Halloween falls on Saturday 31 October in 2026, at the end of October half-term, so the region’s biggest Halloween events are packed into the last two weeks of the month. Alton Towers Scarefest and Drayton Manor’s Blazing Halloween both run until 1 November. Warwick Castle becomes The Haunted Castle from 24 October, and the Black Country Living Museum hosts Halloween Nights on four evenings. In Birmingham itself, Saturday 31 October brings Halloween club nights, themed brunches and two Disney On Ice performances.
This guide covers the main Halloween events in Birmingham and the West Midlands for 2026, with dates, age guidance and what each one involves. It also explains how to plan getting there and back, because many of these events finish after dark, a week after the clocks go back.
Halloween events in the West Midlands at a glance
| Event | Where | 2026 dates | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alton Towers Scarefest | Alton, Staffordshire | Selected dates to 1 November | Teenagers and adults, plus family days |
| Blazing Halloween, Drayton Manor | Near Tamworth, Staffordshire | Selected dates, 10 October to 1 November | Younger children |
| The Haunted Castle, Warwick Castle | Warwick | 24 October to 1 November | Families by day; older visitors after dark |
| Spooky Spectacular, West Midlands Safari Park | Bewdley, Worcestershire | 10 October to 1 November | Families |
| Halloween Nights, Black Country Living Museum | Dudley | 24, 29, 30 and 31 October | Families with older children |
| The Missing Magic, Dudley Canal & Caverns | Dudley | 24 to 31 October | Younger children |
These dates and prices come from each attraction or from local press reports. Some events run on selected dates only, so check the attraction’s own website before you book.
Big scare attractions near Birmingham
Alton Towers Scarefest
Scarefest is the region’s biggest Halloween event. It runs on selected dates from late September, then every day from 16 October to 1 November. During the event, the park stays open into the evening, so you can ride some of the major rollercoasters in the dark.
There’s something for every age. Family “spooky days” include trick-or-treat walkthroughs, while the scare mazes are aimed at older visitors. The new Final Exhibit maze for 2026 is recommended for guests aged 12 and over, and needs its own timed ticket on top of park entry. Alton Towers has also added Dine with the Dead, a new theatrical dining experience with matinée and evening performances.
Alton Towers is in rural Staffordshire, and the final stretch of the journey uses country roads. When the park closes in the evening, thousands of visitors leave at once, and the car park exits can be slow. Allow plenty of time for the drive home, especially after an evening visit.
Drayton Manor’s Blazing Halloween
Drayton Manor, near Tamworth, runs Blazing Halloween on selected dates from 10 October to 1 November. It’s aimed at younger children, with a Trick or Treat Sweets Trail and the Revenge of the Haunted Express, an eerie train ride that costs £5 per person. The park’s end-of-day lake show also gets a Halloween makeover, with water jets, fire, lights and projections.
The season ends with fireworks on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November. Those two nights will be the busiest, so book early and expect heavier traffic as you leave the park.
Historic and family Halloween days out
The Haunted Castle at Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle becomes The Haunted Castle from 24 October to 1 November, covering the whole of half-term. The daytime programme includes the Haunted Hollows maze, live shows, and characters such as the Headless Horseman. For something more intense, Castle After Dark runs on 24, 29, 30 and 31 October.
Warwick is about 20 miles from Birmingham. If you’re planning a full day there, our Warwick Castle and Stratford-upon-Avon day trip guide covers the journey and what else to see nearby.
West Midlands Safari Park
West Midlands Safari Park, near Bewdley in Worcestershire, runs Spooky Spectacular from 10 October to 1 November. It combines the usual safari drive and walk-through areas with Halloween shows, trails and costumed characters.
On Saturday 31 October, the park hosts a 12-minute Safari Skies drone show, due to start at 7.30pm and included with admission that day. Because the show runs after dark, you’ll be leaving the park late, so plan the journey home in advance.
Black Country Living Museum
The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley hosts Halloween Nights on 24, 29, 30 and 31 October, from 6.30pm to 10pm. The museum’s historic streets become the backdrop for trick-or-treating, costumed characters and live entertainment. It’s a good choice for families with older children who want something atmospheric but not too frightening.
During the day, the museum also runs a half-term programme from 24 October to 1 November, exploring the stranger side of Black Country traditions.
Dudley Canal & Caverns
Also in Dudley, Dudley Canal & Caverns runs The Missing Magic from 24 to 31 October. Families board a narrowboat and travel through the caverns on a story-led trip aimed at younger children.
Halloween in Birmingham city centre
Family events
Disney On Ice presents Discover the Magic has two performances on Halloween itself, at 10.30am and 2.30pm on Saturday 31 October, at bp pulse LIVE. Our Disney On Ice Birmingham 2026 guide covers show times, parking and drop-off.
Earlier in the week, on Sunday 25 October, Symphony Hall hosts a Halloween Spooktacular family concert. For everything else on in the city that month, see our Birmingham events guide for October 2026.
