Rooftop monster invasion, mad science castle, poisonous maze, trick or treat trail, CBeebies & CBBC spooky screenings, creepy carnival, skeleton procession, PJ Masks ‘Be a Hero’ Tour and more at Manchester’s two day Halloween festival
Head to Manchester (if you dare) for a Halloween weekend celebration filled with frights and delights at Halloween in the City.
Hosted by Manchester BID, the city centre’s Business Improvement District, the two-day city-wide event will return for 2019 on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 October with its spookiest line-up to date.
Proving a huge hit in 2018, artists Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas’ giant inflatable monsters are returning (and multiplying) as they invade even more of the city’s rooftops and landmark buildings for 2019’s festivities in a public art trail that weaves its way through the city centre.
Find them at locations across the city including Manchester Arndale, Selfridges, House of Fraser, The Printworks, Depot at Mayfield, Royal Exchange, Spinningfields, Piccadilly Place, INNSIDE by Melia and Native at Ducie Street Warehouse. Look out, look up and share your monster pics across social using #MCRMonsters.
Families can get into the spirit of things with a whole host of free activities throughout the weekend including a Trick or Treat Trail throughout the city centre, come in your best Halloween costume and follow the trail to meet monsters, mermaids, Julia Donaldson’s friendly dragon Zog and even the ghost of Elvis! Check off each point and collect a special sweet at treat Lightopia’s Candy Land on New Cathedral Street.
Visit the CBeebies and CBBC spooky tent in Exchange Square for a whole host of Halloween fun, with screenings of your favourite shows and a Slime School workshop with Scream Street.
Over at Manchester Arndale, Z-Arts will be offering up a taste of their exhibition A World Inside a Book – Gruffalos, Dragons and Other Creatures, dedicated to popular children’s author Julia Donaldson. Meet some of her best-loved characters and enjoy magical storytelling sessions of Room on the Broom, plus PJ Masks’ Heroes and Villains will be heading to The Printworks at intervals throughout the day on Saturday 26th October to celebrate Halloween.
Visit Dr Mancenstein’s Mad Science Castle in St Ann’s Square, where children can meet Manchester’s mad-for-it scientist, Dr Graphena Mancenstein (and her monster, Liam), in the ruins of their exploded castle. Families feeling brave enough can take a walk through the grounds of her castle including its Poisonous Maze – a real hedge maze taken over by creeping vines, enchanted statues, monstrous creatures and walking, talking bushes.
Head to New Cathedral Street for Grimm Rita’s Creepy Carnival – a family-friendly freakshow bursting with ghoulish delights including sideshow stalls, a traditional helter-skelter and The Strolling Bones skeleton procession, back for 2019 with a bone-jangling performance featuring giant puppets, stilt walkers, unicycle performers, a five-piece band and dancers all led by the terrifying Grimm Rita.
In the run-up to Halloween in the City Manchester will once again be eerily awash with thousands of pumpkin lanterns and come nightfall Manchester shops and buildings will glow a ghastly green.
Plus, there are lots of events and offers throughout the weekend from the biggest, baddest names in shopping, music, food and drink. For event updates follow @halloweenMCR and like /halloweenMCR.
