If you’re one of many adults in Manchester looking for a Halloween experience that’s more “bones chill” than “pumpkin spice latte,” you’re in luck. Manchester goes all out for spooky season — and while many events cater to families or mixed crowds, there’s no shortage of late-night frights, immersive horror, and theatrical chills designed for grownups. Below is a guide to Halloween events and experiences (or types of experiences) in and around Manchester in 2025 for adults, with tips to make the most of them. (Do double-check dates and tickets as things may tweak nearer the time.)
Scare City Experience (Camelot, Chorley)
- Dates: 27 September – 2 November 2025
- Times: Evenings, entry slots from around 6:30pm onwards
- Cost: From £27 per person (fast-track upgrades available)
- Venue: Camelot Theme Park, Charnock Richard, Chorley PR7 5LP
- What to Expect: A 2km horror trail with twelve themed scare zones, filled with actors, strobe lights, and terrifying sets. You’ll walk through the abandoned Camelot Theme Park, reimagined as an immersive nightmare. It’s one of the largest outdoor scare events in the UK, taking 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on crowds.
Halloween Ghost Hunt (Manchester City Centre)
- Dates: 30 October – 2 November 2025
- Times: Sessions run from 4pm until midnight
- Cost: Tickets sold per device (usually around £15–20)
- Venue: Starting point: Manchester Conference Centre, Sackville Street
- What to Expect: A self-guided ghost hunt and puzzle game through Manchester’s most haunted spots. Using a phone app, you’ll solve riddles, track ghosts with a digital detector, and uncover stories of the city’s darker past. Perfect for groups of adults looking for spooky fun without the full intensity of a scare maze.
For the Love of Horror (Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Trafford Park)
- Dates: 18 – 19 October 2025
- Times: All-day convention (10am – 6pm), with some evening activities
- Cost: Prices vary (standard day tickets around £25–30, weekend and VIP passes higher)
- Venue: Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Longbridge Rd, Trafford Park, M17 1SN
- What to Expect: Part horror convention, part immersive attraction. Expect celebrity guests from cult films, cosplay, haunted attractions, horror vendors, and panels. It’s a full weekend celebration of horror culture, attracting thousands of fans.
Smithills Open Farm Fright Night (Bolton)
- Date: 31 October 2025
- Time: 5:30pm until late
- Cost: Around £15 per person (includes supper)
- Venue: Smithills Open Farm, Smithills Dean Rd, Bolton BL1 7NS
- What to Expect: By day, Smithills is a family farm; by night, on Halloween, it transforms into a fright trail. Walk through haunted barns, eerie woodlands, and zombie encounters, all brought to life by actors. The evening ends with hot food to settle your nerves.
UKG Bingo Halloween Special (ARK Manchester)
- Date: Saturday 1 November 2025
- Time: 5:30pm – 9pm
- Cost: Tickets from £16 (VIP packages up to £125)
- Venue: ARK Manchester, 3a-5 Whitworth Street, Manchester M1 5LH
- What to Expect: Bingo meets a club night, powered by UK garage anthems and DJs. Expect costumes, dancing, Halloween-themed games, and plenty of crowd participation. A fun, high-energy night if you’re looking to celebrate with friends after the scares.
Gandeys Circus Halloween Spooktacular (Trafford Centre)
- Dates: 10 October – 2 November 2025
- Times: Multiple shows daily, usually afternoon and evening slots
- Cost: From £9.99 per ticket (prices rise for premium seating)
- Venue: Big Top, outside the Trafford Centre, Manchester
- What to Expect: A classic circus with a Halloween twist. Daredevil stunts, eerie clowns, fire acts, and trapeze performances all wrapped in spooky theming. Less about horror, more about theatre and thrills — great for a lighter evening out.
Halloween in the City (Manchester City Centre)
- Dates: 25 – 26 October 2025
- Cost: Free
- Venue: Across Manchester city centre
- What to Expect: Manchester transforms with giant inflatable monsters perched on rooftops, roaming street performers, a monster parade, live music, and DJs. It’s family-friendly by day but becomes a buzzing street party atmosphere in the evenings, with plenty of adults out in costume.
Haunted House Escape Room (Stockport / Manchester)
- Dates: Throughout October (extra sessions around Halloween week)
- Times: Multiple slots daily, usually 10am – 10pm
- Cost: Around £20–25 per person (groups of 2–6 players)
- Venue: Escape room venues in Stockport and Manchester city centre
- What to Expect: Locked inside a spooky mansion, your group has 60 minutes to solve puzzles and escape before the spirits catch you. Special Halloween versions include creepy effects, live actors, and scarier set dressing.
Spookfest Fairground & Pumpkin Tower (Trafford Centre)
- Dates: Late September – early November 2025
- Times: Open daily from mid-afternoon until late evening
- Cost: Free entry; rides and attractions paid via tokens or wristbands
- Venue: Trafford Centre, Manchester
- What to Expect: A funfair with ghost-themed rides, sideshows, food stalls, and a towering pumpkin installation. It’s more playful than terrifying, but with the lights, atmosphere, and plenty of food stalls, it makes a great pre-party stop.
Antwerp Mansion Ghost Hunt (Rusholme, Manchester)
- Date: Saturday 11 October 2025
- Time: 9:00 pm – 3:00 am
- Cost: £49 per person
- Venue: Antwerp Mansion, Rusholme, Manchester
- What to Expect: You explore the allegedly haunted Antwerp Mansion in small groups, using ghost-hunting equipment (EMF meters, K2 devices), participate in séances, and spend free time investigating alone. The event includes teas & coffees, paranormal experiments, and guided investigative sessions.
Body Horror Live at Gullivers (Manchester)
- Date: Tuesday 28 October 2025
- Time: 7:30 pm – 11:00 pm
- Cost: From £14.25 (fees included)
- Venue: 109 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LW
- What to Expect: This is more of a horror / dark music concert than a haunt. The band Body Horror fuses industrial beats, post-punk, and eerie soundscapes. Great for a night with a horror ambience plus a musical edge.
Grimmfest – Manchester Horror & Genre Film Festival (Manchester)
- Dates: Annually in October (exact 2025 schedule announced mid-year)
- Times: Screenings and events throughout day & evening
- Cost: Ticket for individual films or festival passes (varies)
- Venue: Odeon Great Northern, Manchester
- What to Expect: A curated festival of horror, fantasy, and genre films. Screen premieres, shorts, guest Q&As, special sessions. If you love film as much as physical scares, this is a must.
Beer & Spirits Halloween Crawl, Manchester
- Date: Halloween (exact date to be confirmed)
- Times: 8:30pm – 11:30pm crawl, with a final party afterwards
- Cost: Dependant on venues participating and drink specials; wristband covers entry to multiple bars / clubs.
- Venue: Several pubs/clubs across Manchester
- What to expect: Bar crawl style, costume friendly, drinks, music, socialising. A party-vibe.
🧭 Suggested Nights to Target & Tips
- If you’re looking for a scary Halloween evetn for adults in Manchester, aim for Scare City (weekends in October) or Smithills Fright Night (31 Oct).
- For something lighter or to warm up, Gandeys Circus offer theatrical Halloween without the full horror.
- For interactive / puzzle-based chilling, Halloween Ghost Hunt (30 Oct → 2 Nov) is perfect.
- UKG Bingo is a good option if you want party + spook + music in a controlled indoor setting.
- For “pop up” or evolving events (Heaton Park, Reddish Vale), check their sites in late summer / early autumn for updated timetables.
- Always book ahead for scare attractions (they often sell out).
Do you know of any other Halloween activities in Manchester for adults? Let us know in the comments.
