Halloween in Stratford-upon-Avon 2026: Events, Ghost Walks & Family Fun

Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday 31 October, right at the end of the Warwickshire October half-term (Monday 26 – Friday 30 October). That means a whole week of spooky events in Stratford-upon-Avon, from pumpkin carving by the river to an adults-only scare night in a new home on Greenhill Street. Here’s what’s confirmed for this year, who each event suits, and what to book now.

Halloween 2026 in Stratford at a glance

• Daily 17–31 Oct: pumpkin picking at Cobbs on the A46, plus Lower Clopton Farm on selected days
• From Sat 17 Oct: Nightmare on Greenhill Street opens at Magic Alley (recommended 10+; After Dark version 18+)
• Saturdays 17, 24 & 31 Oct, 7.30pm: Stratford Ghost Walk
• Fri 23 – Sat 24 Oct: Runaway Mop fair (road closures around Greenhill Street and Rother Street)
• Sat 24 Oct – Sun 1 Nov: Halloween week at Riverside Stratford, including pumpkin carving, trick or treating and fireworks
• Sat 24 Oct – Sun 1 Nov: Monarch butterflies and Day of the Dead crafts at Stratford Butterfly Farm
• Thu 29 Oct – Sun 1 Nov: Stratford Literary Festival’s autumn festival
• Sat 31 Oct: Halloween, with fancy dress discos at Riverside, the Halloween ghost walk and a Halloween party at The Coach House from 7pm

Nightmare on Greenhill Street at Magic Alley

Magic Alley has moved from Bell Court to 38 Greenhill Street (CV37 6LE), and its Halloween experience takes its name from the new address. Nightmare on Greenhill Street opens on Saturday 17 October inside The Crimson Chamber, Magic Alley’s space for older audiences, and explores the unsettling history and stories of the building.

Who it suits: Magic Alley recommends it for ages 10 and over. Children under 8 won’t be admitted, and 8–9 year olds can go at a parent’s discretion. Every child must be with an adult throughout, with at least one adult for every four children.

After Dark (18+): After nightfall there’s a darker, more theatrical version with costumed performers, strictly for over-18s. Each After Dark ticket includes a Halloween cocktail or alcohol-free mocktail.

Session times and prices are on Magic Alley’s Halloween page. The evening slots around Halloween weekend are the ones most likely to sell out.

The Stratford Ghost Walk

Running since 2002, the Stratford Ghost Walk leads you through the town’s oldest streets after dark with tales of ghosts, witches and murder. Walks run every Saturday at 7.30pm, so in late October that’s 17, 24 and 31 October, with Halloween night itself the big one. It’s now led by Edward, a professional storyteller, from the Swan Fountain on Waterside. Tickets are £12 for adults and £6 for ages 8–15 (not suitable for under-8s): book at thestratfordghostwalk.co.uk.

For a spookier setting, Tudor World on Sheep Street runs lantern-lit ghost tours inside its 400-year-old building (£9.50, 14+), and the RSC has Ghost, Gore & Folklore tours of its theatres on Sundays. See our guide to haunted Stratford and its ghost tours.

Read our full guide: Discover Stratford’s darker side on the Stratford Ghost Walk.

Halloween week at Riverside Stratford

Riverside Stratford is running a full programme from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. It’s the best pick for families who want something on most days of half-term:

• Sat 24 Oct: Halloween tribute act night, 7.30pm
• Sun 25 Oct: Halloween quiz, 7pm
• Mon 26 Oct: Spooky films
• Tue 27 Oct: Monster Makes Halloween crafts for kids
• Wed 28 Oct: Pumpkin carving, 3pm–6pm
• Thu 29 Oct: Pumpkin carving finale with a prize for the best pumpkin (3pm–5pm), trick or treating (5pm–6.30pm), then a campfire with ghost stories and marshmallows (7pm–8.30pm)
• Fri 30 Oct: Fireworks night with live music
• Sat 31 Oct: Kids’ fancy dress disco (3pm–6pm), then an adults’ fancy dress disco from 7.30pm
• Sun 1 Nov: Spooky quiz from 6.30pm

Paid events, including the fireworks, are ticketed through Eventbrite. Full details are on the Riverside events calendar.

