Halloween in Derry / Londonderry: thousands to travel to north west for massive annual celebrations

Hundreds of attractions and events have been organised across the Derry and Strabane area, with the main Samhain festivities starting at 12 noon on Saturday.

Guildhall Square and Waterloo Place will be transformed into a spooky landscape over the next few days, with Halloween characters roaming the area and creepy critters, music, food and markets daily from noon to 9pm as well as ‘freaky football’ at Harbour Square.

The Samhain bandstand will host live musicians, while there will be a cauldron full of child-friendly events, including the Witch’s Lair on Waterloo Place daily from noon to 3pm and 5pm to 7pm, popular princesses from 12noon - 3pm daily, with Spooktacular Awakenings in Guildhall Square daily from 3pm to 8pm, with free games, dress-up activities and puppet making.

Visitors can expect the city to come alive with ghouls and ghosts in every corner from 6pm to 9pm daily.

Students from the North West Regional College will be performing Halloween Musicals on Shipquay Street, while the Craft Village will host the sinister Sanderson Sisters. At the same time, St Columb’s Cathedral Grounds will be hosting an Illuminations show and Dragon Fly aerialists.

Outside Bishop Street courthouse, City Dance will present Walter on the Dancefloor while there will be spooky apparitions in and around Holywell Trust and along the Garden of Reflection.

Also taking place from 6pm to 9pm, skeletal beings will soar into the night sky above the Diamond, as Walter’s Festival of the Undead takes place along Society Street car park, Palace Street, and Upper Magazine Street. There will be wailing nuns at Pump Street, Mannanán Mac Lir at the Playhouse and Magee students performing The End of the World Chronicles on Artillery Street.

Halloween favourites Spark are back at The Diamond, Shipquay Street, Castle Street, Magazine Street and Butcher Street every evening at 6.30pm, 7.30pm and 8.30pm.

Monday will see a free fancy dress cycle, as the Wheelin’ Bashees set off from the North West Transport Hub, Duke Street, at 2pm with tickets available at derryhallo ween.com/tickets, ahead of the main celebrations on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the carnival parade sets off at 7pm from Queens Quay along Boating Club Lane, Strand Road and along Embankment to Water Street and returning via Embankment and Queen's Quay.

New addition, The City of Drones will see the dark skies come alive at around 8.15pm, followed by the annual fireworks finale display over the River Foyle at 8.30pm.