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’ll celebrate a decade of spooky fun!
The festival brings the city centre to life, supporting local retailers, food and drink venues, and family attractions by attracting extra visitors and boosting footfall 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)
A decade of monster mayhem – and the biggest party yet, sponsored by Swizzels.
The free, family weekender will feature:
- An 8-day monster trail across city landmarks from Exchange Square and Manchester Arndale to Mayfield and Medlock Square
- Swizzels’ Spooky Sweet Stop and The Swizzeler Monster
- A Monster Bake-Off with Paul Horror-wood
- Live storytelling with Z-arts
- The Monsters Disco and The Rave-Yard, with live ghostly DJs and Born To Be Wild Child
- A roaming party procession and The Leech by Walk the Plank.
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
2025 Event Brochure
Download
Event Photography
instagram.com
C: Carl Sudonik / The Vain Photos
Event Videography
instagram.com
C: Chloe Waterhouse / This is Apollo
