Halloween 2026 falls on a Saturday, which changes everything. A Saturday Halloween is the single busiest configuration for scare attractions, trick-or-treating and pubs alike — and it means the surrounding weekend is effectively one long peak.
Plan accordingly. Here is the season laid out.
Late September — the season opens
26 September — Alton Towers Scarefest and Psycho Path both open. The earliest starts in the country.
27 September — Farmaggedon opens.
These first weekends are the best-kept secret of the season: full-strength attractions, fresh actors, short queues and often cheaper tickets. If you can go in September, go in September.
Early October
2 October — Thorpe Park Fright Nights opens.
3 October — Tulleys Shocktober Fest and Chessington Howl'o'ween open.
9 October — FEAR at Avon Valley opens for twelve nights only, York Maze Hallowscream begins, and Yorkshire Scare Grounds opens at Wakefield.
10 October — Drayton Manor starts its Halloween season.
11 October — The York Dungeon Halloween programme begins.
Mid October — book now if you have not
15 October — Scaresville at Kentwell Hall and Scream Time at Margam Park both open.
16–17 October — Terror Scream Park near Edinburgh, first of its six nights.
17 October — Journey to Hell at Blackpool begins its new day-and-night format.
18 October — Crealy Spook-Fest opens in Devon.
This is the deadline for booking the Halloween weekend. By the third week of October, the popular dates at the major parks are gone.
Half term
School half term across most of England and Wales falls in the week commencing 26 October, with Scotland and Northern Ireland varying — check your local authority, as dates differ by council.
This is the busiest week of the season for family attractions. Book anything family-focused before the end of the first week of October.
The final week
27, 29 and 31 October — Beamish opens as The Un-living Museum of the North. Three nights only, and they sell out.
29–30 October — carve your pumpkin now, not before. A pumpkin carved earlier than this will have collapsed by Halloween night. Full method in our carving guide.
30 October — Mischief Night in parts of northern England, though traditionally this fell on 4 November.
30–31 October — Terror's final two nights.
31 October, Saturday — Halloween. Also the last night of Journey to Hell and of Terror. Drayton Manor runs fireworks.
Into November
1 November — All Saints' Day, and the closing night for Tulleys, Thorpe Park, Alton Towers, Scaresville, Farmaggedon, Psycho Path, Yorkshire Scare Grounds and Scream Time.
2 November — All Souls' Day. The traditional date for souling, and the correct day to bake soul cakes.
5 November — Bonfire Night, which for most of the twentieth century comfortably beat Halloween in England.
A booking timeline
- Now to mid-September — book anything with a short season (FEAR runs twelve nights) and anything on the Halloween weekend
- Late September — go to an opening weekend if you can. Best value of the year
- First week of October — book family attractions for half term
- Mid October — last realistic chance for peak dates
- 29–30 October — carve
- 31 October — too late to book anything; go to whatever still has tickets
Always confirm
Organisers change dates without notice, and our listings are updated as we learn of changes — but check with the venue before you travel. Everything above reflects our records as published.
Full listings in the directory, or find what is near you on the map.