Having hopped over from the States it seems us Brits now embrace Halloween just as much as the Americans. With full blown home decorations including inflatable coffins, animated zombies and scary doorbells on the market, Halloween seems to be giving Christmas a run for its money (OK maybe not quite but is sure feels like it!). Check out my guide to all things Halloween to ensure you have a ‘Spooktacular’ (sorry, I couldn’t help it!) time!
My top pick’s for Halloween in London in 2018
- Tropicana Beach club (believe it or not) have 4 Halloween themed nights including a Day of the Dead party and Witching Hour party. I’m intrigued to see how they mange to merge the usual light-heartedness, somewhat cheesy feel of the bar with the dark vibes of Halloween, but one thing’s for sure they know how to work a theme!
- My friends at Merlin Events certainly know how to throw a great party and they have never before disappointed when it comes to Halloween! I’ve no doubt their Dead Famous Silent Discos at Madame Tussauds in association with Time Out will not disappoint. What better (or perhaps surreal) way to enjoy Halloween than dressing up as your favourite dead celeb and partying away alongside their wax figure!
- I just love the idea of the Alcotraz Cocktail bar any way but mix that with Halloween and it’s got to be a winner. Not only do you get to don a rather fetching orange jump suit (prison esque) but for these special The Spirits of Alcotraz events only, the bar isn’t a BYO and your ticket price includes three cocktails! A full immersive experience is promised so be prepared to participate!
- If your looking for something a little more relaxed or perhaps just after a scary date night and a great excuse to cuddle up, the Luna Cinema team have the answer for you. Don’t worry these aren’t al fresco as per their summer season but instead being hosted by the Natural History Museum underneath the massive Blue Whale no less, what could be spookier than a night in the museum?! With 4 films to chose from including the Ghostbusters and The Blair Witch project there is a level of scare to suit most.
Costumes
As a child I distinctly remember traipsing around the local neighbourhood in a costume fashioned from a black sack with a hole cut out for my head to pop through (luckily!!) and a cheap plastic mask which would get all hot and sticky when you breathed! Yuck! I wasn’t the only one – this was just what you did back then! Now EVERYWHERE sells incredibly sophisticated costumes for everyone – from babies to adults to dogs, no one need be dressed in black sack this Halloween! If you are heading to one of our top picks for Halloween and want to dress to impress, then we have picked our favourite outfits to give you a head start!
H&M of all places have a fab range of costumes that can work as they are or enhanced if you want to go all out. I think the simple jersey dress with skeleton bone detail is a great buy and you can hide it neatly under your coat for travelling to and from your party (always the worst part of fancy dress, especially when you are travelling on your own!) Asda also have a great range of costumes, particularly for men, my personal fav is the Day of the Dead costume complete with over sized top hat, it’s sure to turn heads at any party!
I hope you have a spooktacular Halloween!
