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
- Halloween Weekender: Saturday 24 & Sunday 25th October 2026
- MCR Monsters: 24th – 31st October 2026
- To take part, email events@cityco.com
2025 Event Highlights
- 17 MCR Monsters, created annually by Designs in Air – more than ever at Manchester Arndale, Printworks, Corn Exchange, Selfridges, Exchange Square, Exchange Square, Harvey Nichols, New Cathedral Street, The The Royal Exchange, St Ann’s Square, Treehouse Hotel, AO Arena, New Century Hall, Kampus, Depot Mayfield, Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly
- Halloween in the City Weekender – family festival featuring The Rave Yard, Monster Fashion Week, Walk the Plank’s Monster Party Procession and The Leech, The Monster Library with storytelling in Manchester Arndale and Monster Sticker Hunt
- Manchester buildings lighting-up green for the occasion
- Thousands of pumpkins lanterns across the city’s trees
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
