Boo! Nottingham Halloween Festival

Are you ready for the Nottingham Halloween Festival?

You’ll be able to spot crazy creatures on the rooftops of Nottingham from Monday 23 October to Sunday 5 November 2023. Look out for them at Theatre Royal, Bravissimo on Bridlesmith Gate, Victoria Centre – at the main entrance and at the Clock Tower entrance – The Cornerhouse, Nottingham Castle and Binks Yard – look up, you really won’t be able to miss them!

There’s more to enjoy closer to the ground too, with festivities running throughout the two-week half-term, from chocolate-making to craft workshops where the whole family can join in with the fun. Download our festival map here.

Get creative and crafty

From Wednesday 25 October to Friday 3 November 2023 at Tiger Community Hub, 19-21 Listergate NG1 7DE

• Zombie tea light jars
• Anime drawing
• Ghosting milk bottles
• Pumpkin carving
• Colouring station
• Collage making
• Glitter and neon painting

Drop in or stay for the whole session. All workshops are £2.50 each and include a drink for children and tea/coffee for adults, apart from the pumpkin carving workshop which is £5 per child and includes one pumpkin, per booking, for you to take home.

To book, please visit our Eventbrite page.

Hart's Hotel Annual Pumpkin Competition

Get creative with your pumpkin carving and enter it into Hart's annual pumpkin competition where you could win an Afternoon Tea for 2 at Hart's (adult prize) or 4 pantomime tickets to Dick Whittington at the Theatre Royal (childs prize).

Simply take a photo of your pumpkin masterpiece and email it to marketing@hartsnottingham.co.uk and share it on Instagram/Facebook tagging @hartsnotts

From Friday 27 October to Sunday 5 November 2023 at Lush Cosmetics, 17A Clumber St, Nottingham NG1 3ED

Lush bath bomb-making workshops – make your very own Pumpkin or Groovy Fairy bath bomb to take home with you. Prices from £3.75 to £5.50.

To book for 27 October visit the Eventbrite page. 

To book for 4 November visit the Eventbrite page. 

To book for 5 November visit the Eventbrite page.

From Tuesday 24 October to Thursday 2 November 2023 at Nottingham Contemporary, NG1 2GB

Expect a lot of fun and a little silliness at Nottingham Contemporary – create life-size paper silhouettes to dress and transform. Mix, match and swap, until the look is complete.

October half-term family activities run from 24 October to 2 November, every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The workshops are drop-in however it's best to book a space for your session as spaces are limited.

Learn the art of chocolate-making

Friday 3 and Saturday 4 November 2023 at Deli-Cious Chocolate (National Justice Museum) High Pavement, NG1 1HN

Join us for a fun packed 1.5 hour chocolate making class. Make Halloween and Bonfire Night treats to take home.

Our workshops are just £10 per person – half their normal price. Spaces are limited so be quick – visit our Eventbrite page to book.

On Halloween - Tuesday 31 October

Get down with the ghosts and ghouls at our monster-mash disco in the bandstand at Nottingham Castle. There will be a fabulous lineup of themed performers and free face painters will be on hand to complete your fancy dress - plus a pumpkin selfie station for you to snap at photo at from 11am to 3pm.

Even better - it's free admission to Nottingham Castle on 31 October, as part of the Nottingham Halloween Festival.

There's a whole heap of eerie activities taking place at Nottingham Castle through October, such as ‘Make and take‘ Halloween activities in the Castle and grounds as well as a spider trail and family-friendly ghost-hunting adventures - so check out their website here - if you dare!

Da-da-da-da-da-da...Batman and his Batmobile will be making a special guest appearance on Bolero Square at Motorpoint Arena for photo opportunities throughout the day from 10:30am to 4pm. Free Treat Kitchen goodies for his first 100 visitors!

Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters of course! Catch the iconic Ecto-1 and the Ghostbusters on King Street between 10:30am and 4pm.

Children over three years of age can make their Halloween outfits come to life by visiting our boooo-tiful face painters who can be found at the following locations across the city centre from 11am to 3pm.

Find them at –

• The Alchemist – 11 King Street, Nottingham NG1 2AY
• Nottingham Castle – Lenton Road, Nottingham NG1 6EL
• Motorpoint Arena – Bolero Square, Nottingham NG1 1LA
• The Cornerhouse – Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4DB

Pssst...

Travelling into Nottingham couldn't be easier with our handy guide to local transport options. When you're in town we’d love to see your spooky pics – so tag us in your Halloween Festival photos on Instagram @itsinnottingham using #itsinnottingham