Something gentler for younger children

Not every child wants jump-scares. Stratford Butterfly Farm is marking half-term (24 October – 1 November) with free-flying monarch butterflies and their link to Mexico’s Day of the Dead. There are daily lifecycle demonstrations and Meet the Minibeasts sessions at 11.30am, a Monarch Migration Trail in the gardens, and a papel picado paper-craft activity to take home. Check opening times and prices at butterflyfarm.co.uk.

Riverside’s Monster Makes crafts (Tuesday 27 October) and the kids’ fancy dress disco on Halloween afternoon are also good options for little ones who’d rather dress up than be scared.

Stratford Literary Festival on Halloween weekend

The Stratford Literary Festival’s autumn festival runs from Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November. It isn’t Halloween-themed, but it’s a good daytime option on Halloween weekend. Morning events include Matt Baker’s My Dogs and Me (Saturday 31 October, 11am) and Neill Cameron’s Donut Squad (Sunday 1 November, 11am).

A Halloween night out: The Coach House party

For grown-ups, The Coach House on Rother Street is holding a Halloween party on Saturday 31 October from 7pm, with singer Louise James live from 7pm, a DJ from 9pm and Halloween cocktails. Fancy dress is encouraged, and there’s a £50 prize for the best costume. More bars for after the party are in our bars guide.

Getting there: Runaway Mop road closures

The Runaway Mop fair returns on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October, the first weekend of half-term. Greenhill Street, Rother Street (from the NCP car park entrance), Wood Street, Windsor Street and Meer Street close from 00:01 on Friday 23 October until 06:30 on Sunday 25 October. Magic Alley is on Greenhill Street, so allow extra time if you’ve booked that weekend, and walk in from a car park outside the closure area. Our road closures page lists every closure, and the Mop Fair guide has more on the fair itself.

Halloween runs straight into fireworks season: the Riverside Venue has a Halloween fireworks night on Friday 30 October. See our Bonfire Night guide for every display near Stratford.

Use our Stratford parking calculator to find the cheapest car park for your plans, or see our guide to free parking in Stratford-upon-Avon.

More Halloween guides for Stratford

• Pumpkin picking near Stratford: every pumpkin patch nearby, with dates and prices
• Halloween days out near Stratford: Warwick Castle, Hatton, Kenilworth and more
• Halloween nights out: parties, late-night art and ghost tours for grown-ups
• Haunted Stratford: the town’s ghost tours compared
• Trick or treating in Stratford: tips, police advice and free door signs to print
• Bonfire Night 2026: every fireworks display near Stratford

Halloween in Stratford: quick answers

What day is Halloween 2026?

Saturday 31 October 2026, the day after Warwickshire schools finish their October half-term week (26–30 October). Academies can set their own dates, so check with your school.

What’s on in Stratford on Halloween night?

The Stratford Ghost Walk (7.30pm), Magic Alley’s adults-only Nightmare on Greenhill Street: After Dark, and Riverside Stratford’s adults’ fancy dress disco from 7.30pm. For families, Riverside’s kids’ disco runs 3pm–6pm.

What’s the best Halloween event for teenagers?

Magic Alley’s daytime Nightmare on Greenhill Street is pitched at ages 10 and up, which makes it a good fit for teens who are too young for the 18+ After Dark sessions. The ghost walk is another good choice for older children who like their scares with history.

Plan the rest of your visit

• The best pubs in Stratford-upon-Avon
• The plague pits of Stratford: walking the route of the Black Death
• 7 hidden doors in Stratford you walk past every day

Alex Harrington

Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.