Quick answer: Dublin’s big Halloween moment is the Bram Stoker Festival, running Friday 23 to Monday 26 October 2026 over the October bank holiday weekend, with free family fun and a Macnas parade on the Monday night. Halloween itself falls on Saturday 31 October 2026, the same weekend as the Púca Festival in Trim and Athboy, Co. Meath (29 October to 1 November), about the closest you’ll get to Samhain at its source.
Ah, Halloween in Ireland. Sure, we invented the thing, so it’d be rude not to do it properly. Here’s how to spend Halloween 2026 in and around Dublin: the festivals, the ghost tours, the haunted spots worth your time, and the practical bits that will keep your night running smoothly.
Why Ireland Is the Home of Halloween
Halloween grew out of Samhain, the Celtic festival that marked the end of the harvest and the start of the “dark half” of the year. According to the Púca Festival, its roots go back more than two thousand years to what is now County Meath, where the Hill of Ward (Tlachtga), near Athboy, was a major gathering place for Samhain rituals. Great bonfires were lit. People believed spirits walked among the living, so they left out offerings of food and drink and wore masks and costumes to hide from mischievous visitors from the otherworld. Remind you of anything?
These days Fáilte Ireland, Tourism Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland promote the island as the “Home of Halloween”. The Boyne Valley, just north of Dublin, runs a five-week programme of events from 2 October to 8 November 2026.
Bram Stoker Festival 2026 (23–26 October)
Dublin City Council’s Bram Stoker Festival celebrates the Dublin-born author of Dracula. Organisers say it draws more than 60,000 people every year. The 2026 edition runs Friday 23 to Monday 26 October, a week before Halloween, and mixes big free events with small ticketed ones that sell out fast. Full programme and booking at bramstokerfestival.com.
Highlights
- Macnas: Fiáin parade: the free closing spectacle, with giant puppets, music and storytelling through Dublin’s north-east inner city. Monday 26 October at 7pm.
- Marsh’s by Candlelight: an after-hours tour of Ireland’s oldest public library, full of ghosts and Gothic connections. Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October, 6:30pm and 7:30pm, €20 + €1 booking fee.
- Donal Fallon’s tour of Mount Jerome Cemetery: the historian walks you through Dublin’s great Victorian cemetery. Sunday 25 October, €15 + €1 booking fee.
- Body Snatching in Dublin Graveyards: a free Three Castles Burning talk at Green Street Courthouse. Saturday 24 October, 12pm.
- Stoker on Stoker: Dacre Stoker, Bram’s great-grandnephew, digs into the secrets of Dracula at Trinity College Dublin. Sunday 25 October, 1:30pm, €13 + €1 booking fee.
- Dracula (1958) 4K restoration: Hammer’s classic with Christopher Lee, at Light House Cinema. Sunday 25 October, 1:30pm, €13 (€10.50 concession).
- SCANRA: The Bonfire: music, myth and storytelling about Samhain’s Irish origins at Bewley’s Grafton Street. Monday 26 October, 7:30pm, €15 + €1 booking fee.
Púca Festival 2026: Trim and Athboy, Co. Meath (29 October – 1 November)
If you want Halloween with real roots, head for Púca Festival. It runs Thursday 29 October to Sunday 1 November 2026 in Trim and Athboy, two historic Meath towns. Expect music, comedy, storytelling, fire performance and folklore. The two signature events are free:
- Púca Procession, Trim: shapeshifting spirits, drums and fire take over the streets. Friday 30 October, 6pm (subject to change). Free, no ticket needed.
- Lighting of the Samhain Fire, Athboy: the ancestral flame is lit at the Fairgreen on Halloween night itself, Saturday 31 October, with a free set from Kíla. Show starts 5:30pm (subject to change and licence).
Big Top concerts in Trim this year include The Coronas, The Waterboys, Hothouse Flowers and Sharon Shannon. There are also heritage tours of Tlachtga (the Hill of Ward) on every day of the festival. Mind the age limits: Big Top events are strictly 16+ and the Samhain Circus is 18+, but everything else is open to all ages.
Getting there from Dublin
Bus Éireann runs services to Trim and Athboy, and the festival runs its own coach from Dublin and other hubs (details on the Púca travel page). A free shuttle runs hourly between Trim and Athboy during the festival, taking about 20 to 30 minutes. Driving? There’s free parking at the Porchfields in Trim, but parking in Athboy is limited.
What about Drogheda?
Púca stays in Trim and Athboy for 2026, but Drogheda has its own Halloween-season event. The Lú Festival of Light (23–26 October) fills the town centre with large-scale projections inspired by Irish mythology, as part of the Boyne Valley Home of Halloween programme. Making a day of the area? Our Newgrange and Boyne Valley tour guide pairs nicely with it.
