This past Halloween weekend we travelled to the big top! The Clapham Grand was the latest venue for the travelling circus-inspired clubbing event. Cirque Du Soul brands themselves as the 21st Century’s Moulin Rouge, and we can tell why with the level of colour and energy they bring to the table. Granted, Clapham Grand is a smaller venue than they are used to performing in, but it was no less delightful than we expected, and let us dress up in our favourite twisted-carnie-style!
Credit: Storefront City
There was a wide range of great music on offer, anywhere from house, to soul and funk, to a bit of disco and hip-hop spun from live DJs on the dance floor. Clapham Grand set up the night in an interesting manner, with the DJ on the ground floor allowing for two different dance areas, one on the Grand’s stage itself, which was fun to experience as we’ve been to the venue many times but have never set foot on the stage before. This also allowed for a variety of perspectives to experience the decor and performers from several vantage points, and we loved the immersive feeling this provided with everything happening all around us.
Credit: Cirque Du Soul
The performers were definitely our highlight of the night, with circus-themed stilt walkers roaming the crowd and even two giant puppet-like clowns dancing among the revellers. Upon seeing these Killer Klowns from Outer Space-themed creatures we knew right away that Cirque du Soul must work with Area 51, an immersive design and event company who also provide performers and costumes – and we’re well acquainted with these favourite clowns of theirs! All the performers made the night what it was, dancing and interacting with the crowd in these incredible-difficult costumes. They charged up the atmosphere, and brought the circus to life at this incredible venue. We didn’t stay the entire night having already been to some other Storefront City events that evening, so we don’t know if we missed a bigger variety of acts (we thought there would be aerialists, fire or more, but The Grand is too small of a venue for this). Regardless, we were more than satisfied from the floor performers and the delightful and raucous energy they brought to the party.
Credit: Storefront City
Final Thoughts: While not as show-stopping as rival event The Dark Circus Party, Cirque Du Soul is definitely a fun themed night out with high levels of entertainment value, and heads above the Twisted Circus events we’ve also attended before. We’d be interested in seeing what Cirque du Soul can do with larger event spaces, especially with their relationship with Area 51 and their expertise in the circus arena – they’ve got a Christmas/NYE event coming up at the Troxy this year, so we’ll head over and try it out. And we can never say no to some Killer Klowns from Outer Space – these wacky weirdos will always have a place in our Halloween hearts!
For the past few years, Dr. Fright’s Halloween Nights has been our number one scare attraction, so we were beyond excited to see what the haunt had in store for us this year. Dr. Fright’s is known for showcasing completely new mazes every single year, whether they are sequels to past ideas or novel concepts. But perhaps our best memory of this attraction is the perfect mixture of scare and fun they bring to the table – from dancing and laughing with Killer Clowns on a Spaceship, and being absolutely petrified at last year’s Yokai Temple. The actors at Dr. Fright’s are all volunteers, which is ridiculously surprising as they are some of the best scare actors in the UK, and Dr. Fright’s really knows how to set up their talent in the best ways to thrill…and kill!
Credit: Storefront City
Dr. Fright’s has certainly grown a bit this year, and their signage and branding is off the charts, with new theming covering all four sides of the mostly-covered event, a large branded map of the park, and a new merchandise stall selling shirts, keyrings, and even branded hot sauce. A hugely creepy nun followed us around, and various food and drink stalls peppered the space. They even have their themed horror bar where you can sit back and watch live scarecams, streaming the faces of terrified patrons from inside the mazes onto a large screen to add another layer of fun to the event. Whilst not as large as Hallowscream or Fear Avon, the level of thought and detail in the space and in each and every one of the haunts is second to none.
Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd
Grindhouse in Wonderland: A defunct fairytale village attraction deep in the Louisiana swamps, experience a blood soaked journey through a once magical land of enchantment. Welcome to your deadly never after!
As butchery is usually our least favourite concept, we went into Grindhouse in Wonderland first, and this is where the tongue-in-cheek fun started! Immediately in the queue and throughout the haunt we danced away to song after song of Disney-music-gone-wrong, and every which way we turned we had the most evil of fairytale creatures jumping out at us. These actors are not afraid to get right in your face, but they know exactly where they are in this horrific fairytale and aren’t afraid to have fun along the way.
Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd
Killer Clowns of the Caribbean:The notorious killer clowns have commandeered a popular pirate themed attraction, transforming it into the perfect venue for their latest killing contest!
We always leave the clown attraction for the last, as it’s usually the best on offer. Unfortunately, we got stuck behind a large group of slower guests during this maze, so missed out on a majority of the scares, but we still thoroughly enjoyed all of the crazed pirates here. There was even a short segment of the maze which must have had at least five or six clowns coming at us from above, below, and pretty much everywhere one after the other – such good shock values, and all to the tune of ridiculous pirate shanties.
Credit: Storefront City
Monsters and Madmen: A reclusive millionaire has spent years building up a collection of live exhibits for his museum. Prepare to come face to face with the worlds most feared killers, creatures and demons that lurk around every corner!
