Halloween 2024 Most Anticipated

The most wonderful and spookiest time is upon us once again, and any long-time follower of my blog knows that I, of course, have a jam-packed October schedule filled to the brim with spooky activities to get the most out of my most favourite season of the entire year. As usual, it's a mix of trustworthy old-favourites, new-to-me events and returning to some I haven't visited in a long time. So let's get stuck into a countdown of my most anticipated Halloween events of 2024!

Couple of disclaimers - this isn't an exhaustive list. We'd be here all day if I ran through every single event I'm going to throughout October, this is just the ones I'm most excited about. Also, my first event of the year was a new-for-me visit to Scare City Experience, review of which will be up shortly!

I haven't been to The Howl at Mead Open Farm in Bedfordshire since 2021, and Sam has never visited so thought it high time we paid a visit! The scream park boasts six haunts, all laced together with different flavours of 'werewolf' theme which I absolutely love as a concept and can't believe we haven't seen replicated at other scream parks. Returning mazes for me are The Shed, Squealers Yard & Red, all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed in the past.

New things for me include te reimagined clown maze Noxious Alley, which seems to be a bioshock/creepy clown mash-up which will be cool to see - I imagine a lot of blacklit scenes and toxic ooze vibes which has been a trend for UK scream parks over recent years. The Full Moon Manor appears to be a reimagining of what was The Attic when I last visited three years ago - think a typical 'haunted house' style walk-through with an overlaying werewolf theme. Then brand new to me is Howl Valley High which looks great, an American High School but there's werewolves theme, what's not to love and I can't wait to experience this one for the very first time!

Last year, after visiting every year since 2013, I took a year off from visiting Shocktoberfest as unfortunately it just didn't fit into our travel plans. At the time I was pretty devastated as it's long held the crown for my favourite scream park in the UK and couldn't coprehend a Halloween without it, however I think the time and space away from the event has given me a renewed excitement to get back!

I was absolutely obsessed with Doomtown when we first experienced it in 2022 and I'm also practically foaming at the mouth to get back to my other returning favs like Chop Shop (my beloved), Coven of 13 and The Cellar, which I'm so pleased are still in operation as they hold big Halloween nostalgia vibes for me. 

I've largely stayed away from most of the marketing for fear of spoilers as I like to go into these things blind for maximum effect, but from what I can gather from the website there are two new mazes and a new show. CarnEvil Cabaret appears to be a dark twist on a classic burlesque setup with fire and scary effects, The Carving looks to be a hillbilly cannibal family inspired reskin of the ever-changing massive maze location next to Chop Shop - I believe it was The Island in 2022? This thing always has fantastic set pieces but struggles just due to its size so intrigued to see if The Carving has addressed this. 

Then lastly we have Purgatory - there's very little info available which I love, but from what I can gather this is an 'evil nun' theme, very trendy for UK attractions currently so I can see why they've gone down that route! I'm expecting possession, exorcisms, maybe some fire? I've already experienced one incredible exorcism scene at Scare City this year as well as the incredible 'The Exorcism' at FEAR, so very keen to see what Tulley's do to put their own unique spin on things!

Visiting for the first time ever in its launch year, Screams! is located at Thornton Hall Country Park. As I've never been before and like to keep my research on new-for-me events light, I have no idea what the setup is: whether we'll be wandering through the actual manor house itself Horror at Hinchingbrooke style, or maybe we'll be free roaming in different attractions set up in the grounds, or maybe a combination of both? I've done a lot of varying attractions of this kind across the years so however it's presented I'm just excited to get inside and see it for myself!

The event is made up of four scare attractions: 

Jinxed, a clown maze with a Mardi Gras twist that promises 'chilling oddities and monstrous outcasts'. We know I'm not a huge lover of clown mazes as I do find them all quite samey so I'm always glad to see a twist on the usual set up! Malkin Manor seems to be a ghost hunting/vlogger take on the classic 'Most Haunted:Live!' premise which I absolutely love the sound of as I was a huge fan of Soul Seekers at Screamfest Burton back in the day and this feels very much in that vein. Blackmarket sounds like a modern take on the 'human meat butchers' theme that's been extremely popular in recent years so will be very cool to see this in such a unique rave setting and lastly, Pumpkin Patch, reading the blurb I have no idea what this might be but there's pumpkins involved so you know I'm excited!

The combination of moving up north alongside the addition of Hyperia at Thorpe Park means I've sadly very much neglected my visits to Chessington over the past 18-months, so I am beyond ready to get back there for a gorgeous autumnal visit to enjoy a day of Howl'O'Ween fun! Last year I was only able to pop in whilst working so it will be great to get back as a guest - I fell in love with the Pumpkin Patch last year so very pleased to see that back for 2024, as well as the return of one of my all time favourite Halloween shows with the award winning Banyan: The Final Flame! I'm not sure if we will go through Enchanted Hollow - Trick or Treat as it is very much for children and we'll sadly be visiting without and I don't like to take up space in attractions that aren't really aimed at me but it does look adorable all the same!

I just adore the atmosphere at Chessington during October - it's a park I grew up visiting so there's always been a palpable nostalgia about the place for me, and even moreso during the autumn months and as it's been a while since I've had a proper full-day visit there it's something on the calendar that I'm very keen for indeed.

Another attraction I had a break from last year, we'll be returning to Screamfest Burton to experience their brand new maze: Hellcatraz! Dubbed as their 'most intense scare maze yet', I cannot imagine what this has in store as the place hasn't exactly been shy of terrifying attractions in the past from the absolute god-tier Love Hurts (RIP) to the chainsaw-wielding-maniac infested fields of Creed Farm. From the creative mind behind the awesome FEAR at Avon Valley Scream Park and the legendary aforementioned Soul Seekers, the description of thing thing sounds like it's going to be Ash Hell Penitentiary meets Demonica times one thousand. I will be in line, but not sure I am prepared for what awaits. 

Alongside Hellcatraz is a returning line-up of fan favourites including the boundary-breaking Insomnia, Creed Farm, Hillybilly Joe's Zombee Zoo and Freakout On Tour. 

At last but certainly by no means least, my triumphant return to the intense, the vile, the always unhinged: Horror at Hinchingbrooke House! For those not in the know, Horror at Hinchingbrooke House is known for being an incredibly intense experience - they do not hold back in any ways and the scares are non-stop from start to end of this route through the beautiful manor house and grounds. 

The attraction usually lasts about 90 minutes and they literally throw everything and the garden sink at you - you can pretty much guarantee there will be SOMETHING you're scared of within this attraction. This year they're celebrating 10 Years of Fear, with 18 differently themed scares zones including everything from clowns, to vikings, to Grindhouse nasties and...what looks to be zombie Disney new for this year? Like I say - it's absolutely off the wall in terms of what you'll see and experience, they change it up every single year so two seasons are never alike and this will be my third visit and I absolutely cannot wait to get back inside to experience the carnage.

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That's my run down of the attractions I'm most excited for this year, but like I say this is by no means an exhaustive list. I'm just so ready to get stuck into spooky season proper, and of course I'll bring you along with me where I can so be sure to follow me on X, Instagram and Facebook for quicker updates if you'd prefer not to wait a little longer for the full blog post reviews. 

Are you heading to any events this October? Which are you most excited for? Let me know in the comments, I'd love to have a chat!

Talk later xoxo,