Pumpkins and Potions Live Show

Pumpkins and Potions is the live show at W5 this Halloween, running from Saturday 17 October to Sunday 1 November. It's the science-magic highlight of the museum's seasonal family event, and it takes place in the Lecture Theatre on Level 5. The show is led by a pair of mischievous 'Potion Masters' who pit science against sorcery, brewing bubbling potions and conjuring demonstrations that leave the audience with exploding pumpkins, fizzing brews, slimy ooze and plenty of audience participation. It's the kind of thing where the kids get to get involved rather than just watching from their seats.

The show sits alongside the wider Halloween at W5 experience, so there's more to do around it than just the one performance. The museum fills with haunted houses, a Halloween House, a haunted Climbit, a Hocus Pocus Cafe and a Science Bar packed with creepy creatures and explosive experiments. All that is set around W5's usual 250+ hands-on exhibits across eight themed areas, so you can spend the rest of your visit working your way through the rest of the museum. There's also a W5 Halloween Family Night when the venue stays open after dark for ghoulish games, trick-or-treat stations, face painting, balloon modelling, live animal encounters and a Monster Mash Disco.

It runs throughout the season, though it's not on from 19 to 23 October. On Saturday 17 October, there are sessions at 3pm and 4:30pm. On 18, 24, 25, 26 and 27 October, it's 11:30am, 1:30pm, 3pm and 4:30pm. Wednesday 28 October has 1:30pm, 3pm and 4:30pm, and it runs daily from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November. The show is free with general admission to W5, but pre-booking is essential.