This maze was by far the most heart-pounding scary maze we have attended this year, with the most petrifying of serial killers coming at us from all sides. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen a werewolf in a haunted maze, and Dr. Fright’s not only brought a wolf, but also aliens from the X-Files, numerous characters from The Purge, and of course every single serial killer from every franchise you can think of. Another thing Dr Fright’s always does right is their ability to make you question what is real and what isn’t, and you’re never quite prepared for when the real killer comes out to get you! Hands down an amazing, terrifying maze that had our adrenaline spiked for the rest of the night.
Credit: Storefront City
House of Wax: Legend has it, the eccentric owner Madame La’trusse, owner of The House of Wax and condemned as a witch, still haunts the house, reanimating the twisted remains of her beloved wax works.
There is nothing more eerie and unsettling than that feeling one gets around waxworks. Lifelike, yet so totally dead, and yet…did we just see that finger move ever so slightly? This maze is packed with them, along with mannequins and dolls that do leave you wondering who’s going to attack you next (as is Dr. Fright’s speciality). Some brilliant effects meant we couldn’t be sure what was real (including simple objects like mirrors) and so fell prey to an array of scares that were cleverly hidden at first glance. And yes, we did scream!
Final Thoughts: Dr. Fright’s did not disappoint this year, and if the attraction had given us the opportunity to ‘top up’ and attend all the haunts twice, we certainly would have – we didn’t want to leave! We attended on a Sunday so the queues weren’t too bad, but fast track passes are always a great deal and a good idea. However, the ambience and soundtracks in the queues make the wait a ton of fun and worth it when you get to go into the attraction as individual groups, another exclusive element of Dr. Fright’s we really love. You’re guaranteed to experience the maze with you and your loved ones and friends and not with complete strangers, so it was just the two of us against these terrors, which made it all the more frightening. Dr. Fright’s is the best value for the best scares and laughs you’ll get, and we can’t recommend this place enough. It’s THE experience of the season!
We were beyond excited this year to try a renowned scare attraction we’ve never attended before – Fear at Avon Valley Scream Park, which won at the 2022 ScareCon for Best Scream Park UK. Consisting of 5 scare attractions, an extra exorcism experience, a huge entertainment stage, and various carnival rides and food stalls, Fear presents a well-branded and fun scare festival atmosphere, one we’re so happy to have experienced this year!
Credit: Storefront City
Fear started the event off amazingly, with a simply done but fun entrance into the park. We went into the gaping mouth of a deranged clown and were spat out of a tunnel and into the festival grounds. Fear is unique from other events we’ve attended as they have a handful of characters throughout the park, the ‘Terrifying Titans’: a group of horrible clowns and creatures whose faces are all over the park’s branding and who come to life in front of you. You notice the extreme care and thought that went into the creation of this park, and how brilliantly threaded together all the characters and stories are. Not to mention the grand and energy-packed fire shows happening every hour or so and the totally creepy stilted scarecrows eying up their next victim – what a thrill!
Besides the five haunts, we participated in a new experience this year, The Exorcism, a short theatrical production of a priest’s attempt at an exorcism. This kind of reminded us of Le Theatre Noir at ScreamFest, but it was far better executed. We’re not sure the extra fee and the long wait were worth it for the short performance, but there were some really creepy effects and a lot of effort put in from the cast, not to mention a nice change from your usual maze-like haunts. Speaking of which…
Credit: Avonvalley.co.uk
X4: A complex series of tunnels were discovered deep underground during routine excavation work at site Alpha-Vixen One. Hidden deep within these tunnels, the discovery of a lifetime was made, altering the course of humanity.
Combining clinical and mutational horror, X4 delivered an amazing experience that threw us into unknown territories. Starting in a very convincing lift, science has gone terribly awry, which is clear from the vacant, robotic expressions of the staff you first encounter. Slowly, dizzyingly, you are led to new levels of disorientation, including a total smoke white out, all the while terrified from every direction by ghouls of this unwelcome place. With high immersion levels, this maze is impressively and continually horrifying.
Credit: Avonvalley.co.uk
Vita Nova: Omega Industries has initiated its quality of life programme, Vita Nova, restoring order to the Republic of England. Society will be reformed, it will be born anew. All non-conformers will be detected, and they will be ameliorated.
Vita Nova was one of our favourite mazes of the night. The most terrifying part was that each person must go through the maze alone – something we didn’t expect when parks usually bundle people in groups of 7-10! We entered an intake room with another group of people, but then one of the creepy actors pointed at us one at a time to go through the doors, and everything became very real. The actors in this were superb, and the maze’s tactics to keep people separate were terrific. This had so many fun elements, from being locked in an enclosed space with no clear way out, crawling spaces and sliding, and genuinely frightening smiles from all the cast. A great maze!
Credit: Avonvalley.co.uk
The Core: After the fall of the UK government and years of national civil unrest, the New World Order has risen and the Republic of England stands victorious. But a rebel alliance has formed, hiding on the edge of society. But unbeknownst to them, a far greater danger lies beneath their feet.
This was the most immersive maze we’ve ever been to. Upon entering the attraction we were instructed to don waders and put all our personal effects in a bag – ready to enter the sewers. Torch in hand, our group was submerged in a subterranean world quite literally underground, with water up to our knees and creatures behind every wall and vent. We didn’t find this maze too scary but some of our group-mates did – we were more in awe of the entire concept and just wanted to continue exploring despite the creatures lurking there!