Ghost Tours and Haunted Spots in Dublin
The Ghostbus Tour
Dublin Bus’s original Ghostbus is a two-hour mix of theatre, gruesome history and dark comedy, led by professional actors. It stops off at a hidden city-centre graveyard and at St Audoen’s Church. Departures are at 7pm and 9:30pm from 59 Upper O’Connell Street, with extra Halloween departures. Adults pay from €35. It’s for ages 14+ (under-16s with an adult) and includes some bawdy humour. Halloween dates are popular, so book early.
Kilmainham Gaol
Kilmainham isn’t a ghost attraction. It’s a former prison at the heart of Irish history, and one of the most atmospheric places in the city. Entry is by guided tour only and must be pre-booked through the official site, where tickets go on sale 28 days ahead at midnight Irish time. Adults pay €8 and a family ticket is €20. Allow about 90 minutes. Tickets from third-party sites are not valid. It’s not recommended for children under six, and the gaol is cold, so wrap up.
St Michan’s Church crypts
Beneath this Smithfield church lie vaults of mummified remains. Some were damaged in a 2024 arson attack, as reported by the BBC. According to the parish, crypt tours run on a drop-in basis Monday to Thursday only, from 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm (last tours), with tickets bought on arrival. There are no tours on Fridays, weekends or bank holidays. That rules out Monday 26 October and Halloween night itself, so aim for Tuesday 27 to Thursday 29 October.
Leap Castle (day trip, by appointment only)
Often called Ireland’s most haunted castle, Leap Castle in Co. Offaly is a private home. Discover Ireland lists it as open to visitors on request only, so arrange a visit in advance and don’t just turn up.
Family-Friendly Halloween Picks
- Stokerland, St Patrick’s Park: a free Gothic fun park with storytelling, street arts, face-painting and a Victorian-style carousel beneath St Patrick’s Cathedral. Saturday 24 to Monday 26 October, 11am–4:30pm. A relaxed session runs on Monday from 11am to 1pm.
- Dracula’s Disco, Mansion House: a free (ticketed) Halloween disco for little monsters aged four and up. Monday 26 October, 12pm and 2pm.
- Family mask-making, Collins Barracks: a free drop-in workshop at the National Museum. Sunday 25 October, 1:30–3pm (last entry 2:30pm).
- Ghostbus Kids Tour: a 90-minute, more-fun-than-scary version for ages 7–14, running daily through the Halloween holidays. Tickets are €20 each or €70 for a family, but many slots are already sold out, per DoDublin.
- Sorcas na Samhna at Púca: the festival’s family-friendly circus in Athboy.
Want more to fill the half-term week? Browse Dublin city visitor attractions or a hop-on hop-off city tour for daytime sightseeing.
Halloween Night Tips for 2026
- Mind the dates. The October bank holiday is Monday 26 October 2026 (Citizens Information), so the Stoker Festival weekend is the long weekend. Halloween is the following Saturday 31 October.
- Clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, so evenings get dark early. Grand for ghost tours.
- Dublin Marathon, Sunday 25 October. The race starts at Leeson Street from 8:40am, with road closures across the city. Plan around it (marathon FAQ).
- Fireworks are illegal unless used by licensed operators. In its 2026 campaign, the Department of Justice warns that possessing fireworks with intent to sell or supply, or throwing an ignited one at a person or property, can bring fines of up to €10,000 and five years in prison. Keep pets indoors.
- Transport. Check the TFI Journey Planner and operator updates on the night, as services can change. If you’re flying in for the weekend, see our guide to getting to and from Dublin Airport.
- Book ahead. The Ghostbus, Kilmainham and the smaller Stoker events all sell out around Halloween.
For everything else on in the city, see our Dublin events calendar.
FAQ
When is the Bram Stoker Festival 2026?
Friday 23 to Monday 26 October 2026, over the October bank holiday weekend. The Macnas parade is on Monday 26 October at 7pm.
What day is Halloween 2026?
Saturday 31 October 2026. The bank holiday is the Monday before, 26 October.
Is Halloween really Irish?
Its roots are. Halloween grew from Samhain, the Celtic festival that marked the end of harvest. Tlachtga (the Hill of Ward) near Athboy, Co. Meath, was a key gathering place.
Can I visit the Púca Festival as a day trip from Dublin?
Yes. Trim and Athboy are served by Bus Éireann, and the festival runs a dedicated coach from Dublin. The procession and the Samhain Fire are both free.
Can I see St Michan’s crypts on Halloween?
No. Tours run Monday to Thursday only and not on bank holidays, so go Tuesday 27 to Thursday 29 October.
Are there Halloween events for kids in Dublin?
Plenty. Stokerland and Dracula’s Disco are free, and the Ghostbus Kids Tour is designed for ages 7–14.
Plan Your Spooky Season
Make a week of it: Stoker in the city, Samhain in Meath, and a ghost tour or two in between. Browse tours and activities or more Dublin experiences on GetYourGuide. If the spirits leave you wanting more, our top day tours from Dublin are waiting. Happy Samhain!
Explore Dublin & Beyond
From historical city walking tours to breathtaking day trips across Ireland. Find your next adventure.
See all tours & activities
