ARE you looking for free things to do this October half-term in Leicester? Get ghost hunting with the leicester ghost trail!
Discover friendly ghosts lurking at some of Leicester’s most historic locations, and bag yourself a Halloween treat at the end!
Pick up your map from the Visit Leicester Info Centre (or download it below) and download the LoyalFree app to get started. Then follow the map and get ghost hunting across the city centre! You’ll discover Leicester’s most haunted and historic locations and meet some friendly ghosts along the way!
Scan the QR code for each ghost and find them all to spell the secret word. At the last location, present the magic word to collect your Halloween treat and be automatically entered into the prize draw!
Find all the ghosts to be in with a chance to win!
When you find all the locations, you’ll be entered into a competition to win a Halloween bundle worth £100!
To get started, pick up a map from the Visit Leicester Information Centre or click the button below to download, then download the LoyalFree App!
halloween events in leicester:
After you’ve found all the ghosts, take your pick from our hand-picked selection of family-friendly spooky events and activities!
Film showing: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
21 – 24 October, Showcase Cinema, Times vary, Tickets: £7.99
After an unexpected family tragedy, Lydia’s life takes a chaotic turn when her teenage daughter accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife, summoning the mischievous Beetlejuice.
Haymarket’s Horrible Halloween family Fun Day
23 October, Haymarket Shopping Centre, 11am – 3pm, Free event
Families are invited to a spooky Halloween party with fancy dress competitions, zombies, witches, facepainting, and magical interactions.
Film showing: Coco
25 October, Showcase Cinema, 12:30pm, Tickets: £4.99
Miguel embarks on a journey to the Land of the Dead to uncover the secrets of his family’s musical past.
Film showing: The Witches
25 – 26 October, Showcase Cinema, Times vary, Tickets: £4.99
A young boy and his grandmother work together to stop a coven of witches from turning children into mice.
GetCrafted! Halloween Market
27 October, Firebug, 11am – 4pm, Free event
A market featuring stalls from small creators with Halloween-themed and cosy autumnal items.
Paranormal Taster Sessions
20 & 21 October, The Guildhall, 7pm – 9pm, Tickets: £22
Attendees will have the opportunity to explore and experiment with paranormal equipment around the building.
Spooktacular Fun Day!
24 October, The Guildhall, 11am – 3pm, Tickets: Child (under 16): £4 (online), £5 (cash on the door), Accompanying adult: Free
Children can enjoy making spooky crafts, participate in ghost-catching games, and follow a spooky trail around the Haunted Hall.
Film Showing: Tabby McTat & Room on the Broom
25 – 27 & 29 – 30 October, Showcase Cinema, Times vary, Tickets: £3.99
Tabby McTat, the busker’s cat, gets separated from his friend, while a witch loses her hat, bow, and wand during a windy broomstick ride.
FOCUS presents Haymarket Horrors
26 October, Haymarket Shopping Centre (old Moda unit, opposite B&M), 12pm – 4pm, Free event
A Halloween-themed event featuring various spooky activities in the old Moda unit of Haymarket Shopping Centre.
Film showing: Coraline
27 October, The Guildhall, 1pm – 3pm, Tickets: £6
Watch this dark fantasy animation in the atmospheric setting of The Guildhall’s Great Hall.
Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book
22 – 23 October, Curve Theatre, 10:30am or 1:30pm (both days), Tickets: £10 – £18
Charlie tries to convince his sister that reading is fun by taking her on an adventure through books about pirates, knights, and Goldilocks.
Investigation Stations
25 October, The Guildhall, 11am – 6pm, Free event
Participants can solve crimes and learn about Leicester’s famous detective Tanky Smith through craft activities in the Victorian police cells.
Film showing: The Addams Family
25 – 26 October, Showcase Cinema, Times vary, Tickets: £4.99
Gomez Addams becomes suspicious when a man claiming to be his long-lost brother Fester arrives, leading to a plot to swindle the family fortune.
Film showing: Hocus Pocus – Costume Part
26 – 27 October, Showcase Cinema, Times vary, Tickets: £4.99
Fans are invited to dress up as the Sanderson Sisters for a costume party alongside a screening of the classic Halloween film.
Hallowe’en Ghost Walk
30 – 31 October, Newarke Houses, 5pm – 6:30pm, Tickets: £12
Participants can explore the spooky surroundings of Wygston’s Chantry House, Skeffington House, and the Newarke Houses museum gardens.
Frequently asked questions:
- Question: How do I start?
- Answer:
- Head to Visit Leicester Information Centre (part of King Richard III Centre, opposite the Cathedral) and pick up a map
- Download the LoyalFree app, or make sure you are on the latest updated version if you already have the app installed
- Go to the ‘Trails’ tab at the top or bottom of the app homepage
- Scroll to the right to click ‘View all trails’
- Either search or scroll down to the bottom of the list of trails to find the ‘Leicester Ghost Trail’. Please note that the trail won’t be live until 21st October so you won’t find it on the app until then.
- Question: How do I find out where to collect my Halloween treat at the end?
- Answer: You can head to the final location with your completed map and all of the trail locations scanned in the app to get your Halloween treat. You will also be automatically entered into a prize draw to win a Halloween bundle worth £100 once you’ve scanned all the locations.
- Question: My phone isn’t working, or I can’t press ‘Start The Trail’ on the app.
- Answer: Force quit the app and restart, and if it doesn’t work, make sure that your mobile data is turned on