Adult nights out
With Halloween on a Saturday, expect a busy night across Birmingham’s nightlife areas. Listings include an Old Skool Bingo Halloween Festival at XOYO in Digbeth and a haunted house-themed brunch at Flight Club, both on 31 October. Bars and clubs around Broad Street, Hurst Street and Digbeth will also run their own Halloween nights.
If you’re planning dinner before a night out, our guide to private dining rooms in Birmingham suggests places for groups. Our guide to a night out in Birmingham covers the city’s main nightlife areas.
Choosing the right event for your group
Young children
Drayton Manor, West Midlands Safari Park, the daytime Haunted Castle at Warwick and Dudley Canal & Caverns are all designed with younger children in mind. Look for daytime sessions, and avoid events that run late into the evening.
Older children and teenagers
The Black Country Living Museum’s Halloween Nights and Scarefest’s family days suit older children. Teenagers who want real scares usually head for the Scarefest mazes, but check the age guidance first. Final Exhibit, for example, is recommended for ages 12 and over.
Adults
Scarefest’s evening scare mazes, Castle After Dark at Warwick and Birmingham’s Halloween club nights are the main options for adults. All three finish late, so planning the journey home matters.
Late-night travel: what’s different this Halloween
The clocks go back first
The clocks go back one hour at 2am on Sunday 25 October, a week before Halloween. From that weekend, it’s dark by early evening. As a result, most after-dark Halloween events finish in full darkness, often on unlit country roads.
Half-term traffic
Many Birmingham schools are off for half-term from 26 to 30 October. Families heading to attractions, along with people travelling to the airport, add traffic on the M6, M42 and M5 all week.
M42 closure near the NEC
A weekend M42 closure near the NEC is planned from 9pm on Friday 23 October to 5am on Monday 26 October for HS2 works. It coincides with the opening weekend of Warwick Castle’s Haunted Castle and the Black Country Living Museum’s first Halloween Night. If your route usually uses that part of the M42, allow extra time or plan another route.
Saturday 31 October in the city
Halloween night is one of the busiest nights of the year for taxis in the city centre, as club nights, parties and bar crawls all finish around the same time. Taxi queues can be long, and ride-hailing apps may add surge pricing. A pre-booked car with a set pickup time avoids both.
Planning your journey to a Halloween event
Agree pickup points in advance
Large attractions often have busy car parks and set drop-off areas. Agree a specific pickup point before the event, and keep your phone charged. That makes it far easier to find your driver when everyone leaves at closing time.
Allow time for the exit queue
At theme parks and big evening events, the last half hour is usually the busiest time on the roads. If you can stay for one more ride or a drink, the traffic often eases quickly.
Groups and families
For larger groups, one vehicle is simpler than several cars. The Mercedes-Benz V-Class seats up to seven passengers, with room for coats and bags. For a full day out at Scarefest or Warwick Castle, hourly or full-day hire keeps the car available throughout.
If you’d like a pre-booked car for a Halloween event or night out, you can get a quote online.
Travelling from across the region
Many of these attractions are outside the city, and families travel to them from across the Midlands. We provide a chauffeur service in Solihull, as well as pickups from Wolverhampton and Coventry. Our event chauffeur service explains how we handle event bookings.
Halloween weekend sport and other events
There’s sport in the region over Halloween weekend, too. Wolves host Cardiff City at Molineux at 3pm on Saturday 31 October, and our Molineux match-day guide covers parking and drop-off. If you’re also flying away over half-term, our autumn half-term airport guide covers the airport side of the week.
Book your Halloween transport
National Executive Transfers provides fixed-price chauffeur transfers to Halloween events and nights out across Birmingham and the West Midlands, in Mercedes-Benz E-Class, S-Class and V-Class vehicles. Tell us the event, your group size and when you’d like to be collected, and we’ll plan the pickup around closing times and the crowds. Get a quote and book online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Highlights include Alton Towers Scarefest, Drayton Manor's Blazing Halloween, The Haunted Castle at Warwick Castle, West Midlands Safari Park's Spooky Spectacular and the Black Country Living Museum's Halloween Nights. In the city centre, Saturday 31 October brings club nights, themed brunches and Disney On Ice.
Alton Towers Scarefest runs on selected dates from late September, then daily from 16 October to 1 November 2026.
Yes. Drayton Manor's Halloween season ends with fireworks on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November 2026.
Warwick Castle becomes The Haunted Castle from 24 October to 1 November, with family shows and mazes by day. Castle After Dark, for older visitors, runs on 24, 29, 30 and 31 October.
Drayton Manor, West Midlands Safari Park, Dudley Canal & Caverns and the daytime programme at Warwick Castle are all aimed at families with younger children.
Book your journey home in advance. Halloween night is one of the busiest of the year for taxis, and a pre-booked car with an agreed pickup point saves queueing.
