky twist to the art world this Halloween. Prepare to be charmed (and maybe a little spooked) by this utterly unique act. Halloween magic unfolds as this artist brings your likeness to life. A Halloween treasure to take home… drawn by Fang Gogh’s own hand. Brought to you by In Your Space Circus and Banyan Theatre.

SCHOOL OF BONES GLASSWORKS, GREAT JAMES STREET FRI 31st OCT • 1pm - 4pm Join In Your Space Circus for School of Bones! IYSC’s brilliant skeleton youth troupe will put you through your paces and see if you have what it takes to join the school of bones! Drop-in participative circus workshop!

• Nerve Centre

GORE GALORE: SPECIAL EFFECTS MAKE-UP FOR HALLOWEEN with CHRISTIAN KOTEY, WED 29th OCT, 10am - 4pm, suitable for 16 - 19 year-olds.

Spend the day delving into the thrilling world of practical special effects make-up with industry expert Christian Kotey (The Walking Dead, Alien vs Predator). Learn the essentials of SFX make-up, from creating realistic cuts and bruises to mastering the art of fake blood - perfect for adding a frightful touch to any Halloween look!

CREATE YOUR OWN RETRO-STYLE HALLOWEEN VIDEO GAME, 4.15pm - 4.35pm, 4.45pm - 5.05pm & 5.15pm - 5.35pm.

Step into the world of pixel-powered spookiness! You become the game designer, crafting your very own retro-style Halloween video game. Fill it with ghosts, goblins, pumpkins, potions - and whatever creepy characters your imagination can conjure. Will your game be spooky, silly, or totally terrifying?

Part of Nerve Centre’s VFX Academy. Sign up via website.

• VOID ARTS CENTRE

SOUR POTIONS VOID ART CENTRE TUES 28th - FRI 31st OCT, 11am - 4pm Age: 8+, dur: 35 - 45min, adm: Free.

Unleash your inner witch at our Sour Potions workshop! Create fun fermented experiments using leftover pumpkins, turnips and apples, and take home your own spooky potion as a lasting flavour of Halloween. With quick, hands-on demos for kids and adults, each potion can be bottled, named and branded with a spine chilling twist.

• CCA

TRANSFORMATION MASK MAKING CCA, ARTILLERY ST. THURS 30th - FRI 31st OCT, 11am & 12noon Dur: 45 mins, tickets: £5 per child, ages: 3+.

Using artist Vanessa Marsh’ specially created painted papers and a mix of art materials - you will design and construct expressive masks - each one a unique transformation of the self, inspired by the colours and symbols of Samhain. Tickets at derryhalloween.com/tickets

• The Playhouse & DCSDC

The School At The Edge of Reality - 28th October 2025 ~ 1st November 2025. Time: 3pm, 5pm, 6pm. Tickets: £5. Ages 6+.

Two Realities. One Halloween. No Time to Lose.

Get ready to enter… The School on the Edge of Reality – where Derry's most haunted history collides with its strangest future. Long ago, The Playhouse was a school – but world-renowned paranormal expert Professor Avery Spectra has uncovered its chilling secret. Beneath our reality lurks another school, one where ghouls, ghosts and magical mischief-makers are trained to wreak havoc. And this Halloween, as the veil weakens, a Reality Rift has burst open, letting those fiendish students escape into our world. Already, The Playhouse is transforming room by room into their terrifying training ground…

But don't panic just yet! Felix Phantom, Professor Spectra's fearless assistant, is here to lead the charge. With your help, he'll face down monstrous mayhem, stop the Rift from growing, and protect Derry Halloween from being completely overrun by the spookiest, scariest class of creatures you'll never forget. Make The School on the Edge of Reality the opening act of your Derry Halloween Trail, then let the night unfold with spine-tingling surprises across the city.

For all of this and more visit https://derryhalloween.com/

Belfast

• Féile

Rescheduled to Wednesday 29th October at 6pm. Assemble at Sportlann na hÉireann. 7pm Parade departs for Falls Park. Fireworks display will take place when the parade arrives at Falls Park. Join Freddie Krueger, Leatherface, Frankenstein, Valek the Nun, Pennywise the Clown, Fire Breathers, Trapeze Artists, Grim Reaper, Devil, Scarecrow, and Witch Puppets for spooky fun!

• Golden Thread Gallery

Halloween Drop In Party – Friday October 31st 12-4pm

Come in your best fancy dress and get involved with Halloween themed art activities! All ages are welcome and treats will be provided. Date: Friday October 31st 2025. Time: 12-4PM. Location: The Hub, Golden Thread Gallery. This is drop in event so you can come anytime between 12-4pm and stay for as long as you would like. This event takes place in the Hub on the ground floor of the gallery, with step-free ramp access. There is a wheelchair-accessible bathroom on the ground floor.

• Oh Yeah Centre

Punkoween, Wednesday 29 October 2025, 19:30-22:30. Volume Control's annual Halloween party is back this mid-term break! Featuring the Queen of Halloween A.N.J.A as headliner, with support from post-hardcore trio Broncos and riot grrrl outfit Rose Fatale. Come in your best fancy dress for a chance to win a golden ticket to all upcoming Volume Control gigs for the next year!

• Lyric Theatre

FAUST-ISH by Big Telly Theatre Company | PRESENTED BY BELFAST INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL. Wed 29 Oct - Sun 9 Nov 2025.

