“Derry Halloween is a festival like no other”
Derry Halloween is back with a bang.
From Tuesday October 28 – Friday October 31, the streets of Derry will be taken over by a cast of mythical and mysterious characters bringing the Celtic festival of Samhain to life for Europe’s biggest largest Halloween celebration.
New for 2025, the Awakening the Walled City Trail expands beyond your wildest nightmares with seven brand-new zones.
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From the fire-lit terrors of the Red Zone to the disco-dancing dead in the purple, each themed area brings its own unique brand of Halloween magic to Derry’s ancient streets.
Whether you’re seeking spine-tingling scares, mystical transformations, harvest traditions, or immersive theatrical horror. Dare to explore them all, if you can handle what awaits in the shadows.
Here is a handy guide to give you a taste of what each zone has to offer:
Red Zone – Shipquay Shriek
Sliantha the Samhain Serpent will inhabit Derry’s Shipquay Street. Fire pits and eerie ambience bring this immersive trail to life – a spine tingling spectacle for the brave. In the Craft Village, visitors can enjoy an eclectic celebratory gathering of music and dance performances, with boo-tiful Halloween characters coming out to play in Ghouls Just Want To Have Fun
Purple Zone – Disco At The Diamond
Step into The Diamond, where light, colour and Halloween magic awaken the spirits of Samhain. From towering puppets to funky skeletons, get ready to dance, dazzle and join the spellbinding street party.
Fright Night Funk transforms the streets into an electrifying dance party with El Carromato’s spectacular 13-foot illuminated puppets. These towering luminous beings beckon spirits both living and dead to join their ritual – where mortals become one with the ancient dance of Samhain.
Day of the Dead skulls bursting with colour, character and a touch of spooky sweetness. Standing tall in the heart of our Disco at the Diamond, these larger-than-life skulls blend sugary celebration with spine tingling style. Snap a selfie, strike a pose and get ready to party with the spirits!
Green Zone – Bones of Bishop Street
Enter the Green Zone, where the restless dead roam and eerie spirits awaken. Step into the shadows, where werewolves, banshees, wailing nuns and zombies lurk.
In the shadowed depths of Bishop Street, the haunting She-Wolf emerges from the darkness, her amber eyes fixed longingly on the glowing Samhain Moon. With each desperate attempt to reach the sacred light, she is pulled back by the restless spirits and ghostly bones that guard this cursed cobblestone path. Witness her eternal struggle as she prowls between worlds, forever trapped by the vengeful dead who refuse to let her pass.
The Courthouse cells confine not historic figures, but creatures of myth and legend. Bound by ancient magic, these imprisoned beings await the arrival of Samhain when the courthouse’s enchanted barriers weaken, allowing them to break free.
The Sisters of Mercy, our Wailing Nuns will roam this cobbled path. Brace yourself for their haunting cries and beware encountering one lest you leap out of your skin!
Orange Zone – Pump’kin Street
At Pump’kin Street, autumn magic fills every corner. From harvest markets and photo opportunities, to whimsical shows and puppets, there’s fun, colour, and festive Halloween charm for all ages!
At St. Columb’s Cathedral, as dusk falls and the night awakens, journey through an illuminated dreamscape designed to enchant and inspire. Explore a world bathed in gentle glows, soft shadows and shimmering tones. Thoughtfully crafted to evoke wonder, this immersive experience offers a moment of calm, reflection and awe beneath the autumn sky.
Stelzen’s majestic and serene Moon Lady Stilt Walkers move ethereal grace that captivates all who behold them. Towering above the crowd they bring celestial warmth and smiles wherever they roam. By their sides is the Moon Man. The elegant companion to the Moon Queens and sovereign master of shining nights and twinkling star lights.
Blue Zone – Echoes of The Walls
In the Blue Zone, the shadows of Derry’s past awaken. From towering skeletons to haunted streets, experience ghostly tales and spine-tingling encounters hidden within the city walls.
Since the 1600s, creatures have toiled in the shadows of the city walls, their wretched lives and deaths a whispered history etched into the stone. Now, their eternal resting place is within the walls themselves.
The city’s resident skeleton, Walter de Burgh, will emerge from the ethereal mist. His skeletal form towers against the night, eyes blazing as he calls forth his ghostly clan from the depths of history.
Pink Zone – Enchanted Embankment
‘FIREWALL !!’ by LUXE is a spectacular installation of fire and lantern, lighting up the historic City Walls that overlook the impressive night lights of Derry’s Bogside. As Ireland’s leading spectacle company LUXE present brilliant work nationally and internationally, North and South, throughout the year.
Yellow Zone – Spooky Square
This Halloween, magic stirs in the mute meadows below Ebrington Square. Join the Blue Guardian, a spirit from the old workhouse, on her enchanting return in search of the children she once cared for. As she arrives, ghostly children emerge from the shadows – lanterns glowing, voices singing, and feet dancing through the misty meadows in a magical, spooky procession.
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