Dates: 28th October – 31st October 2024
Location: Derry

Are you on the hunt for a Halloween festival that’s spooky, unconventional, and steeped in history? Look no further than the Derry Halloween Festival, where the enchanting origins of this beloved holiday come to life.

Before we delve into the captivating details of the Derry Halloween Festival, let’s embark on a journey to discover the hidden origins of Halloween.

What you might not know is that Halloween’s roots can be traced back to the Celtic festival of Samhain, a harvest festival celebrated for centuries in Ireland. The Celts held a belief that on this special night, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead grew hazy, allowing spirits to wander freely. During the 19th century, Irish and Scottish people who, then, emigrated to North America, took their traditions with them, and therefore, also Halloween.  Once the Irish pagan traditions met the American culture, Halloween became the holiday as we know it nowadays: scary costumes, carved Pumpkins, trick-or-treating, parties and parades and spooky decorations. It was thanks to the American influence that Halloween started spreading worldwide but we should not forget the origins of this holiday.

If you wish to learn more about Halloween’s origins, you might enjoy our blog post: The Origins of Halloween: Ireland’s Ancient Roots and Modern Celebrations 

The Derry Halloween Festival stands as the largest Halloween festival in all of Europe. It starts on October the 28th and ends on October the 31st, the very day Halloween is celebrated. This festival is the perfect occasion to celebrate Halloween in the country where it all started. It will be 4 days full of music, food and drinks, stunning and scary costumes, parades, fireworks, and so much more.

Find out more about this spooky festival on the official website. You can download the program and check more info about the prices and the festival itself. Take a look at the video below for a taste of the Derry Halloween Festival.

Price Information

The festival will take place all over the city. You can attend most of the events for free, you will be able to see the parade and the fireworks finale, as well as a drone show,  and enjoy what the city has to offer during these 4 amazing nights. 

During the festival there will be many more events that might have extra costs if you wish to attend. You can book the tickets and check the events on the website at this link: https://derryhalloween.com/tickets/

How to get to Derry from Dublin?

Derry, or also called Londonderry, is located in North Ireland and you can get there from Dublin by bus or by train in about 5 hours.

When? Festival Dates

The Derry Halloween Festival kicks off on October 28th and carries on for four magical days, culminating in the grand celebration of Halloween on October 31st.

… Stay tuned !

Don’t forget to check our blog and social programme if you are looking for other fun activities to make the most of your stay in Dublin !

Written by Camilla Di Giuseppe