Faust-ish, a new play by Nicola McCartney and mavericks Big Telly…A story both wild and strange with delicious shivers, about a woman who becomes a distraction, falls from grace and deals with the devil in the dead of night in a desolate place….Where bargains have legs and pacts have teeth, a fever dream of otherworldly humdrummerie, beautiful theatre and solid craic.

• Young at Art and Circusful

It’s time to dance like a zombie! Join Cathedral Quarter’s (CQ) first-ever Thriller Dance Mob this Halloween at Writers' Square, Belfast. 31st Oct | 3–4pm, £2 to Young at Art. Learn the moves, join the mob, and make Belfast history.

CQ Belfast is jam packed with events this Halloween!

Event Schedule: 31st October -

2.30 & 3.30pm- spooky circus skills workshop at Circusful

3.00pm – Halloween warm-up with Q Radio at Writers SQ

3.40pm – Group rehearsal (easy, fun, and full of laughs)

3.50pm – The BIG Thriller Dance Mob with Young at Art

5.30pm and 6.30pm – Cadaveret! Halloween themed circus cabaret performances at Circusful

7.00 pm Halloween Aerial spectacular with Fidget Feet at Writers SQ

5-8pm walkabout acts across Cathedral Quarter#

Register to join the Thriller Mob at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/urbanaffairsltd/1882771

• Arts Ekta 

Join Arts Ekta for The Flight of Souls — an outdoor spectacular this Halloween, 31^st Oct, Writer’s Square, 7pm.

Against a backdrop of firelight and smoke, bodies arc and spiral in the sky, creating fleeting visions of spirits ascending and shadows returning. Part aerial rig, part dream — and part nightmare — this 35-minute spectacle transforms Writers Square into a stage where the living and the departed seem to move together.

Born from a bold collaboration with Fidget Feet, VolkiDána and ArtsEkta, The Flight of Souls is fierce, fluid, and unforgettable — a spellbinding ritual of flight where cultures intertwine, traditions collide, and the boundary between this world and the next begins to blur.

The show will commence at 7pm and last for approx 35 minutes. No tickets are required, just come along on the night. Under 16s must be accompanied by a guardian. Produced by Fidget Feet and ArtsEkta and supported through the ‘Creative Communities on a Shared Island’ scheme by Creative Ireland in partnership with Clare County Council. With thanks to Belfast International Arts Festival and Cathedral Quarter Bid.

• The Strand Cinema

Melodrama Matinees: All that Heaven Allows (1956), Thursday 23 October, 2pm.

Melodrama on Film: Carrie (1976), Pop-up at Ashfield Girls High School, Wednesday 22 October, Doors 7pm, introduction approx 7.45pm, film approx 8pm.

Bride of Frankenstein (90^th anniversary), Sunday 26 October, 1pm.

Visit www.strandartscentre.com

Portaferry

• Portico of Ards

  01 November 2025 | 19:30 - 20:45. Battleship Potemkin with live organ performance.

  Eisenstein's 1925 masterpiece Battleship Potemkin with thunderous live organ accompaniment - experience cinema history at its most powerful. Experience Sergei Eisenstein's revolutionary 1925 masterpiece with live improvised accompaniment by acclaimed organist Aaron Hawthorne. This groundbreaking film tells the gripping story of the famous mutiny aboard a Russian battleship, sparked by the sailors' rebellion against maggot-infested meat, and showcases Eisenstein's innovative montage techniques that forever changed cinema. Tickets £15.00

  01 November 2025 | 21:00 - 22:30. The Cabinet of Dr Caligari with live organ performance.

  Experience the haunting masterpiece that defined horror cinema! The Cabinet of Dr Caligari with spine-tingling live organ accompaniment. Step into the twisted world of German Expressionist cinema with the 1920 horror masterpiece The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, accompanied live by acclaimed organist Aaron Hawthorne on the incredible Portico organ. This groundbreaking silent film, with its distorted sets, sharp angles, and nightmarish visuals, tells the chilling tale of a hypnotist who uses a sleepwalker to commit murder. Tickets £15.00

  Special offer - 2 films for £15 visit https://www.porticoards.com/whats-on

  • The Armagh Rhymers at the Ulster Folk Museum, Cultra

  Halloween has changed over the years, but at the Ulster Folk Museum, they're keeping the traditions alive - reminding you where Halloween truly began! 

  Mask-making with Annan’s Arch (to hide from the ghouls!)

  The Armagh Rhymers

  Craft stations for little ones

  Storytelling

  Cabbage fortune telling (yes, cabbages!)

  Apple pie tasting

  Samhain traditions brought to lifeBook tickets from 29th to 31st October → https://bit.ly/3JTYSNT

  • Circusful

  FREE FAMILY FRIENDLY FUN!First up on the 31st October they have lots of FREE Family Friendly Fun taking place around the Cathedral Quarter Belfast! With a drop in circus skills workshop from 2.30 - 3.30pm, fearsome characters roaming the cobbled streets (be sure to say hello!), spine-tingling mini cabarets here at Circusful at 5.30 and 6.30pm and witchy bubbles and fire.

  In the courtyard of The Dark Horse in the evening - there is something for everyone! FRIGHT NIGHT CABARET - 18+On the 1st November we have our Fright Night Cabaret taking place at Circusful! Join Circusful for a mix of acts, including experienced star turns and those taking to the stage for the first time - all ready to stun and dazzle!Our building will be decorated for Spooky Season and we encourage you to don your Halloween finest for this 18+ #BYOB event.   Tickets are available here - https://shorturl.at/mhZeG#halloween #circusful #spookyseason #belfast