The spookiest, creepiest, scariest (why do we celebrate this again?) holiday is back! It’s time to dress up as brain-eating zombies, blood-thirsty vampires, cauldron-stewing witches and whatever the latest meme is once again. Yes, Halloween has returned to Bristol and with it comes a spooktacular splattering of harrowing holiday celebrations.
From getting lost in a scare maze to picking the perfect pumpkin, a B-movie horror film bash and Bristol’s scariest locations. This Halloween season is jam-packed with lots of terrifyingly exciting activities. Of course, you can’t do everything, but to help you decide we’ve rounded up the very best things to do this Halloween in Bristol.
1. Pick your very own pumpkin
Before you do anything else on Halloween (even before dressing up!) you have to pick your own pumpkin to carve. Luckily, there are a number of local Bristol pumpkin patches nearby. Many of these are open to the public for the entire month of October, so there’s no excuse for not being prepared this year. We suggest maybe picking up a couple, however, just in case your jack-o’-lantern carving skills aren’t quite up to scratch.
2. Find the killer in this gothic horror murder mystery
The Mount Without hosts a murder mystery experience with a Halloween twist on October 16 & 25. Hosted by the talented drag artist Mariana Trench as The Baroness, a glamorous noblewoman, and her mysterious fiancé, the charming Ted Eceased – you take the role of one of 35 VIPs attending, each with their own motives, alliances, and secret tasks… Expect hidden clues to find, prizes for best dressed, and on big mystery to solve. Tickets are £35 per person, learn more here.
3. Head to a huge Halloween rave at Motion
If you want to party this Halloween, there’s no better place than Motion, which has a themed night every night from Thursday, October 26 to Tuesday, October 31. Kicking things off it’s the UK’s biggest 16+ DNB rave, SuperMotive, followed by Motion’s annual full-decor Carnival of the Dead on October 27. DJ EZ headlines History of (G)Rave (October 28 & 29) and the most frightening Halloween club show ever, The Halloween Nightmare, is there on October 30. Finally, the Halloween HipHop Rave will be hosted on October 31. To learn more about all these parties at Motion head here.
4. BOOgie the night away with a Hot Chip Halloween
Propyard is transforming into a scare house for Halloween. This supernatural playground will be soundtracked by the the likes of Hot Chip with a thrilling DJ, plus Felix Joy, Maxxi Soundsystem, Milly on Air and Tom Thorpe on October 28. So what are you waiting for? Dress up in your scariest costume and boodie the night away to bewitching beats. Tickets start at £10 and can be purchased here.
5. Venture along this half-term Halloween trail
Looking for things to do with kids this Halloween? The Bristol Zoo Project (also known as the Wild Place Project) has an extra special Halloween trail this October half-term for your little monsters! Between October 21 and November 6, explore the ‘wild wood’ at Webb’s Brake, which will be transformed with over 300 pumpkins, plus fun and spooky Halloween scenes!
Plus, from meerkats to wolves, lynxes to lemurs, there’s so much to discover at this walk-through exhibit of wild and wonderful animals. Children who come dressed up for Halloween, or bring a carved pumpkin to add to the trail, will receive 20% off using the voucher code: WILD20. Everyone who completes the Halloween trail will also receive a ‘sweet’ prize at the end.
6. Bloodlust after this bottomless brunch
Enjoy endless bubbles this Halloween at the steakhouse Bar + Block. Running from 12pm-5pm, satisfy your carnivorous cravings with a two-course bottomless brunch (£36pp), featuring a range of cuts, from a 30-day aged chargrilled steak sandwich to a classic beef burger. All paired with two hours of unlimited fizz or beer! Upgrade for an extra £5 for Bar + Block’s spooktacular cocktails, including the Zombie cocktail special or the Witches Brew.
7. Enjoy a night of fun and thrills at Bristol Improv Theatre
The Bristol Improv Theatre is hosting a Halloween Games Night on October 25. Best described as a “pub quiz-cum-improv challenge night”, expect a spooky twist on the regular event at the UK’s first full-time dedicated improv theatre. Inspired by popular improvised activities, this night of gruesome games and chilling challenges will leave you howling (Just hopefully with laughter)! You’ll solve riddles, play guessing games, and act out murder mystery charades. To learn more head here.
8. Discover Bristol’s spookiest locations
If you want a spooky place to visit in Bristol, we have two suggestions. First, there’s The Llandoger Trow. This legendary pub is said to be haunted by up to 15 ghosts. The most famous is a small boy, with a metal leg support, that walks the top floor. His footsteps have been heard by numerous staff over the years, while the other ghosts have been involved in many other paranormal activities.
But it’s not the only haunted place in Bristol. From The Christmas Steps to the Odeon Cinema, the city is full of ghouls, spectres and poltergeists. To discover more of Bristol’s spookiest locations, you might want to consider this tour of Bristol.
