Nottingham's Halloween 2026: raves, workshops and family fun

Halloween is about to land in Nottingham, and the city has filled the calendar with everything from warehouse raves to family-friendly afternoons. Whether you are after a proper night out, something to keep the kids busy, or a bit of spooky food and drink, here is what is worth your time.

If you want to dance the night away, The Nest on Iremonger Road is the place to be. Square One Halloween runs from Friday 30 to Saturday 31 October, 6pm to 2am, and it is a proper drum and bass rave with Delta Heavy, Kanine, Jayfor, El Pablo, Tantron and OKO DNB on the bill. Expect 1,500-plus ravers, a state-of-the-art production and a floor-shaking sound system, with tickets between £7 and £24. For something a bit more laid back, The Sacred Ape Distillery in Sneinton is running a Halloween workshop on 30 and 31 October for £58 a head, where you get to create and distil your own rum with Halloween botanicals and taste four exclusive rums. And on Halloween night itself, the Nottingham Samhain Pagan Market takes over Sneinton Market Avenues from noon to 6pm, free to enter, with over 100 traders, rituals, fire shows, live music and a dark take on A Midsummer Night's Dream. Goth and pagan dress is encouraged.

Families have plenty to choose from, too. The Nottingham Halloween Parade on 28 October starts and ends at Nottingham Central Library, with three departures at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm, and it is free to join. Over at Wollaton Hall, the Halloween Outdoor Cinema runs from 23 to 25 October, with Scream on the Friday, Hocus Pocus on the Saturday and The Nightmare Before Christmas on the Sunday, and tickets from £9.75 for under-12s up to £41.50 for the Director's View. For something a bit more indulgent, Hart's Hotel and Kitchen on Standard Hill is doing a Halloween Afternoon Tea from 26 to 31 October, 12pm to 4pm, from £25.95 a person, with finger sandwiches on Hambleton Bakery bread, freshly baked fruit scones and a spread of Halloween-inspired mini cakes like a coffin brownie and a meringue ghost. You will need to book at least 48 hours in advance.

And if you fancy a bit of a scare, the city's ghost tours are back. The Original Nottingham Ghost Walk takes you through the Castle Quarter with guide Sam, Ghosts of the Gaol runs at the National Justice Museum, and the Nottingham: The Dark Side Halloween Walking Tour is another good shout. There is even a family edition of the ghost walk if you have younger ones in tow. For something a bit more hands-on, the National Justice Museum's Fright Night is an adults-only evening set around an 1844 court trial, and Escapologic has its usual horror rooms if you fancy being locked in somewhere.

Between the raves, the workshops, the family days and the ghost tours, there is genuinely something for everyone this Halloween in Nottingham. Pick what suits you best and get it booked early, because the popular ones tend to fill up fast.