Best Ways To Celebrate Halloween  2026 In Dublin | Parades, Ghost Tours & More

Dublin has a compact centre, but its neighbourhoods carry noticeably different personalities, from Georgian streets and historic quarters to the creative pockets around Smithfield and the Liberties. The River Liffey divides the Northside and Southside, while areas such as Temple Bar, Grafton Street and Dublin 1 pack theatres, music venues and cultural spaces into a relatively walkable area. Halloween also has unusually deep roots here: the modern celebration traces back to the ancient Irish festival of Samhain. Add Dublin-born Dracula author Bram Stoker to that history, and spooky season feels particularly at home in the city. By October, outdoor ghost trails sit alongside theatre productions, live music and elaborate Halloween nights.

1. After Dark Ghost Hunt in Dublin: Face Your Fright!

The After Dark Ghost Hunt in Dublin: Face Your Fright! begins around Kildare Street and is available from October 1 through December 1, 2026. Armed with a smartphone, players move between 10 locations around Dublin while tracking fictional spirits, solving escape-room-style puzzles and piecing together clues.

The walking route covers roughly 1.5 miles and usually takes around 90 minutes. There is no fixed guided group, so the experience can be tackled at a chosen time and pace. Children under 12 can take part when accompanied by an adult.

2. Pocus Hocus – The Civic Halloween Spooktacular 2026

The Pocus Hocus – The Civic Halloween Spooktacular 2026 opens at The Civic on October 23, 2026, beginning with a 7 PM performance before continuing with multiple shows through Halloween. The family production follows Winnie, Sarah and Mary as the Sanderson sisters, with best friends Wiggles and Giggles caught up in their latest spell.

Eurovision winner Niamh Kavanagh plays Winnie, joined by Sarah Harvey, Keila Whelan, Adam Finn and Civic Panto regular Kevin Keeley. Each performance lasts about 60 minutes with no interval, and a sensory-friendly show is scheduled for October 26.

3. Mother presents: DISCO BLOODBATH – Halloween Bank Holiday Sunday

Mother presents: DISCO BLOODBATH takes over LoSt LaNe on Grafton Street on Sunday, October 25, from 11 PM until 3 AM. Three floors get separate musical identities: Rocky Horror Delgado leads the main room, SHREM handles Divas of Darkness in the Library, while another space moves through underground tracks, queer punk, goth and alternative music.

The annual Halloween edition is built as a late-night queer club event, with costumes and darker Halloween styling woven through the night.

4. Smash Hits Halloween Party Arlington Bar

Smash Hits Halloween Party Arlington Bar starts at 8 PM on October 31, 2026, at the Arlington Hotel on O’Connell Bridge and continues until around 1:30 AM. Irish party band Smash Hits is due on stage at roughly 10 PM, with the set focused on familiar 1990s hits.

Fancy dress and a costume competition add the Halloween side of the night, while the live band keeps it closer to a concert-party format than a haunted attraction.

5. Halloween Mask Party Special at Gen Bar Dublin

Halloween Mask Party Special at Gen Bar Dublin comes to Smithfield on Sunday, October 25, 2026, starting at 8 PM. DJ Teeface handles the music, moving through Amapiano, Afrobeats, Dancehall and R&B, while masks and Halloween outfits form the visual theme of the night.