Get into the spirit this Halloween with a range of family-friendly spooky experiences.
Halloween is fast approaching and where better to celebrate it than Edinburgh, one of Europe’s most haunted cities.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the best things to see, do and experience in the city this spooky season, to ensure you have a frightfully good time!
Halloween at Craigies
Alongside their popular pick-your-own pumpkins, Craigies Farm at South Queensferry is hosting a variety of Halloween thrills.
Craigies Pumpkin Festival “After Dark” will offer delights and frights for families. New for 2024 – navigate your way through the twists and turns of the Monster Bale Trail, while encountering unexpected scary surprises around every corner and a spectacular sensory light experience. Craigies Pumpkin Festival: “After Dark” – Adults Only is an experience designed for older children and adults and features a brand-new haunted maze experience with spooky characters and immersive effects lurking around every corner.
Halloween at Craigies takes place from 01 October to 31 October 2024
Frightful Fun at Dynamic Earth
Turn fear into fascination this October with Frightful Fun at Dynamic Earth.
Discover how the creatures you fear are important to our planet. Enter a world of eerie encounters in free drop-in craft activities and investigate creepy creatures, from carnivorous plants to vicious vipers.
Join in the fun from 02 October to 03 November 2024.
Halloween Movies with Moonwake Beer
From their brewery taproom by The Shore in Leith, Moonwake Beer Co will be hosting Halloween Movie Month.
A pint of Moonwake beer, popcorn and a scary film is included in the ticket price. Come along and enjoy classic thrillers such as Pearl, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Scream.
Screenings shown on select dates from 17 to 31 October 2024.
Lantern Led and True Crime Tours with The Real Mary King’s Close
Step down onto forgotten streets and shine a light onto Edinburgh’s past with The Real Mary King’s Close.
The atmospheric Lantern Led Tour and True Crime Tour are perfect ways to experience Halloween in Edinburgh. Guests will be able to choose between stepping beneath the Royal Mile into complete darkness to learn about Edinburgh’s shadowy past or examining tales of crime and punishment from the city’s history.
Both tours run on selected dates from 10 to 31 October 2024.
Halloween Happenings at Dalkeith Country Park
Located around 10 miles from the centre of Edinburgh, Dalkeith Country Park’s Halloween Happenings runs throughout the school holidays and is packed with family-friendly activities.
The park’s spooky season includes a creepy pumpkin patch, a haunted tour of Dalkeith Palace, cookie decorating and craft workshops and a scary scavenger hunt at Fort Douglas.
Join in the fun from 12 October to 27 October 2024.
Conifox Halloween Festival
The Adventure Park at Kirkliston, around 10 miles from Edinburgh city centre, is fully geared up for the excitement of Halloween.
Their Halloween Days programme includes a pumpkin patch, disco, games and funfair rides. At dark descends, it’s time for Halloween Fireworks Nights – pay a visit to the funhouse of fear maze, witches labyrinth and broomstick flying school. Gasp at the thrilling fire performer and fireworks display or show off your best moves at the devilish disco.
Halloween events take place on selected dates from 12 to 31 October 2024.
Halloween Hunt at Camera Obscura & World of Illusions Edinburgh
Edinburgh’s oldest visitor attraction, Camera Obscura & World of Illusions Edinburgh are getting into the Halloween spirit with all kinds of spooky fun – dare you brave the ghostly projections, scary portraits and hair-raising photo ops!
They’ve also created a Haunting Halloween Hunt – track down all the creepy characters lurking around the building and collect a sweet treat reward.
Available daily from 12 October to 03 November 2024.
Halloween Tours at Mercat Tours
Unveiling the spirits of Edinburgh’s deepest underground and darkest tales, join walking tour company, Mercat Tours for a programme of spine-tingling tours.
Their Halloween Tours include visits to Edinburgh’s haunted underground vaults, exploring the spirit of Halloween in the Old Town, a ghost tour of the city’s spookier closes and vaults, and visiting Canongate graveyard under cover of darkness. Please note, some tours are adults only.
Events run on selected dates from 25 October to 02 November 2024.
Waverley ‘Scare’ Halloween Ceilidh
Put on your best Halloween costume and enjoy a night of traditional Scottish ceilidh dancing with a spooky twist with Waverley ‘Scare’ Halloween Ceilidh.
Take part in the fun and compete for prizes awarded for the best costumes and dance moves.
25 October 2024 at Assembly Roxy.
Flight Club Edinburgh’s Spooky Brunch
Get ready for a spooky Brunch this Halloween with Edinburgh Flight Club.
The two-hour brunch experience includes a high-energy Social Darts competition, house DJs to boo-gie down to, and spine-tingling sourdough pizzas and a bottle of Prosecco or ice-cold beers to toast your champions. You’ll even get a devilish cocktail on arrival, and dressing up is very much encouraged. There may even be a couple of treats (no tricks!) for the favourite! Over 18 years old and minimum 6 tickets per boking.
Spooky Brunch available on 26 and 27 October 2024.
Tam O’Shanter and other ghostly tales in song
Taking place in the stunning surroundings of Old Saint Paul’s Church, St Andrew Camerata present an evening of spooky and sinister pieces celebrating the darker side of classical choral music.
‘Tam Maun Ride’ – Tam O’Shanter and other ghostly tales in song features works by Elgar, Fauré and Ravel, alongside a selection of composers whose works are less well known.
This concert takes place on the evening of 26 October 2024.
Halloween at Edinburgh Zoo
Join Edinburgh Zoo for a morning of fun with Beasties and Broomsticks Brunch Running from 9am to 11am, come face to face with some of the zoo’s slippery and slimy residents, followed by a delicious breakfast and craft workshops.
Or try your hand at creating a tasty treat for the zoo’s animals at Carve a Treat.
Available on specific dates from 26 to 27 October 2024.
Brewhemia’s Halloween Extravaganza
This Halloween, Brewhemia – Scotland’s only Beer Palace and the city’s largest venue – are offering a host of spooky events, filled with supernatural thrills.
Take your pick from a spine-tingling Halloween drag bunch, a Day of the Deid evening, or a night of musical enchantment, complete with haunting tunes and eerie excitement.
Events run on specific dates from 26 to 31 October 2024.
Edinburgh Horror Festival
Prepare to have a horror-filled time as Edinburgh Horror Festival hosts a mix of comedy, cabaret, magic and walking tours.
The Festival takes place from 31 October to 03 November, with events held at either the city’s Banshee Labyrinth or Lauriston Castle.
Samhuinn Fire Festival
Marking the transition from summer to winter, Samhuinn Fire Festival celebrates the arrival of the Celtic New Year with a dazzling mix of fire, drumming, acrobatics and theatre.
This after-dark festival takes place on 31 October under Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park.
Freeze Frame Film Club Presents – The Thing
Freeze Frame presents a special Halloween week screening of the spine chilling classic The Thing (1982) at Out of the Blue Drill Hall.
Fear, paranoia and mistrust grow amongst the twelve scientists wintering at a remote Antarctic research station as it is infiltrated by an unknown entity known only as the ‘thing’.
Choose from 2 ticket options: film and a 2-course film-inspired meal, or film and popcorn.
See The Thing on the evening of 03 November 2024.
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