The best Halloween events happening in Manchester 2021
From an immersive drive in cinema with a 'scare tunnel' to dinner in the dark and a horror maze set in an old mill, there's loads going on for Halloween in Manchester this year
There is so much happening for Halloween in Manchester this year, with a host of truly frightening spooky events taking place across the region in 2021.
From the return of the much-loved inflatable monster trail to some new events including an immersive horror maze featuring live actors, and even a spooky skate rink where you’ll glide on the ice alongside monsters, there’s plenty to get stuck into this Halloween.
Keep reading to discover some of our top picks for what’s going on in the city (and further afield) this year.
Image: Manchester BID / City Co
An inflatable monster trail in Manchester city centre
Every year City Co pulls out a host of inflatable monsters, which perch on rooftops and hang off buildings around Manchester city centre throughout the spooky season. This year, there will be eight dotted around town created by artists Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas.
Find the list of their locations and more info here.
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A classic murder mystery tale, reimagined at the theatre
The Manchester Opera House is hosting a reimagined telling of the classic murder mystery tale The Cat and The Canary. Having inspired three classic movies starring the likes of Bob Hope, Honor Blackman, and Olivia Hussey, it’s now coming to Manchester for a week-long run starting on Monday 25 October.
A series of Film4 FilmFear festival screenings at HOME
Bringing a line-up of horror, dark fairy-tales, eerie thrillers, and chilling tales to HOME, FilmFear returns to HOME for its sixth year. You can also catch it on the Film4 channel throughout the Halloween period.
Dinner in the dark at Manchester’s highest restaurant
Manchester’s highest restaurant 20 Stories is hosting its annual dining in the dark event on Sunday 31 October, offering a four-course menu alongside a welcome drink for £55 a head in partnership with Belvedere. Bookable in three sittings, the blackout dinner is a seasonal favourite.
An immersive horror maze, set inside an old Victorian mill
A walk-through horror maze, set within an old Victorian mill, this immersive live Halloween experience is not for the faint of heart. Think live actors, sensory experiences, intense soundscapes, strobe lighting and atmospherics.
Complete with Halloween-themed music, lighting, and a band of ghoulish skating monsters, the scare skate ice rink experience takes place from 22 to 31 October. Suitable for the whole family, fancy dress is very welcome.
A Halloween-themed mini escape room series for kids
With ten different rooms to choose from, this series of Halloween-themed mini escape rooms are tailored towards primary school-age children. Your group gets 5 minutes in each room to solve the riddle and move on to the next, with the whole experience lasting 50 minutes in total.
Lego Discovery Centre Manchester / Image: Jason Lock Further
A ‘Brick or treat’ event at Legoland Discovery Centre
Featuring a special Lego pumpkin building session, a scarevenger hunt and a Halloween boogie with the centre’s character mascots Scarecrow and Lord Vampyre, this ‘brick or treat’ event is great for kids this Halloween. You’ll get to make a giant lego vampire with the Master Model Builder and loads more.
Park N Party’s Scare City returns to Trafford’s Soccer Dome, screening a frightening selection of films whilst terrifying performers swarm on unsuspecting viewers’ cars. There’s also a drive-through scare tunnel, for those feeling brave.
All indoors, the specially-created Trick or Treat town at Alton Towers is full of townsfolk who trick or treat visitors. Walk down Spooky Avenue before moving onto houses in Treat Street, Witchy Woods, The Graveyard, and The Hill – knocking on doors to collect lots of sweet treats, as well as some spooky surprises.
Billed as a ‘family-friendly freakshow’, New Cathedral street will be transformed for spooky season with roaming circus monsters, sideshow stalls, a kids’ carousel and a traditional helter-skelter. You can also get up close and personal with the inflatable monster, Creepy Annie.
DJ Ghostman isn’t the first selector to hide his identity, but he might be the first to do so with a bed sheet. Find him playing a host of Halloween hits and monster bops from the Monster DJ Truck on Market Street across Halloween weekend.
Dr. Mancenstein’s exploded castle and garden experience
Visit the home of Manchester’s mad-for-it scientist, Dr. Mancenstein, encountering dragons, giant marauding crows, Mr Arsenic the castle butler and eerie groundskeepers along the way whilst dodging the man-eating plants. Free to attend, her garden and cemetery are also home to a menagerie of creepy characters.
A ‘monsters welcome’ procession through Manchester
Walk The Plank, who also create the annual Manchester Day parade, are putting on a crazy procession of monster puppets, stilt walkers and a five-piece band across the Halloween weekend – and everyone is invited.
Live comedy nights are returning to a beloved bar in Chorlton
Danny Jones
We’re all in need of a good chuckle, especially in these dark and colder months, which is why we’re buzzing to hear the local venue, The Garden Bar in Chorlton, is bringing back comedy nights after a sold-out debut this year.
