The best Halloween events in Sydney for 2023

Do you want a history tour with a seriously ghoulish theme? Of course you do! Introducing Murder Most Foul, a walk through Surry Hills' most notorious and spooOOooky haunts. This highly educational, massively entertaining, and downright grisly walk is dotted with part history lesson, part bar crawl and will have you squirming. Content warning for this one – you are on a murder tour and few details are spared. How horrifyingly good is that?

With open minds and willing spirits, we invite you to explore Sydney’s most haunted sites. These former insane asylums, abandoned roads, converted gaols and chilly tunnels may not appear to be the stuff of nightmares in the sensical light of day, but one too many shadowy coincidences coupled with gruesome histories have inspired us to get our ghost-hunting gear together and investigate.

Calling all former emo kids, lifelong goths, and fans of the spooky and whimsical imagination of producer-director, horror-fantasy-aficionado Tim Burton. It’s showtime! Grab your boo and your handbook for the recently deceased – because Sydney is getting its own Beetlejuice-inspired speakeasy. This October, Different Drummer is hosting the immersive House of Burton bar experience. The best part? You can catch a fright in the weeks leading up to Halloween, with the bar's closing night spectacular falling on All Hallow's Eve itself. Cop your tickets here. 

The Rocks are arguably one of Sydney's most haunted precincts, which makes it the perfect place for all things Halloween. Dubbing it "Christmas for the dead", The Rocks Ghost Tours company reckon October 31 is the perfect time of year to uncover all that there is to be spooked by in this historic pocket of Sydney.

For one freaky night only, the ghosts over at Dendy Cinema Newtown are throwing a haunted horror movie marathon on All Hallows Eve itself, aka, October 31. This horror movie takeover will be going down across all 11 of the cinema's theatres, and will include a chilling mix of cult classics and modern must-sees. Costumes are strongly encouraged for this freaky film fest (and will get you a free popcorn). Tickets will cost you just $15 for general admission, which you can pick up by clicking right here. That's chillingly good. 

Escape rooms have taken Sydney by storm. The concept is simple: solve puzzles placed in and around the room before your allotted time runs out. Each room has a different theme and stimulates all senses, demanding a variety of problem-solving skills. For the freakiest thrill, we recommend taking on Mr Pepper's Toy Shop by the Cipher Room team. Set in an abandoned toy shop that has seemingly succumbed to demonic possession, it's the scariest in town (possibly, the world) by far. 

Over two nihilistic nights, the Argyle’s two floors, six bars and cobblestone courtyard will be transformed into the Argyle Asylum, complete with wild decorations, a devlish dance floor, and a collection of wicked DJs including DJ Tigerlily. It kicks off on Friday, October 27 and will continue through to Saturday, October 28. Also, it's completely free if you arrive before 9pm in costume. Be warned. 

From unexplainable sensations to terrifying sightings, visitors on these ghost tours will experience the spookier side of our city’s history. We’ve contacted the tour operators to find out whose tours are the scariest, which ghost stories are the most horrifying and if anything strange has taken place on one of their outings.

We’re not being dramatic when we say that basically everything in Sydney used to be a cemetery. Train station? Cemetery. Government building? Cemetery. Your favourite park? Cemetery. Those who were buried in those locations probably assumed their eternal resting place was, well, eternal. How wrong they were.

Bust out your most ghoulish grin because photography studio MimmynVovo has put together some pretty magical sets for a 'Spooky Selfie Experience'. Think interactive selfie sets, frightening props and bloody good games with settings like the kissing booth of death, a witches' brewing kitchen, and a dark and gloomy Wizard of Oz thundercloud. You can book in for a one hour session here with your other half, family, or friends. 

Who said all the trick or treat dress up fun was reserved for children? Or humans for that matter? Your favourite dog-friendly pub is putting on a Howl-O-Ween special on Saturday October 28 so dress up your pup for the chance to win some super spooky treats.