Launched in 2016, Halloween in the City is produced by Manchester City Centre BID and supported by Manchester City Council, Visit Manchester and Manchester Accomodation BID.
The event’s main feature is colourful rooftop invasion of #MCR Monsters sponsored by the city’s visionary businesses who host a creepy creature on, or around, their building for seven days. These have become the city’s biggest free annual art trail.
We also hang thousands of pumpkin lanterns to dress the city for the month of October, and on the weekend closest to Halloween, families come in dressed up in fancy dress. The streets turn into themed zones full of frighteningly fun activities, rides, performers and top brands that have included CBBC & Cbeebies, GAME, Kit Kat, Toyota, Party Delights, Room on the Broom and PJ Masks.
Halloween in the City is promoted via a multichannel marketing campaign, including local, regional and national press, outdoor and digital advertising, print marketing and social media coverage, supported by media partners.
2024 Event
25th-31st October: #MCRMonsters
- The return of our famous rooftop monsters
26th-27th October: Halloween in the City family weekender
- Monsters Rock! Music Festival with spooky DJs
- Live performances
- Gruesome games and competitions
- Carnival rides
- Fancy-dress
- Walk the Plank’s legendary monster procession
Take Part
Join the Monster Invasion
We’re proud to have made Halloween one of Manchester’s biggest family events to enjoy ahead of Christmas and in half term. The colourful art trail of inflatable monsters created by artist Filthy Luker is the flagship focus. It has enraptured thousands of visitors, young and old.
The event couldn’t have reached the size and popularity it has, without visionary sponsors that have funded and often co-designed their own creature. We think this shows how great Manchester is at working together to create something that has huge impact.
So why not join companies like Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Manchester Arndale, and more, in sponsoring your own monster in 2024?
Sponsor
Headline sponsorship and experiential spaces on the streets are available.
Add a Halloween event to your programme
Consider adding a Halloween event to your programme this year, so you can align with the city’s celebrations. If you are putting on a Halloween event in October, do let us know. You can benefit from being included on VisitManchester.com and amplified via @HalloweenMCR channels.
For enquiries, please email events@cityco.com
2023 Headlines
2023 Press
£873,ooo of press coverage (AVE) across 104 titles, including The Times, Sunday Times, i Paper, Manchester Evening News, Blackpool Gazette, Edinburgh Evening News.
Digital Stats
- Paid digital reach 1,000,000 [Google, Facebook + Instagram]
- Organic social media reach 292,000 [Facebook, Instagram + Twitter]
- Website views 252,000 [HalloweenMCR.com]
- Email recipients +15,000 [Visit Manchester Leisure Database]