Sod your January blues, let’s have a laugh.
That’s right, the bar and restaurant – formerly well-known under the legendary Font brand – is set to supply the giggles once again after the place was packed out for its first show of 2026.
Promising a top-tier line-up of comedians to the heart of the suburbs for an evening of “sharp wit, big laughs and brilliant live entertainment”, we can’t think of a better way to start the working week.
Credit: Press shots (supplied)
With doors opening at 7pm and the show proper starting around an hour later, The Garden‘s fantastic food menu will be available as usual on the night.
Whether you want to share a pizza, smash some burgers or have a simple sarnie, guests aren’t just being welcomed to arrive early for a cheeky pre-show meal.
And it goes without saying that having an evening of stand-up comedy in a popular neighbourhood bar makes for the perfect place to take a night off from ‘Dry Jan’ if you fancy it, but of course, there will be plenty of zero-alcohol options, as well as soft and hot drinks if not.
To be fair, it’s been fun weeknights like this that have made it easier for us this year.
Now, as for the latest roster of roasters, comics and comperes, you’re in for a treat this coming Monday, 19 January.
The night will be hosted by veteran Tony Vino, a charismatic and quick-witted compere known for his warm crowd work and infectious energy. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Co-headlining the show is local lad, Stephen Bailey; the Tameside comedian, presenter, writer and television personality’s popularity only seems to keep growing of late.
Outside the live circuit itself, the Denton stand-up and jack of all trades has appeared on everything from the Takeshi’s Castle reboot and Celebrity Mastermind, to The Stand Up Sketch Show and Richard Osman’s House of Games, as well as being a regular comedian on Big Brother‘s ‘Bit on the Side’.
Joining him is seasoned comic, writer and actor and self-confessed former football hooligan, Eddy Brimson. Known for his no-nonsense style and unapologetic humour, he’s no stranger to touring up and down the UK, bringing stories drawn from his real life with warmth and plenty of bite.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied)/The Garden Bar (via Facebook)
What's On
Autotrader and viral food brand SpudBros are opening their first jacket potato drive-thru
Daisy Jackson
Autotrader has teamed up with SpudBros, the UK’s viral jacket potato trader, to open the first jacket potato drive-thru in Manchester.
The UK’s largest automotive marketplace is working with the SpudBros duo on the new Autotater drive-thru, where the duo will be handing out free jacket spuds – and which can also value your car in less than 10 seconds.
You’ll be able to visit the one-of-a-kind drive-thru for one day only next month, picking up a baked potato from an exclusive menu that includes the Autotater (a twist on a classic loaded spud) and the Curry In A Hurry (SpudBros’ signature garlic chicken curry).
You’ll also be able to tune into the Spud FM radio with SpudBros co-founders Jacob and Harley. Autotrader and SpudBros have teamed up for the drive-thru experience off the back of new research that has shown 44% of UK drivers have no idea what their car is actually worth.
The same research has also revealed that half of those surveyed are unsure how to determine the value of their car.
So now Mancs will be able to have their car instantly valued in less than 10 seconds, by Autotrader’s award-winning valuation service*, simply by visiting the Autotater drive-thru on 12 February.
Autotrader will be dishing out free valuations, to help ensure car owners don’t get small potatoes for their car and are empowered to choose when it’s the right time to sell.
Autotrader and viral food brand SpudBros are opening their first jacket potato drive-thru
This will be the first drive-thru for SpudBros, a brand which grew a traditional jacket potato van into a national sensation, finding viral fame on TikTok.
With a cult following of more than 4.8m people on TikTok and Instagram, the pair are now bringing their trademark energy offline for a drive-thru window with free spuds.
Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Autotrader said: “We know no one loves admin, which is why we want to make it easier and quicker for people to find out the true value of their car, in under 10 seconds.
“There’s something fun about that moment of surprise when you finally see what your car is really worth. Once you have that information, you can decide what to do next – whether that’s selling, upgrading or simply showing off to your mates.”
Jacob and Harley Nelson, the founders of SpudBros commented: “This is a big one for us. We’ve fed people across the country and even internationally, and Manchester is one of our most requested visits, so this is a really exciting opportunity.
“We love doing things that get people talking, and we also love cars, so teaming up with fellow Northern brand Autotrader lets us serve up something new that we feel passionately about – a free spud, a car valuation, and telling the story through social media.”
The Autotrader drive-thru will open in Manchester on 12 February, at Depot Mayfield. Tickets will be available through a draw on the Autotrader website for a limited time only.
To be in with a chance to get on the guestlist and for more details on the event, head HERE, and to join the millions who value their car free with Autotrader, visit HERE.
You can also follow @autotraderuk on Instagram for the latest updates.
*Highly Commended Winner of the 2025 Car Dealer Power Award in the Used Car Valuations category.
Georgina Pellant -
5th October 2021 
