If October and spooky season are your reason for living (quite like they are mine), London is Halloween heaven. From haunted alleyways with centuries of ghostly lore to immersive Halloween pop-ups that rival Hollywood sets, the capital transforms into a gothic playground come October. Whether you're chasing eerie cocktails, theatrical frights, or just love an excuse to dress up, London delivers Halloween with an unmissable roster of scream-worthy surprises.
Here are 5 reasons why we think London is perfect city for people who love Halloween
1. London's haunted history is almost unmatched.
Many may think of skyscrapers when it comes to a city like London, but when the sun starts to set early and crisp leaves begin to fall on the ground, I can't help but think of its twisted history as dark nights descend. One of the most haunted cities in the world, London is a hotbed of ghoulish activity. From Liverpool Street Station having been built over a plague burial pit, and The Tower Of London, famed for being one of the most haunted buildings in England, to St James Park, rumoured for having its own ghost on the lake, London is where you want to be when things start to go bump in the night.
- Our tip: If you're up to the challenge, Room 333 at the Langham Hotel is reported to have had multiple sightings of ghosts, and apparitions over the years.
A city full of scares, from cemeteries to haunted hotel rooms.
2. The seven magnificent cemeteries.
London's green spaces may be limited, but when you do find one, don't be surprised if it's a cemetery. Hailed as 'London's Magnificent Seven', overflowing parish churchyards needed a solution, and in 1832, Parliament passed a law that made large cemeteries on the edge of the city possible. These now include: Highgate Cemetery, Abney Park, Brompton Cemetery, Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, Kensal Green Cemetery, West Norwood Cemetery, Nunhead Cemetery.
- Our tip: There are some incredibly famous people buried in London's cemeteries, but for some standout graves, you'll find suffragette movement leader Emmeline Pankhurst in Brompton Cemetery, and popstar George Michael in Highgate Cemetery. And always, be respectful when visiting.
Taken on my own trip to Brompton Cemetery.
3. Some of the best immersive Halloween events in the business.
London has, for years, been perfecting its nightlife approach to Halloween. And this year is no exception. Pulling out all the stops so a weekend in the city has a little more poltergeist-like panache to it, you can expect quite the selection of events. There's a 'kreepy kabaret' at Albert's Schloss, Beavertown Brewery are hosting their own mind-bending multi-room Halloween experience in Shoreditch, there's a honky tonk Halloween complete with line dancing, and the London Transport Museum is opening up to adults in the evening for a silent disco.
- Our tip: Use the DesignMyNight Halloween guide as a way to navigate Halloween in the city this year. We've got coverage on spooky movie nights, the best immersive experiences and fancy dress Halloween parties that you won't want to miss. Find our Halloween guide here.
Ghouls and live music at Greek Street this Halloween.
4. Spooky food and drink experiences for those that don't want to dress up.
Not everyone is in the mood to turn a bin bag into a cape this Halloween, and if you're not keen on the fancy dress part, and just want some creative food, or you'd like both, London is the place to be. There's Day Of The Dead supper clubs, Halloween-themed tasting menus and some of the best cocktail bars in the city are transforming their drink menus into spooky sips.
- Our tip: We're updating our Halloween restaurants, and Halloween brunch guides daily, with options for set menus, spooky cocktails and more.
Day of the Dead menu at Chino Latino.
5. Pubs with some seriously ghastly tales.
Pubs are the beating heart of the UK, but that doesn't mean that these centuries-old taverns don't come with a rancid past. From the 16th-century Prospect of Whitby in Wapping, a known highwayman hang-out with its own noose, to Dirty Dick's in Bishopsgate, once home to the remains of a local ironmonger's dead cats, each pub comes with its own story, and often, they can be fairly grim.
- Our tip: Truly, no two pubs are the same in London, so if you're looking for a pub with a spooky past, do your research, and you might be surprised by what you uncover. But if you really want a scare? There's still a prison in the basement of St Paul's pub, Viaduct Tavern. Or, you can use our guide to haunted pubs in London for some ghostly experiences.
The Flask in Hampstead has more than one ghost floating around.
6. Pumpkin patches are only a train or bus away.
You don't need to pretend with us. We know you've booked a visit to a pumpkin patch near London in the last couple of years to get that Halloween photo. We don't think there's any shame in it; we just want to make sure you know where to go. London might feel skyscraper-locked, but you'll find pumpkin patches like Priory Farm in Redhill, Telleys Farm in Crawley, and Stanhill Farm in Kent only a 30-minute train ride away.
- Our tip: There's actually a lot more pumpkin carving events in London for adults than you might think. And yeah, you guessed it, we have a guide for pumpkin carving in London too.
Stanhill Farm's patch in Kent, only 35 minutes from London Bridge.
