The Monsters Party Procession

The Monsters Party Procession takes over Market Street and Manchester Arndale on Saturday 24 October, from 10am to 6pm. It's a roaming party through the city centre, led by dancing monster puppets, towering stilt walkers and a six-piece brass band. The procession is designed and created by Walk the Plank, and they've described it as a spectacle that will 'bash, boogie and stomp' through the streets.

If the monsters look familiar, it's because they've been a part of Manchester's Halloween for a decade. The MCR Monsters were created by artists Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas and brought to life by Designs in Air. Over the last ten years, these inflatable creatures have spent their time taking over the city's most iconic buildings and landmarks. This procession is inspired by those original creatures, and it marks the monsters' tenth anniversary.

The procession is the centrepiece of the free Halloween in the City weekender, which this year runs for eight days — the longest run the monsters have ever had. Along with the parade, there's a giant inflatable monster trail, a new monster bake-off, spooky storytelling and a Swizzels Spooky Sweet Stop. Z-Arts is adding The Monster Library: The Legend of the MCR Monsters, a live storytelling performance that tells the story of where the creatures came from.

The whole thing is organised by Manchester City Centre BID and sponsored by Swizzels. The procession itself is free, and it runs from 10am to 6pm on Saturday 24 October across Market Street and Manchester Arndale.