Halloween in Newcastle: Haunted History and Spooky Nights Out

Newcastle has genuine ghost story material. The city’s long history – from the Roman fort of Pons Aelius on which the medieval castle was built, through the plague years, the industrial revolution, and the layers of Georgian and Victorian city above it – gives Halloween here a different texture to a newer place. The events programme in October reflects that. Here’s how to spend Halloween in Newcastle.

Victoria Tunnel Ghost Tours

The Victoria Tunnel is a nineteenth-century wagonway built to carry coal from the Spital Tongues colliery to the Tyne. Running underground below much of the city’s west end, it was used as an air raid shelter in the Second World War and is now maintained as a heritage site. In October, it runs ghost tours through the tunnel that use the genuine history of the space to genuinely good effect. Booking essential – sells out well in advance.

Newcastle Castle Haunted History Nights

The Castle Keep on Castle Garth – the Norman castle built on the foundations of the fort that gave Newcastle its name – runs haunted evenings in October. The medieval building, with its dungeons and dark stairwells, provides a setting that doesn’t require much theatrical assistance. Good for groups and properly atmospheric.

Halloween on the Bigg Market

For those who want their Halloween loud, commercial, and with a costume contest, the Bigg Market on Halloween weekend is an experience. The bars go fully themed, the costumes get increasingly ambitious, and the atmosphere is carnivalesque. It’s rowdy, it’s fun, it’s Newcastle.

Ouseburn Halloween Events

The Cluny and the Tyne Bar in the Ouseburn typically run Halloween events that sit between the haunted history tours and the Bigg Market chaos. Music, themed nights, and the naturally atmospheric Ouseburn Valley setting. Check their social media for specific dates and events.

The Lit and Phil

The Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle – the Lit and Phil on Westgate Road – runs lectures and events around Halloween that take the macabre history of the city seriously. Previous events have covered grave robbing, plague, and the darker elements of Victorian Newcastle. Better than it sounds.