Nottingham Halloween Festival

Nottingham city centre is getting a monster makeover this October half-term, with giant inflatable creatures taking over rooftops, a spooky bus safari and a brand-new Halloween parade. There's plenty to see without spending a penny, plus a special bus tour for families who fancy spotting the monsters from the comfort of a vintage double-decker.

Nottingham Halloween Festival 2026

- Date: Monday 26 October to Sunday 1 November 2026

- Cost:
Free rooftop monster trail and Halloween parade.

Spooky Safari bus tickets £2.20 per person, including booking fees.

- Location: Nottingham city centre

- Book: Spooky Safari bus tours must be booked in advance.

Monsters on the Rooftops

Keep your eyes up as you explore Nottingham city centre! Giant inflatable monsters will be making themselves at home on buildings across the city, including returning favourites Howler and Snapper, who've had a makeover, and a brand-new arrival for 2026, the Rombald Rock Giant.

Make a monster-hunting mission of it with the official Halloween Festival map, which shows where to find the creatures. You can also pick up a paper copy from the Nottingham Tourism Centre on Smithy Row.

Spooky Safari Bus Tours

Fancy a monster hunt without all the walking? Climb aboard a vintage double-decker bus for a Spooky Safari around Nottingham's monster-filled streets.

Designed with younger children in mind, the tour takes families around the city to spot the friendly, brightly coloured rooftop creatures. A good option if you've got children who'd rather look at monsters than be frightened by them!

• Dates: Tuesday 27 to Saturday 31 October

• Times: 10am, 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm

• Cost: £2.20 per person, including booking fees

• Departure point: Belward Street lay-by, outside Nottingham Bowl

• Booking: Required

Tickets have been selling quickly, with additional downstairs seats going on sale at 3pm on Friday 23 October.

Book Spooky Safari tickets

Halloween Parade: Family of Phantoms

Wednesday 28 October | 1pm, 3pm and 5pm | FREE

A ghostly procession is coming to Nottingham's streets, and this one's worth making time for.

The Family of Phantoms parade features performers dressed in flowing, illuminated capes, following the mysterious Ghost Rider through the city centre. Expect atmospheric music, theatrical performances and plenty of ghostly goings-on.

Created by Walk the Plank, with performers from Nottingham College and FSD Dance, the parade takes place three times throughout the day.

Each procession starts at Nottingham Central Library, travelling along Lister Gate, through St Peter's Square, down Bridlesmith Gate and Low Pavement, before returning to the library.

Creepy Crafts at Nottingham Central Library

Children can get involved in the Halloween celebrations by making their very own spooky stick puppets, ready to wave as the parade passes.

• Tuesday 27 October: 3pm to 5pm

• Wednesday 28 October: All day

• Location: Nottingham Central Library

• Booking: Simply pop in

Similar craft sessions are also taking place at libraries across Nottingham. Check the Nottingham City Libraries Halloween crafts page for participating locations.

Planning Your Visit

If you're heading into Nottingham with the kids, download the festival map before you go. It'll help you plan your monster hunt and find the parade route, particularly handy if you're trying to fit everything into one visit.

The rooftop monsters are around throughout half-term, but the parade is only happening on Wednesday 28 October, so that's the date to put in your diary if you want to catch both.

And with the monster trail and parade completely free, there's no need to spend a fortune to get into the Halloween spirit.