With just over a month to go until giant monsters take over Leicester city centre, some of the mischievous characters and locations set to feature in The Return of Leicester Monsters have been revealed.
From 22–31 October, eight giant illuminated monster installations will appear across rooftops, windows and unexpected corners of Leicester city centre as one of the UK’s largest free Halloween events of its kind returns for October half term.
Following its hugely popular debut in 2023, which attracted more than 80,000 visitors, this year’s event will introduce families to a colourful cast of larger-than-life characters created by internationally renowned artists Filthy Luker & Pedro Estrellas.
Among the monsters waiting to be discovered will be Chomper, a giant orange monster with an appetite for bricks, mortar and the occasional chimney, who will be taking up residence at Mattioli Woods at the bottom of New Walk.
Over at Highcross, the overly affectionate Tentacle Terry will be reaching out to make new friends, while his long-suffering wife Tentacle Tina will be waiting for him at Metro Bank near the Clock Tower.
Visitors to Jewry Wall will come face-to-face with aspiring rockstar Sick Jagger, while Jazz Hands, an actor desperately awaiting his big break, will be found appropriately close to Leicester’s Cultural Quarter at LCB Depot. Elsewhere, more monsters will be waiting to surprise visitors across the city centre.
Each monster will have its own Monster ID, revealing more about its peculiar personality, hobbies and questionable life choices.
Families will be encouraged to hunt down all eight monsters and check in at each location using the My Leicester App. Anyone who completes all eight check-ins will automatically be entered into a monster prize draw.
The prize package includes:
- A £100 voucher to spend at Bill’s
- Four tickets to Curve’s family Christmas show, Daisy and the Trouble with Christmas
- A £100 Leicester Gift Card
The event is presented by BID Leicester, with support from Leicester Cathedral and Leicester City Council. Assistant city mayor Cllr Vi Dempster said:
“We’re thrilled that Monsters will be returning to Leicester this October and are very proud to support this event. These giant, colourful creatures were a huge hit when they first appeared three years ago, putting a smile on people’s faces and bringing fun – and surprises – to the city centre.
“This free event is a fantastic way for families to enjoy the October half-term, and with Restaurant Week taking place at the same time, there’ll be even more reason to visit the city centre and enjoy a monster day out.”
The event will once again coincide with Leicester Restaurant Week, running from 20 October to 2 November, with restaurants, cafés and bars across the city offering special fixed-price menus and exclusive dining deals.
Visitors can make a day of it by hunting down the monsters before stopping for breakfast, lunch, dinner or something sweet – and one particularly hungry monster might even need convincing to swap his usual diet of bricks and mortar for something from the Restaurant Week menu.
The Return of Leicester Monsters will run from Thursday 22 October to Saturday 31 October 2026 and is completely free to enjoy.
The full monster map will be available soon, and further information can be found here.