Back in June of 2024, something spooky cropped up in The Rocks, with visitors spotting what appeared to be a ghost looming in the windows above Sydney’s oldest pub. After a lot of speculation, the “ghost” was later revealed to be a cheeky teaser for a huge Halloween festival, which first popped up in The Rocks last spring. Now, the organisers behind Ghost Festival have confirmed that the huge precinct-wide spook fest will be returning for a second year.
Kicking off on October 30, Ghost Festival 2025 will take over The Rocks for four terrifying nights – transforming the entire historic precinct into a spine-chilling phantom’s playground for four days of haunted feasts, spooky storytelling and supernatural experiences. Though the event will play into fantastical Halloween tropes – with “zombies” roaming the streets and tentacles protruding from buildings – it will also lean on the eerie history of The Rocks, with interactive experiences taking inspiration from the precinct’s history.
During the daytime, The Rocks will play host to an immersive Halloween market – with stallholders slinging spooky goods and food trucks keeping visitors sustained. As you wander the cobbled laneways, you’ll be joined by frightening characters who will share stories that have haunted the streets for decades. Once the sun has set, the fright level will amp up – with a parade winding its way through the streets, and a Haunted Woods dining area waiting to host your scariest dinner to date (with food from Messina, Gong Cha and other Sydney faves). In the heart of ‘Poliakov’s Haunted Woods‘, the Poliakov Vodka Main Stage will keep the party pulsing with live DJ sets, and a Vodka Bar will be staffed by eccentric scientists serving chilling cocktails throughout the night.
Other highlights of this year’s fest will include a spooky outdoor cinema screening cult-favourite horror movies, an immersive house party in one of Sydney’s most haunted buildings, a pop-up speakeasy cocktail bar and a makeover space with talented makeup artists on hand to get you looking like your spookiest self.
The event is free to attend, with additional ticketed experiences available to book in advance. You can learn more about what to expect over here.
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