OTL Seasonal Guide · United Kingdom
Boos, Bonfires and Budgets: 2026's Best Haunts, Pumpkin Patches and Fireworks in London and Across the UK
Jack the Ripper walks, haunted palaces, pick-your-own pumpkin fields, scare parks, ghost buses and Bonfire Night fireworks. Here are the autumn and Halloween events worth leaving the sofa for in London, plus our picks from Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Southampton, Devon, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Spooky season is here. So is half term. Your wallet has noticed.
Every October, Britain collectively agrees to pay money to wander through a muddy field in the dark looking for a pumpkin.
It's a beautiful tradition.
And this year, the calendar is doing a lot of the work. Halloween falls on a Saturday, right in the middle of half term for many families, and Bonfire Night lands on Thursday 5 November, with most of the big fireworks displays the following weekend.
That's a lot of spooky, sparkly occasions in one fortnight, at a time when plenty of households are watching every pound.
Here's the thing about pumpkin farms, scare parks, ghost walks and fireworks displays: many of them are small, local, family-run or charity-run, and they make a big chunk of their year in just a few weeks.
When you show up, you're not just buying a ticket.
You're buying the hot chocolate. The toffee apple. The slightly-too-big pumpkin you'll carve badly on Saturday night. You're keeping the lights on, or at least the spooky green ones.
Not a fan of jump scares? We've got gentler plans too, like our Fall Theatre Preview (West End included) and Fall 2026 Ticket Deals.
The Scariest Thing This October Might Be the Bank Balance
Britain hasn't given up on Halloween. It's just celebrating with one eye on the budget.
Research from the agency Savvy, reported by Retail Times, forecasts UK Halloween spending of about £705 million in 2026, up 6% on last year. But the same survey found that 71% of shoppers want to mark the occasion without spending much.
A Nationwide survey published this month found that people expect to spend about £42 on a Halloween-themed day out. Nearly a quarter of 25–34-year-olds (24%) expect to spend less this year because of rising living costs, and Nationwide notes that Halloween falling in half term adds extra pressure for families.
That squeeze lands on the businesses behind the fun, too. Grant Thornton reports that UK attractions are facing higher wage bills, higher employer National Insurance contributions, and rising energy and supplier costs, while visitors are more selective and book later. Smaller regional attractions have the least room to raise prices.
Even fireworks have felt it. In 2022, several big cities, including Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, cancelled their council-run Bonfire Night displays. The good news? Manchester's park displays are set to return in 2026 for the first time since 2019. (We've written about the bigger picture before: fun-flation is real.)
The Pumpkin Patch Plot Twist
For many pumpkin farms and scare parks, the whole year comes down to about four weekends and one half term. A washed-out Saturday can't be made up in December. Every visitor really does count.
2026 Autumn and Halloween Events in London
London is OTL Seat Fillers' home in the UK, so we've gone big here: ghost walks and underground tours, scare parks within easy reach of the M25, pumpkin farms, grown-up Halloween nights out, and the best Bonfire Night displays. Dates shown are what's left of the season as of mid-October 2026.
Always check the official site before you go. Scare parks sell out, farms close in bad weather, and many pumpkin patches are pre-book only. (Our guide to what to know before you go works for haunted mansions too.)
Good to Know
These are public events selected for this guide. Being listed here does not mean an event is an OTL Seat Fillers entertainment partner, and it does not mean OTL members receive invitations to it.
Jump to: Ghost Walks & Dark History · Scare Parks & Immersive Horror · Pumpkins, Palaces & Family Frights · Spooky Nights Out · Bonfire Night Fireworks
Autumn and Halloween Events Around the UK
Outside London, some of the UK's best autumn events are run by working farms, charities and local attractions. Here are our picks from seven parts of the country, including Scotland's biggest Halloween light trail and one of the world's most famous Halloween festivals in Derry~Londonderry.
Jump to: Manchester · Birmingham · Liverpool · Southampton · Devon · Northern Ireland · Scotland
Missed Halloween? A Few Frights Keep Going
31 October isn't the end. It's more of an interval.
- Ghost Tours: The Barbican After Dark runs on selected dates right through to March 2027.
- Autumn Family Spotter at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens continues through 30 Nov.
- Peaky Blinders Nights at Black Country Living Museum return on 14 Nov.