Credit: Avonvalley.co.uk
House of Clowns: The circus has arrived, but murderous accusations have faced the troupe and the inhabitants will do whatever they can to get this house of clowns back on top. And they want you to be the star of the show.
We do love a good clown scare, and House of Clowns does the trick. With a pulsating soundtrack, extremely enthusiastic scare actors, and a confusing series of chambers, you’re likely to lose yourself in the madness of the big top if you’re not careful – especially due to the dazzling use of unexpected strobes. Now, this being said, clown mazes are almost de rigueur in the world of scares, so we’ve seen many of these effects before, meaning our initial shock is somewhat lessened. Nevertheless, clowns are bloody terrifying, and these are no exception.
Credit: Avonvalley.co.uk
Malefica:After being destroyed in a mysterious fire, a church is returned to its former glory. But something isn’t quite right; strange noises have been heard deep within the church, and volunteers claim to have seen something moving in the shadows.
We had high expectations for this haunt, having won a ScareCon award in 2022 and been nominated for several others. Granted, we were at the back of a very large group so we missed a lot of the best features and scares of this maze, so for us this wasn’t very hair-raising. The sets were detailed and we loved some of the rooms, and the acting again here was high quality. But we can’t help comparing this one with the similarly themed maze at Dr Fright’s from a few years ago, which was second to none, so while this was an enjoyable maze, it wasn’t our favourite of the night.
Final Thoughts: Fear at Avon Valley is a thoroughly enjoyable, well-executed, and downright scary experience that we loved. If you can, we’d highly suggest you purchase a Fast Track pass, as without this the wait times in line seemed to average 30-45 minutes (helpfully displayed on the main screen). Our only criticism would be to point out that the wait time for The Exorcism was quite long and risked eating into time spent in the mazes. With some of the most intense and creative scares available, if you’re into Halloween you need to get yourself over here right now!
Hallowscream at York Maze was our favourite scare attraction in 2019, so we decided it was time for a revisit three years later. The park boasts 5 main haunts under one huge marquee, so creates a lively indoor atmosphere, besides a new indoor stage, a merch stall, and carnival games – not to mention an entire separate outdoor area with carnival rides, food stalls and yet another stage!
One of the best parts of the experience for us back in 2019 was the entrance to the park – we remember being shepherded into a large marquee where a fantastical light-projected talking head told us the story of the park. After this haunted tale we were then birthed out of the tent and into the park itself, complete with a trail of lit pumpkins and skeletons at the entrance.
That, of course, was pre-COVID. This time, we oddly were just let through what effectively is also the exit to the park, so admittedly we were completely thrown off from the start of our journey. No talking head, no intro to the haunted park’s history. We thought we went through the wrong entrance!
But, in fact the park has changed up its offerings due to the changes brought about from the COVID years. Not to fret! They’ve added many food stalls and stages that weren’t there in 2019 – we just wish there was a bit more effort put into the entrance. Nonetheless, we entered the park and were soon greeted by the first stage show, with the devil himself as the emcee. We appreciated the homage to The Devil’s Carnival! On balance though, we preferred this stage rather than the outdoor one.
Credit: Storefront City Team
The park also presents plenty of fun opportunities for selfies, whether it’s with some skeleton pirates, the amazing roaming scare-actors (including the iconic creepy twins), as well as a new smoke-bubble blowing gigantic werewolf!
But now to the haunts. While we don’t have picture-perfect memory, we do remember all these haunts from 2019. We don’t believe there’s been any big changes, so do check out our review from 2019 for newbie-reactions to these.
Credit: York Maze Hallowscream
2073: Society has broken down, and the streets are inhabited by zombie-like creatures, sick with radiation poisoning.
This was one of our favourite and most atmospheric mazes back in 2019, and although very similar in form, we did notice that the references to Trump had been removed. It was notable that some sections of the maze did seem a little empty, but as soon as you thought you were alone along comes a chap with an airgun to give you a good rattling. The sets truly looked as if society had fallen apart!
Credit: York Maze Hallowscream
The Flesh Pot:In Victorian times people flocked to the butcher’s stall, and talked of how eating his meat made them happy – unaware that the meat they were eating was human flesh laced with opiates.
A grisly journey into mad butchery, this maze was replete with energetic ghouls that were persistent in their persecution. The set and ambience was, as before, very comprehensive, but the subject matter didn’t move us towards the sheer terror that it might for some. Again, this is a matter of taste, not quality, and we’re sure that those who enjoy more peculiar cuts of meat will salivate over this offering.
Credit: York Maze Hallowscream
The Singularity: A man’s vision to create a new species that combines the best of man and machine, one true perfect being called ‘The Singularity’. Enter his laboratory and see for yourself, but beware the process is not yet perfected and more human test subjects are needed for his warped experiments.
What a petrifying adventure – you never quite know were a demonic bot will pop out from, even swinging from the ceiling, complete with wrecking ball. Prepare to be scanned, examined, and stunned, with a disorientating white-out part way through in a room filled with blinding fog so thick that one can only see inches ahead of you. There is great attention to detail in this maze that continues to mark it out as an excellent scare.
