Halloween in the City , produced by CityCo on behalf of Manchester City Centre BID, is now in its ninth year and has become one of Manchester’s most anticipated family events. In 2026, we celebrate a decade of spooky fun!
The festival brings the city centre to life over the Halloween retail period, supporting businesses, hospitality, leisure venues and family attractions in the run-up to Christmas.
Families can join a mega monster hunt, searching for Manchester’s legendary #MCRMonsters across rooftops in the city. Expect unmissable performances, street entertainment, and plenty of opportunities for everyone to dress up, Halloween style.
Each year, Halloween in the City is promoted through a fully integrated marketing campaign, including branding, digital, social media, influencer marketing, print, outdoor and transport advertising, and PR.
The festival and its campaign are delivered in partnership with a wide range of partners and suppliers, including Manchester City Council, Transport for Greater Manchester, and Marketing Manchester.
2026 Halloween in the City (Saturday 24 – Sunday 25 October)
Halloween in the City is produced by CityCo on behalf of the City Centre Business Improvement District – and 2026 is its 10th anniversary.
We are delighted that this year we have headline sponsorship from Swizzels.
Visitors can expect a packed line-up of FREE family events across the central retail district:
* 10th birthday for our MCR Monsters
* Storytelling with Z-arts
* Discos with Born To Be Wild Child
* Walk the Plank Monster & Leech party processions
* The Monster Bake-off
* The Raveyard with DJ Ghostman
* Swizzels’ Spooky Sweet Shop
* Kids’ Halloween hunt
* Fancy-dress takeover
Event FAQs
Event & Monster Map
2025 Success Stats
- 127 press articles across online, offline and social clips (Download Press Report)
- Coverage highlights: The Week Junior, Reuters, The Sun, BBC Radio Manchester, Manchester Evening News, The Manc, Manchester’s Finest, I Love MCR
- Halloween in the City Website views: 155,808
- Halloween MCR – Paid Digital Impressions: 1,929,457 Facebook, 988,976 Instagram, 484,468 TikTok
Event Photography
instagram.com
C: Carl Sudonik / The Vain Photos
Event Videography
instagram.com
C: Chloe Waterhouse / This is Apollo
