8 Spooktacular Ways to Celebrate Halloween in London

The nights are turning chillier, and London’s streets are getting even gloomier: it’s finally Halloween! London has been celebrating the mystical and macabre since the days of Samhain, the pagan precursor to modern Halloween, so what better place to embrace the spooky spirit than in the UK capital?

It can be overwhelming to choose from the seemingly endless options this October, but fear not! We’ve collected 8 of the best spooky activities in The Big Smoke.

1) Stock up on Werewolf Biscuits and Fairy Dust at Hoxton Street Monster Supplies

Built on whimsy, Hoxton Street Monster supplies might be the quirkiest shop in London. Described as selling ‘bespoke and everyday items for the living, dead, or undead’, this delightful little shop sells a range of strange and spooky products, from ‘shadow sauce’ and ‘salt made from the tears of anger’ to the ‘thickest human snot’. Don’t worry, though – their products taste a lot better than they sound: the ‘human snot’ is curiously like lemon curd, and the ‘cubed earwax’ might remind you of creamy fudge. Just don’t open the ‘tin of a vague sense of unease’ while on the tube. We warned you.

2) Descend into London’s Scariest History Lesson

London Dungeon is renowned for its frightening folly. Part history lesson and part immersive theatre, the Dungeon is the best (and scariest) way to experience London’s fascinating past. Start by descending a medieval lift with an unsettling court jester, then brace yourself for a tour of a 1600s torture chamber, a plague-ridden street, and an encounter with a convicted witch from 1621. You’ll also take a seat in Sweeney Todd’s Barbershop and navigate the Whitechapel labyrinth with London’s most notorious serial killer on the loose. After finding your fear tolerance, you can finally calm your nerves at The Tavern, a replica Victorian pub with a cosy atmosphere.

3) Solve the Unsolvable at the Jack the Ripper Museum

Prefer your history a little less... in your face? Well, the Jack the Ripper Museum offers another, less terrifying, trip to London’s grisly past. Based in the heart of Whitechapel, the Ripper Museum takes you all the way back to 1888 and puts you at the centre of the mystery. Will you be able to piece together the evidence, or will Jack the Ripper’s identity remain forever in the dark?

4) Listen to Ghost Stories by Candlelight at The Globe

Nothing screams Halloween more than exchanging ghost stories in the shadows. Every year, Shakespeare’s Globe puts on a spooky performance at Halloween, and this year is no exception. Performed in the Globe’s more intimate indoor theatre, Sam Wannamaker, Ghost Stories by Candlelight showcases the haunting folklore of East Anglia by the flickering glow of over 100 candles. Even better: the price is the least scary part, since standing tickets are available for only £5.

5) Brew Your Own Potions at The Cauldron

They say that there’s a fine line between science and magic, and The Cauldron could not agree more. The Cauldron hosts cocktail making – sorry, brewing - classes with a twist: combining molecular mixology with impressive set dressing to make you feel like you’ve entered the wizarding world. Don your wizard’s robes and pick up a magic wand before entering The Cauldron’s own enchanted forest and summoning your first tipple. Wizards that prefer their potions a little less potent can join in on the magic, since there are also non-alcoholic options.

6) Have Dinner in a Crypt

Hidden underneath St Martin-in-the-fields church in Trafalgar Square is a café and venue with a difference: The Crypt Café. The space has barely changed since the 18th century, with original brick-vaulted ceilings and tombstones that decorate the floors and walls. Boasting a delicious menu of traditional English dishes and historic surroundings, The Crypt Café is one of the spookiest places to celebrate a truly British Halloween. For an even moodier atmosphere, drop by during one of the café’s Crypt Lates, when the subterranean venue provides music, drinks, and cabaret for creatures of the night.

7) Haunt the Catacombs of Highgate Cemetery

Unfortunately, Highgate cemetery isn’t open after 5pm, but its eerie atmosphere can still be felt in the daylight hours. Highgate is one of the ‘magnificent seven’, a group of vast cemeteries on the outskirts of London designed to solve the problem of a surging population during the 19th century. Follow its winding pathways through woodland, chapels, and catacombs, and you might meet some famous ghosts, including George Michael, Karl Marx, Douglas Adams, and Mary Ann Evans (otherwise known as well-known Victorian writer, George Elliot). It’s also home to the ‘Egyptian avenue’, a corridor of moss-covered vaults showcasing the Victorian fascination with the ‘exotic’. Tread carefully, though, since these vaults have attracted the rare meta bourneti, a large, bulbous, spider that dwells in caves.

8) Unveil the Future at Treadwells Bookshop

Treadwells is one of the world’s most famous magic and occult bookshops, brimming with second-hand histories of witchcraft, old leatherbound texts worth thousands, and everything in-between: wizards’ wands, incense sticks, silver chalices, herbs - all tucked behind an unassuming storefront. Treadwells - as you might have already guessed - is more than a bookshop. It’s also a popular place to get tarot card readings, both online and in person, and a venue for talks and workshops. Curious about the roots of Halloween, Samhain? Fascinated by Vampiric literature? Explore Treadwells’ events for a deep dive into the mystical.

Whether you’re poring over pages of ancient magic at Treadwells, savouring a box of ‘cubed earwax’, or immersing yourself in ghostly tales, London offers something for everyone – human or otherwise. If your English-learning progress is haunting you, take a look at our courses in London. Our English Centres combine authentic cultural experiences with exceptional classroom teaching, making language learning a little less scary.

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Happy Halloween from Twin!