Credit: York Maze Hallowscream
Barnaggedon 3D: Enter a kaleidoscopic world – put on your 3D glasses to reveal a perplexing, space shifting subterranean chaos, where your eyes can’t be trusted to separate what’s real from illusion.
We loved the colourful world of Barnaggedon, with the 3D glasses creating a difference in our perceptions and making everything dizzying and chaotic. From water effects to subterranean smells, Barneggedon was a world to its own. We didn’t review this haunt very well our first time around, and while we’re still confused in the theming, we did find it a fun and disorienting adventure!
Credit: York Maze Hallowscream
Corny’s Cornevil: Enter Corny’s Cornevil where demonic clowns and mind-bending illusions will have you questioning your sanity and begging for the exit!
Corny’s Cornevil, which is based upon the existing fun maze, is still such a thrill years later, even unchanged. There are so many unique funhouse elements that other clown mazes miss out on, from slanting and tilting spaces, moving floors, and other endless optical illusions. We particularly loved its squishy floors, hidden creepy clowns, and all the interactive elements!
Final Thoughts: We’re probably too harsh on Hallowscream: it’s honestly an amazing attraction with a wonderful atmosphere both inside and outside the main marquee. What’s also important to note is that roaming actors were clearly having fun and enjoying themselves, and it was always hilarious to see the killer butcher shaking his bum or doing the time warp, or the chainsaw-carrying granny dropping it like it was hot in the middle of a dance circle. Sure, it set the bar high for us in 2019 and didn’t quite meet our expectations this time around, but we’re excited to see them in the coming years as they find their equilibrium after COVID and maybe hopefully after a reskin or two of some of their haunts.
Storefront City is back for Tullys Shocktober Fest!
We made sure for Tullys to be our finale Halloween haunt this year and we even brought some mates this time to experience it with us. It was definitely a fun event, but we have to admit we didn’t enjoy the haunts as much this year. The main problem? The batching. The batching was, not to mince words, horrific this year, and the queues completely crazy. We had a much different time than when we went in 2019. Despite arriving at opening, the queues were so long the entire night that we ended up missing three attractions this year!
But we’ll get into that rant a bit later. Let’s cover the good stuff first!
Tulleys Shocktober Fest is an absolute must to visit with a whopping TEN attractions — eight scare mazes, a haunted hayride and a twisted circus act, not to mention the amazing atmosphere surrounding the whole event. We may have gone at an interesting time (it was half term so the park was swarming with audiences much younger than us) but there was still an amazing spooky and exciting atmosphere with roaming characters, many bars, an astonishing variety of food, and rides and music stages. If it wasn’t giving us a theme park feeling in 2019 it was now — there was definitely not enough time in one night to do everything!
The Cellar Imprisoned Our Scare Factor: 3/10 Atmosphere Rating: 7/10
Storyline: Those that dwell in the Cellar have not been forgotten, they have been locked in.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
We were smart to do this one first last time — we waited until the last second this year and were definitely in a group of 15, missing all the scares. We remember this to have been one of the best and scariest haunts at Tullys, which definitely made this year disappointing. But the haunt is still detailed, with different room sizes and a dark and dank feeling throughout that made it feel like a cellar. There was also a creepy toy room that had a great performer in it. We wish we could have enjoyed this haunt more!
We loved the glow in the dark 3D theming of this maze again this year, especially with its disorienting must-have tunnel and tons of crouching areas and play with space and depth. We enjoyed crawling up and down the steep areas and seeing the wandering eyes upon the walls that kept moving due to the 3D glasses. But, once again, we were in a huge batch, and we didn’t see a single character in full-clown-getup, just everyone with circus makeup. Except a cool jester — can’t forget him! The worst part of this event? The completely unsanitized and reused 3D glasses. Yuck.
Storyline: The year is 1998, after the explosion ripped through the world, bringing an end to civil life.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
Wasteland Penitentiary still has the best outdoor set design in the park, with the steampunk-esque metal designs huge and detailed and setting a statement when you head towards the haunt. This was a super lengthy labyrinth, with the prison theme throughout well reflected and a few good jumps. A very consistent maze that doesn’t seem to have changed since last time, but still does what it needs to.
The Island Our Scare Factor: 4/10 Atmosphere Rating: 10/10
Storyline: Something more than man. Something more than animal. An evil scientist’s creations are loose on The Island and they will protect what is theirs.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
According to Tulleys this maze was new for 2021, and while true it was a re-skin of their previous haunt The Wreckoning. But, instead of adventure and pirates we got evil beasts of every shape and size, with very creative takes on creatures everywhere we looked. And since the 2019 set design was a favourite of ours, it was again, with amazing details everywhere you looked. The length of this maze was astounding — we must have been in there at least 15 minutes if not 20, and felt like explorers the whole way. While not exactly scary, there were still tons of crazy elements, including spongy floors, fire, air compressors, and huge sets — definitely a maze not to miss.
The Chop Shop Our Scare Factor: 2/10 Atmosphere Rating: 2/10
Storyline: You better be careful now, Billy-Bob and Billy-Joe are real handy with a reconstruction.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
We wish we would have skipped this one this year in favour of another we didn’t have time to see. Unchanged since 2019, this maze was not very creative, filled with blank walls and blood spatter. It was “turn left, turn right, chainsaw, rinse, repeat”. Quite short too, but we were happy to leave it.
