Derry Halloween will take place from Saturday 28th – Tuesday 31st October 2023.

• The Awakening the Walled City Trail will take place from Saturday 28th – Monday 30th October
• The Carnival Parade and Fireworks will take place on Tuesday 31st October

Follow the Awakening the Walled City Trail as the story of Halloween is brought to life through illumination, aerial performance, pyrotechnics and music.  The spirits cross over to join the festivities, bringing magic and mischief to the City of Bones.

The Trail is located from Guildhall Square, along Shipquay Street, Society Street car park, Palace Street, Upper Magazine Street and streets within the Walls.

Fore more information visit derryhalloween.com/awakening-the-walled-city-trail/

The parade will return on Tuesday 31 October at 7pm! More information will be released when the programme is announced.

The fireworks take place after the Carnival Parade and Drone Show, at approximately 8.30pm.  Please note that this is weather dependent, and there could be delays if there is rain.

The City of Drones is a new show for 2023, where approximately 100 drones will perform in the skies above St. Columb’s Park. 

Yes, the Awakening the Walled City Trail, the parade and fireworks  are all completely free for the public to attend!

There may be other events taking place which will have a fee or tickets required which will be highlighted in the listings when the programme is released.

The Awakening the Walled City Trail, parade, drone show and fireworks are all free and tickets are not needed.

However, tickets may be required for some other third party events, as well as the Roar Roar Dinosaur and Derry Girl events.  All ticketed events will be highlighted on the programme, and online tickets can be found at www.derryhalloween.com/tickets.

Yes! There are lots of great value break offers available in our hotels and accommodation providers for the weekend. Remember, the Festival is extremely popular, and books up fast, so make sure to book early! For more info visit www.visitderry.com

Yes, yes, YES! We encourage everyone to dress up. When you visit you will see that almost everyone dresses up over the nights of Halloween / Samhain and this year will be no different. We can’t wait to see what you come up with! Make sure to tag #derryhalloween when you share your photos. Keep in mind it is October, weather in Northern Ireland tends to be changeable – this is an outdoor experience so please dress appropriately.

If you would like to take part or volunteer with North West Carnival Initiative, email Jim at nwcarnival@gmail.com

We design our events to welcome all ages. There will be some installations that appeal to younger individuals, some to older but the events overall are designed with everyone in mind.  

Derry Halloween under Derry City & Strabane District Council is committed to ensuring that events are as accessible and inclusive as possible. 

If you are interested in any sponsorship opportunities, simply email sponsorship@derrystrabane.com and a member of the team will get back to you.

Derry is located in the stunning North West of Ireland, the charming city of Derry~Londonderry is very accessible by air, sea, rail, bus and road. For full details on how to get here, click here.

Derry Halloween will unfold across the city and also stretching to Strabane and Donegal.  The myths and mischief of Samhain will be interwoven throughout, connecting our city to the Worlds beyond the Walls.  

Keep an eye on the website and social channels for programme updates.

Derry Halloween offers plenty of car parking and accessible parking, which will be available to the website closer to the Festival time.

Motor home parking is available a Bishop Street car park this year on all four nights of the Festival.  To book, click here.

Yes there will be lots to do at Derry Halloween for that age group! There is a Little Horrors programme, which includes kids shows in the Guildhall, arts & crafts, music, markets, story telling, a Creepy Critters kids farm and lots more! Keep an eye on our website and social channels for updates on the programme coming soon.

There are lots of events which are suitable for children, including the Little Horrors shows (on page 12 & 13 of the programme).  The majority of the Trail will also be suitable, just keep an eye out on our website for any events which will be highlighted as unsuitable for  children.