9. Explore the wicked and witchy depths of Wookey Hole
The nearby Wookey Hole was once well-known for being the home of a witch. Anything that went wrong in the local village was blamed on her. That is until, according to local legend, the people had enough. The villagers asked the help of a monk from Glastonbury who turned her to stone in the caves with Holy Water, where she still remains. This year, from October 21 to 29, visitors are invited to enter the caves if they dare – although we expect more treats than tricks at this special witching week at Wookey Hole.
You’ll explore the caves, learn about the Legend of the Witch, see where delicious cheese is matured, join in the Giant Pumpkin trail and solve a mystery to win Halloween treats. Plus, the 4D cinema will also see Scooby and the gang solving a mystery of their own in the Scoob! 4D Experience. There will also be a Halloween Circus Show, Monster Golf and a Daily Fancy Dress Competition. Learn more here.
10. Get a gory makeover at the SS Great Britain
This October half-term (October 21 to 29) the SS Great Britain invites you on board to experience the gruesome magic of special effects. Students from South Gloucestershire and Stroud College will recreate the cuts and blisters which would have been sustained by SS Great Britain crew members. Particularly focusing on the injuries the kitchen crew suffered in the ship’s galley. Your kids can even have these gory wounds applied to their own hands! Woeful Wounds is aimed at children between 4 – 18 years of age and is included in the price of entry, which can be purchased here.
11. Face your fears at Avon Valley Scream Park
Saving the scariest for last. FEAR, the UK’s most renowned and award-winning Scream Park, returns to Avon Valley for 13 terrifying nights this Halloween in Bristol. From October 13 to 31, FEAR invites you to this hair-raising multi-sensory immersive event. Witness the notorious fire show, experience an immersive exorcism in a gripping sit-down encounter, and dine like cannibals at a unique dining experience. Plus plenty more bone-chilling attractions, as well as funfair rides and street entertainment. To learn more head here.
12. Enjoy a spine-tingling take on Shakespearean classic
The seasons are all wrong, the harvest is a rotten mess, and the faery folk are up to no good! A Midsummer Night’s Scream! is a scary take on Shakespeare’s iconic play. Suitable for all ages at St Werburghs City Farm there are several shows to catch between October 21 and 31. Expect live music, masks and mayhem as these young lovers get lost in a haunted wood and Puck, master of mischief, pulls the strings. All tickets include a cup of Hot Spiced Apple Juice and the chance to take part in King Oberon’s Halloween Costume Competition! To learn more head here.
13. Let loose at The Cocktail Club’s Halloween-themed bottomless brunch
The Cocktail Club is renowned for its bottomless brunches. Dancing under disco balls to the hottest DJs, enticing dancers, and electric live vocalists. Does life get better than this? Only if you throw in bottomless prosecco and cocktails, and a mouthwatering brunch. On October 28, the party takes a spooky turn for a The Purge-themed Halloween special. With scare actors hidden amongst the crowds, can you outlast brunch? To get your tickets to this bone-chilling bottomless brunch head here.
14. Watch horror movies in Bristol’s scariest locations
This Halloween, if you’re feeling brave enough you can watch scary films in possibly some of the spookiest places in the city with Bristol Film Festival. See Jordan Peele’s superb sophomore film Us in Arnos Vale Cemetery, the first-ever horror film The Cabinet of Dr Caligari at St Mary Redcliffe, or a special 50th anniversary screening of British horror classic, Don’t Look Now in Avery Wine Cellars.
For the ultimate cave-dwelling horror experience watch The Descent in Redcliffe Caves (we’re not quite brave enough to attempt this). But there is a range of amazing films to catch in Bristol’s most unusual locations between October 18 and November 2. From comedies like What We Do In The Shadows to musicals like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, check them all out here.
15. Joint this intense multi-sensory ‘After Dark’ horror event
Take a break from Bristol this Halloween and head to Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein in Bath. After sell-out experiences in the previous two years, After Dark: Nights to Die For returns with an even more horrifying new theme: Revenance (essentially describing an animated corpse). Between October 20 and 31, visitors will be immersed in this multi-sensory horror house dedicated to Mary Shelley and Frankenstein.
Set over five floors in a 300-year-old townhouse, you’ll stumble across everything from demonic beings to terrifying childhood games – all brought to life with live actors, special effects and soundscapes. Steady your nerves after at the Bloody Mary’s Bar where you can sample the exclusive Death Wish cocktail. To get your tickets head here.
16. Meet a Hammer Horror legend in the flesh
Valerie Leon is best known for her roles in two James Bond films and The Italian Job, as well as appearing in six classic ‘Carry On’ movies. But her favourite role was in Blood From The Mummy’s Tomb. Head down to the former Bristol IMAX on October 27 to spend ‘An Evening with Valerie Leon’. Not only will there be a screening of the 1971 Hammer Horror classic, but Valerie will also hold a Q&A afterwards and a special auction of memorabilia from her own collection.