Storyline: Explore the abandoned backlot at the Horrorwood Film Studios.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
Another unchanged maze but we still love this one. It may not be scary but it’s a ton of fun. They fit about 30–40 people on each tractor as they take you on a ride through Horrorwood Film Studios. There were a few jumps and loads of funny moments, with some great interactions with the actors. Was it worth queueing 80 minutes? We’re on the fence, but this is a unique experience at the park and we love-love-loved the creepy ending (we don’t want to completely spoil the surprise). The speaker system could do with a revamp (or at least a turn-up) if nothing else though!
The Village Coven of 13 Our Scare Factor: 5 or 6/10 Atmosphere Rating: 9/10
Storyline: A witch confirmed, tried and convicted; Death upon her was afflicted.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
This was another of our favourites last time, and it remains a favourite this year too! This is a lengthy maze which we appreciate, and every scene in the coven is different with a level of detail unrivalled at other scare attractions we’ve visited in the UK. There was a new final part of the room (or we don’t remember it) that we loved, especially the sensory detail. An absolute great and immersive haunt that will leave you reeling.
Circus of Horrors
Storyline: Blending horror and burlesque with bizarre and unbelievable acts performed to live rock music.
Credit: Tulleys Entertainment Group
We didn’t attend this this year, instead using our final minutes on one the other haunts, but our two visiting friends enjoyed it and loved the mix aerial, burlesque, and horrific stunts.
Critique: We didn’t get to Hell-ements (a blindfolded rope maze) or the Creepy Cottage this year, since we ran out of time and tried to focus on seeing the mazes we know we loved in previous years. As mentioned before, we arrived at opening and stayed until we were kicked out but still missed out on so much this year due to the amount of people in the park.
Don’t get us wrong, we had an amazing time. The haunts have such a level of detail you don’t see elsewhere at smaller attractions in the UK and the atmosphere is electric. But we didn’t enjoy the haunts themselves as much this year. We’re used to going in groups of 6–8. But it wasn’t 6. It wasn’t 8. It wasn’t even 10 or 12.
15. We were batched in groups of 15 this year. And no, this wasn’t for the hayride, this was for every single haunt. The park was packed and we waited anywhere from 45–80 minutes for each attraction, so yes — batches any smaller than 15 and we wouldn’t have even been able to get more than two or three haunts in because the queues would have been even more outrageous. Nonetheless, with groups of 15 we somehow drew the short straw almost every haunt and were at the back, and missed out on the majority of scares in every, single, haunt. Such a pity. Whilst we freely admit it is total speculation, we suspect there was an effort to make up financially for losses incurred due to last year’s cancellation, with a much higher cap on the tickets sold. Even if it meant raising prices, fewer people per entrance slot would have added to the audience experience. Also, don’t think that Fast Pass will spare you the queuing — these lines were just as long.
Also, all the scare actors must have attended the exact same acting session. We were so tired after the first of couple haunts when every single actor makes the exact same unintelligible voices and then throws their hand in your face and withdraws. Yes, very scary, but not when every single actor does this exact same thing! Each haunt should have had mannerisms and sounds specific to the haunt, while in this case they all sounded and acted the exact same and it got a bit boring.
Final Thoughts: We’re harsh critics. If you love haunts, you should definitely attend Tullys. Will we attend next year? We’re not sure. If we’re free early on in their season and they’ve made a change or two in their attractions — definitely! But we won’t go this late in the season again if the queues and batching stay how they were this year.
We posted a few days ago with a sneak peek rating of “Do It” for Festival of the Dead’s ‘Halloween Returns’ at Troxy. Now after having attended the event we’ve come back to tell you all about it. There are upcoming iterations in Birmingham, Bristol, and Manchester: if you’re anywhere near you need to attend!
Europe’s biggest touring Halloween show started quite calmly, with some great music blasting out at the amazing Troxy venue, and a few surprising puppets on the dance floor coming out to invite everyone to start spinning the night away. Stilt-walkers and other amazing carnival elements came out of the woodwork to electrify the atmosphere with fun, togetherness, and yes a little devilish mayhem!
Credit: Festival of the Dead
Once the floor puppets and performers had had their fun it was time for the main event. The lights came down and the monstrous and beautiful contraption in the above photo came out onto the stage, Medusa’s snakes writhing around, manipulated by their talented puppeteers.
Then Huw Joseph joined — the event’s host who has headlined Festival of the Dead events since 2019. Part skeletal rock musician, park whimsical ring master, Huw Joseph is one of the best hosts we’ve seen perform, always keeping the energy up and knowing how to work the crowd.
While we didn’t keep a keen eye on our watches, there must have been two long sets to these performances, about an hour each with a 15 minute break between. And what did these sets consist of? One of the most fabulous and immersive carnival and puppet stage shows you could imagine with a gifted ensemble of performers creating absolute art with a nostalgic and electric rock metal soundtrack in the background.
Credit: Festival of the Dead
When you attend one of these performances you are promised a complete SHOW! From stunning aerial presentations to amazing fire displays and everything in-between, each moment in this over-two-hour spectacular was new, unexpected, and high-octane. We could tell the troupe cared so much about their art, and they invited the audience in to help them keep the energy and fun sizzling throughout.