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: Dark Arts and Go Ape Sundown Adventures in Southampton both run through 8 Nov.
- Paultons Park's Halloween Spooktacular runs through 2 Nov.
- And, of course, Bonfire Night displays light up the UK from 5 to 8 Nov.
After the Fireworks
Once the bonfires are out, it's officially panto and festive-show season. Get a head start with our 2026 Christmas Shows Preview, covering London and the US.
Halloween and Haunted Events News Feed
Catch the latest UK Halloween news, scare attraction openings, pumpkin patch updates and spooky-season stories below.
How to Do Spooky Season Without Haunting Your Bank Account
You can absolutely enjoy Halloween, half term and Bonfire Night without blowing the budget. You just need a slightly sneakier plan.
Want even more ways to stretch the budget? Try our 20 smart strategies to save money on things to do, our guide to getting show tickets for free, and our list of 20 screen-free ways to reconnect with real life.
Life Needs Intermission
Empty fields don't scream. Or buy toffee apples.
A scare maze with nobody in the queue is just a shed with a smoke machine.
A pumpkin patch without families is just a very orange field.
Live entertainment needs people, and seasonal events need them most.
That's the same idea behind OTL Seat Fillers. In active OTL locations, including London, members may receive private complimentary ticket invitations when entertainment partners have select seats to fill. Members show up, cheer, scream, and often spend on food, drinks and merch while they're there.
Fuller rooms. Happier performers. Fewer lonely zombies.
Curious? Here's what OTL Seat Fillers is.
Explore OTL Seat FillersRun a Pumpkin Farm, Scare Attraction or Fireworks Display?
If you have quieter sessions to fill, like a weekday, a rainy weekend or the first nights of the season, OTL Seat Fillers may be able to help in and around our active locations, including London.
Seat filling is private, so your public ticket prices stay protected. You choose the dates and how many complimentary admissions to offer. Our members bring the energy and spend on food, drinks, pumpkins and merch while they're there.
There is no cost to submit your event. Want the details first? Here's how seat filling works.
UK Autumn and Halloween Events: FAQs
Popular 2026 picks in and around London include Thorpe Park Fright Nights, Tulleys Shocktober Fest, Halloween at Kew, The London Dungeon's Curse of the Mummy, Halloween at Hampton Court Palace and The Nightmare Realm at Avery Hill. For ghost tours, try The Original Jack the Ripper Tour in Whitechapel, The Ghost Bus Tours, the Barbican's after-dark ghost tours or Hidden London's Ghosts of the Underground tour at Clapham South.
Bonfire Night falls on Thursday 5 November 2026, so most big displays take place on the weekend of 7 and 8 November. Popular ticketed displays in London include Alexandra Palace, Battersea Park, Blackheath, Stow Firework Spectacular in Walthamstow, Fireworks in the Park at Wimbledon and Morden, and Kempton Park. Booking online in advance is usually cheaper, and some displays do not sell tickets on the gate.
Prices vary widely. Some pick-your-own farms charge under £4 per person, such as Pumpkin Moon in Kent, and some Scottish patches charge per car, like Arnprior at £14.90 and Balgone at £18. Family farm festivals often cost £10 to £20 per person. Scare parks and theme park Halloween events typically start at about £35 to £45 when booked online, with walk-up prices often much higher.
Total UK Halloween spending is forecast to reach about £705 million in 2026, up 6% on last year, according to research from Savvy reported by Retail Times. But 71% of shoppers say they want to celebrate without spending much. A Nationwide survey found that 24% of 25 to 34-year-olds expect to spend less this Halloween because of rising living costs.
No. The events in this guide are public events selected for their seasonal appeal. Being listed does not mean an event is an OTL Seat Fillers entertainment partner or that OTL members receive invitations to it. OTL keeps its private seat filling partners confidential.
Yes. Seasonal events in and around active OTL locations, including London, can privately submit select dates for seat filling at no cost. Seat filling stays private to protect public ticket sales, and members often spend on food, drinks and merchandise while they attend.
Autumn is also theatre season. Pumpkin patches, glowing garden trails, palace family days, heritage railways and Bonfire Night displays offer plenty of non-scary fun. You can also explore new West End shows, seasonal ticket deals and early festive shows. OTL's Fall Theatre Preview and Fall 2026 Ticket Deals guides are good places to start.