We don’t want to ruin the whole show and many of its amazing surprises, but this review and the Festival of the Dead’s images give you a sense of how theatrical, stylish, and fun this party is. Part clubbing experience, part stage show, this happening is such a delight for the senses, and definitely one of the best Halloween parties we’ve ever attended in the UK.
Credit: Festival of the Dead
Final Thoughts: You’ve still got three chances to see Festival of the Dead’s ‘Halloween Returns’ at Forum Birmingham, Marble Factory Bristol, and BEC Arena Manchester, so go if you can! It’s truly an indescribable experience that must be lived to be understood. And, if you’re still in London, don’t forget Troxy’s two awesome upcoming events Skullrhythmics on the 29th October and Night of the Raving Dead. Both are sure to be a Hell of a good time!
P.S.: You’ve still got JUST enough time to hit up one more haunted event. See what we thought of Cursed Fright Nights.
One of our highlights of the year is visiting Dr. Fright’s Halloween Nights, and this year was no different. Insane, fun, and chilling, Dr. Fright’s knows how to blend horror, immersive environments, and downright crazy genre combos that will leave you wishing you could go around a second time.
Entering the covered marquee area, you are greeted with the semblance of a small town, complete with themed zones, each appropriate to the attractions around them. Food and drink are available, including the renowned Horror Bar.
Time to grab our tickets and head to the jet, because this year Dr. Fright’s was going on a world tour!
The Grindhouse: Down in Mexico Our Scare Factor: 3/10 Atmosphere Rating: 6/10
Storyline: Viva la Mexico! Our infamous family of cannibal hillbillies have escaped south of the border, but have no intention of stopping their murderous rampage! Can you escape Cousin Cletus’s chainsaw? Or will you become the meat in Mumma’s beef tacos?
Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd
The ridiculousness begins! By now our readers know we aren’t the biggest fans of the cannibal hillbilly mazes — it’s not a theme we find inspired or that much fun to play along to. But merge hillbillies with tacos and lucha libre as the 1950s rock song ‘Tequila’ by The Champs plays on loudspeaker and you’ve got yourself a riot of a time. Politically correct? No, but the theming was fun and the lucha libre section hilarious and disorienting to boot. There was huge enthusiasm from all the actors involved. While far from terrifying, this one definitely reminded us why we enjoy Dr. Fright’s themes so much — completely unique and super entertaining.
Storyline: Yokai Temple has been rigged up with motion sensors, night vision cameras and EMF readers. They are all set and ready in the hopes of finally capturing evidence of the temple’s demonic residents…And it’s your job to draw them out!
Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd
We might have been a little bit biased going into this haunt, as we are huge fans of Asian horror movies, so obviously we were very excited for this one. And boy did this meet our expectations! One thing Dr. Fright’s does so well in many of their mazes is use tons of inanimate objects that look the same in one small room — this way you don’t know what is real and what isn’t, and sometimes none of it is and the actors jump out of somewhere completely different!
The theming for this maze was so specific and every actor was completely in character and matching the different colour schemes and demonic creatures within each room. Many of the rooms were extremely disorientating (in a good, terrifying way), and there were concealed creatures in every nook and cranny, some in the most unique camouflage (we won’t ruin the surprises!), and some coming from directions you’d never expect. There were also terrifying and amazing uses of light, shadow, and projection. We exited the maze wanting to go back in right away!
Hollywood Horror: The Final Chapter Our Scare Factor: 5/10 Atmosphere Rating: 6/10
Storyline: Our fan favourite maze is back, with all new terrifying scenes! Take a tour of Devilsgate Studios and experience a bone chilling trip through some of Hollywood’s most feared blockbusters!
Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd
Hollywood Horror: The Final Chapter has definitely had a serious revamp since 2019 — which is fantastic! Outside of the maze, a Shining-like hotel facade stares back at you, with flickering projections that make you jump if you’re not ready for it.
Whilst the main theme is related to The Shining we also spotted a host of other movie mayhem monsters and moments, including Ghostface from Scream, Jason from Friday the 13th, and even one scene when we were plunged into the middle of The Purge. We felt there were a few less scares than we expected, but honestly we still jumped out of our skins at some points. And watch out for the chilling and ominous Michael Myers…he will find you!
Storyline: Grab your passports because we’re going to Ibiza! Of course, not all is as it seems…As you become prey in the latest killing competition amongst our resident Killer Clowns!
Credit: Dr. Frights Ltd
We saved this maze until last because its predecessor was so pumping last time! As you line up (and believe us, the line for this one will take you a good 40 minutes) you’re in a terminal waiting to board your flight, along with pounding hits including (of course!) “We’re Going to Ibiza” (what’s not to love!). We won’t spoil it for you, but each zone within the maze is highly themed and absolutely mad.
We could have done with a tad notch up on the scare factor, and a few more actors in full clown costume rather than just a bit of makeup. Batching throughout the night had been stellar (we were completely isolated from other groups, which is good for safety and good for scares!), but somehow we got caught between two groups at the end of the maze and missed out on some scares. One of the most interesting scenes included swimming through a pool, but the light effects weren’t quite pulled off so you missed out on a lot of details above the waterline.
But what an ending to the evening! Terrifyingly good execution, dreadfully dastardly effects, and techno beats (wonder if clown house should be a new genre?)!
Final Thoughts: Both times we’ve gone to Dr. Fright’s we have gone away in awe of the mazes and laughing hysterically, and honestly both years it has provided some of our fondest memories. Last year it was the cinema room full of Scream serial killers and clowns clubbing with us to the tunes of Benny Benassi’s ‘Satisfaction’. This year the full mazes themselves are bound to stay with us for awhile, particularly the terrifying and beautiful Yokai Temple and the ridiculousness of clowns in Ibiza. Will we ever get ‘We’re Going to Ibiza’ by Vengaboys out of our heads? Probably not, but it was worth it.
Go go go — go to Dr. Frights! You might wait longer in the queues later in the evening but you’ll be able to enjoy the high-quality and highly-themed attractions with the group you came with and you won’t know whether to laugh or scream. We can’t wait to go back next year!
P.S.: Love the immersion of Dr. Fright’s, but fancy an outdoor experience. Whatton House of Horror has got you covered!
You’ll find us first in the queue for anything horrific and whimsical, but unfortunately due to schedule conflicts we’ve not been able to attend a Festival of the Dead event while living in the UK. But this year we’re in for a treat and can finally make it to Europe’s biggest touring Halloween show!
This event promises to be extremely unique — a mashup of circus, clubbing, and carnival in an imaginative immersive setting with giant skeleton puppets, huge fire shows, and aerialist performers. Art and death collide in this surreal world of the spirits and creatures of the night.
Credit: Festival of the Dead
We’ve seen a lot of upcoming parties pair their event with garage or hip hop, but thank goodness this high octane night will bring rock, metal, and of course our favourite electronic and house music.
We’re equally excited to make our way to the Troxy again — having not been for a few years since a past Secret Cinema performance. We can’t wait to see this massive event space kitted out as a breathtaking carnival for the dead.
Credit: Festival of the Dead
A mix of hauntingly stylish and terrifyingly theatrical, this experiential clubbing phenomenon promises to be a night to remember, and we can’t wait to spend the night dancing with other lost souls in London’s Underworld.
Head on over here to get your tickets today and look out for our full review post event.
On the winding back roads of the Essex countryside, you come across a whimsical fairground, complete with big top. But beware: this isn’t your ordinary circus, which you’ll soon realize when the friendly-looking clown that’s rapidly approaching has something other than fun on his mind. Enter Cursed…
Credit: BCM Productions
Safe Zone Our Scare Factor: 6/10 Atmosphere: 7/10
Storyline: The infected are honing in, and you need to make it to quarantine. Will you arrive at the safe zone unharmed, or will you become one of them?
After facing judgement we were thrown into the outside ‘safe zone’ starting with a journey through a haystack maze. This was definitely one of the highlights of the night, as the haystacks and the actors created a chilling ambience, and it was really fun trying to decide in the complete dark which path to take and if we should venture under the haystack piles and face the wrath of the creatures in order to get out.
The only real downside to this maze is that after we passed the actors some of them broke character and started chatting and laughing, but it was still probably the most fun we had all night.
Credit: BCM Productions
The Institute Our Scare Factor: 5/10 Atmosphere: 5/10
Storyline: As Junior Reporter’s, you have been assigned to witness the execution of Andie Gard at Bridgegate Institute, the infamous serial killer… but inmates don’t take too kindly to visitors, so watch your back
The beginning of this maze was definitely scary as you witnessed the attempted – and botched – execution of a serial killer who escapes in front of your very eyes. Other than this, this was a very typical prison-style attraction with lots of metal bars and strobe lights, but the beginning certainly made it an entertaining adventure.
Credit: BCM Productions
The Haunting Scare Factor: 5/10 Atmosphere: 6/10
Storyline: This house has been left vacant for decades, and you are about to learn why. You’d be surprised how heightened your senses are when you aren’t able to see.
After experiencing Tulleys’ VIXI maze, the concept behind this maze was very familiar. We put on blackout goggles to venture into this hair-raising house – while a bit annoying for those who wear glasses, this was much better than the black hoods of Tulleys, as we could feel water, air, and other elements on our faces, which was certainly an interesting experience. We don’t think the two mazes were too different from each other other than this – it still seemed a bit too simple and missing out on lots of sensory opportunities (again, no smells!) but there was a tiny bit of touching by the actors which was definitely creepy! (Granted, they should have warned about this for those who have issues, but it was so slight to not be problematic for us – instead it was quite intriguing!)
Credit: BCM Productions
Abducted Our Scare Factor: 5/10 Atmosphere: 5/10
Storyline: A quiet drink in the local tavern leads to a chilling story about local disappearances. What will you do when you come face to face with the explanation? Running may be your only option.
The beginning and end of this maze were exceptional, with an immersive tavern-themed intake room and a crazy room full of alien-like nests and creatures protecting them at the end. We also enjoyed the slower strobes in this maze where we couldn’t really see what terrors we were headed toward at the end of harrowing hallways. Our special warning for this maze is to put your hats and any loose accessories away before you get extremely squeezed – do not take the warnings of claustrophobia in this one lightly!
Credit: BCM Productions
The Sewers Our Scare Factor: 4/10 Atmosphere: 5/10
Storyline: The Workshop was shut down, forcing business underground. Will you be able to navigate your way through the tunnel system and escape the butchers clasp?
This maze certainly had a genuinely fun theme perfect for the UK at Halloween, with old and eerie Victorian-style brick walls and tunnels you had to choose between. Unfortunately, while all the mazes at this park were short, this one was even shorter, and we were out before we really knew what was going, but it was gripping while it lasted!
Final Thoughts: This was for sure a special community-style event and we could tell the actors really cared and tried very hard to help you enjoy your evening. The mazes were admittedly quite short, but they definitely took amazing advantage of the space allowed in each of the maze marquees. The biggest disappointment was the theming of the main event green area, which is the hub into and out of the mazes. There was a small entertainment space and a single food truck, but the lack of lighting and any decorations really let this area down. We didn’t really want to hang around and enjoy the ambience as there really wasn’t any – this was the biggest let down of the night, and just a few small touches, from decorating the ped-barriers to adding some strands of lights or even a sweet stand, would have changed everything. But all in all the mazes and actors made this a night we would suggest you give a try, especially if you are local to the area!
P.S.: The UK has haunts galore this Halloween season. Why not try out Hallowscream at York Maze for some more chills and thrills.
There’s no doubt about it: London seems to have it all. But, it’s a common mistake of Londoners not to venture beyond the city limits and miss out on all that the country as a whole has to offer. This Halloween, we’re travelling north to York Maze and the award-winning Hallowscream, an entire park dedicated to this dark season. With a thrilling and chilling five mazes, ample food and drink options, and spooky surroundings, if Halloween is your thing then Hallowscream is THE place to be.
As soon as you line up to enter the park, you know you’re in for a scream. Watch out – monstrous characters stalk the waiting area and aren’t afraid to spot a scared victim amongst the crowd. Soon after being admitted, you are given a primer on all things Hallowscream by a most unusual character. We won’t spoil it for you, but the level of technical expertise (which we’ve only ever seen in the US before) immediately sets Hallowscream apart from the competition. After being rapidly spewed out into the park, the terror begins….
The Singularity Our Scare Factor: 6/10 Atmosphere: 9/10
Storyline: A scientist creates a human/robot hybrid, hoping to bring peace before the world becomes broken in a war between robots and humans.
What a way to start the night! The details and the set for this maze were so astoundingly unique – lasers, distinct zones, and plenty of hidden corners. The makeup/prosthetics for the androids was amazing and the acting was superb. It’s immediately apparent that a great deal of effort has been put into narrative – something sorely lacking from other mazes we’ve been to – and to see such dedication to storyline bridges the gap between a simple horror maze and a fully immersive experience.
2078 Our Scare Factor: 7/10 Atmosphere: 9/10
Storyline: The scientist we learned about during The Singularity makes a return, but this time shows us a future of a “post-Trump” nuclear apocalypse were society has broken down and everyone has become sick with radiation poisoning.
This maze was again completely immersive, moving from a science fiction time machine to a creepy corn field and finally to a world when Trump takes over everything – yes even the NHS – and society crumbles. There were really unique water and fire elements on top of more great acting. The tension ramped up as we traveled through an infected world towards possible decontamination – the only question was could we make it?
The Flesh Pot Our Scare Factor: 4/10 Atmosphere: 5/10
Storyline: A butcher slaughters the drunks and whores of York, skinning them alive, selling their joints in his shop, and blending the rest of the bits into his pies.
Your typical maze and story, and very similar in concept to many other mazes around the country. The makeup, yet again, was fantastic and the characters had consistent elements that helped create the world around us, but it was a bit one-noted compared to the other mazes we had just experienced.
Storyline: Corny, the famous circus clown who was killed by the butcher from The Flesh Pot, haunts his twisted and sinister house of fun.
Not only does this rival Tulleys great 3D circus maze, it probably beats it. You begin the maze as one should – with a hall of mirrors and continuing into almost every sort of funhouse element you can think of. There were interactive moving floors, endless optical illusion rooms – we weren’t sure which way was up or down or more importantly – out! The actors in this maze were particularly great, knowing exactly what movements make creepy characters, especially clowns, work in an experience like this.
Barnageddon 3D Our Scare Factor: 3/10 Atmosphere: 6/10
Storyline: An industrial accident plunged the brave workmen of Dunnington Lodge into an underground chasm, where they now work on into eternity.
We were really looking forward to this maze as it’s on all the ‘best maze’ lists we’ve been reading while making our plans on what to visit and review this Halloween. There were fun 3D glasses, but we were a bit confused at what the theme in this was, and the acting, makeup, costumes and set pieces just weren’t on a par with the other mazes. There were some redeeming elements, however, such as the first toilet room (look out for that smell!), a great water element, and some really creepy masks towards the end!
Final Thoughts: Not only are Hallowscream’s mazes truly thrilling, but the atmosphere around the entire event, from the queue and food stall theming, to the quirky horror inspired fairground games, fully immerses you in the spirit of the season. The best Halloween event we’ve experienced in the UK by far!
P.S.: Need another haunt for the Halloween season? Check out our review of Tulleys Shocktober Fest.
