Trick or treat! Book tickets to West End Halloween shows

Something wicked this way comes! Yes, this Halloween you’ll find plenty of spooky shows packed with tricks and treats. It’s one of the fun ways you can celebrate the annual fright night, with the witches and phantoms of London’s theatreland: from West End musicals through to underground fringe adventures, if you dare enter…

Looking for inspiration? Check out our guide to these fabulously fearsome productions – including the most famously scary play in London, plus the thrilling new ghost story in town – and get booking. Here’s our round-up of spook-tacular shows for Halloween.

Wicked

A Halloween special isn't complete without our favourite witches. Elphaba might actually be a misunderstood villain in this long-running musical, and Glinda is technically good (unless you find peppy, blonde-haired roommates terrifying), but there are still plenty of dark and scary moments in this stirring show. Elphaba’s world becomes increasingly dystopian, and her magic takes her to some grim places. Plus it’s the perfect dress-up opportunity for the Halloween season – you just need a pointy hat, a broomstick, a lot of green face paint, and a will to defy gravity.

Book Wicked tickets on London Theatre.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The scares in this theatrical continuation of JK Rowling’s wizarding world are often more of the emotional kind, as the now grown-up Harry Potter struggles to be a good dad to his son Albus. But there’s plenty of magical mayhem too, as Albus and his friend wind up messing with forces beyond their control, and we glimpse a horrifying darker timeline – complete with Rowling’s shudder-inducing Dementors. But overall this is another great option if you’re looking for Halloween family fun, with a manageable amount of scary content.

Book Harry Potter and the Cursed Child tickets on London Theatre.

2:22 A Ghost Story

The West End’s latest smash hit is this supernatural thriller from Danny Robins. Jenny and Sam have just moved into a new house, and Jenny is convinced that it’s haunted. What happens at exactly 2:22am? You’ll have to brave the play to find out. The show premiered in 2021 and has extended its run several times, thanks to popular demand, and is now at the Criterion Theatre with a scarily good cast – including Love Island’s Laura Whitmore and Busted’s Matt Willis. Once 2:22 - A Ghost Story closes at the Criterion Theatre, the fun continues at the Lyric Theatre. Join them this Halloween, if you can handle the tension…

Book 2:22 - A Ghost Story Criterion Theatre tickets on London Theatre.

Book 2:22 - A Ghost Story Lyric Theatre tickets on London Theatre.

The Phantom of the Opera

We can’t forget that iconic ghost of musical theatre, still haunting the Paris Opera House… via the West End. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s spectacular long-running show centres on the mysterious Phantom, who has become fixated on the young soprano Christine, and will do anything to make her a star – and to have possession of her. But he has a rival in the form of Raoul, Christine’s childhood friend-turned-suitor. Who will win in this otherworldly love triangle? Indulge in Lloyd Webber’s ethereal music of the night this Halloween.

Book The Phantom of the Opera tickets on London Theatre.

Punchdrunk: The Burnt City

If you want to step into another world this Halloween, then Punchdrunk's The Burnt City is the place for you. Inspired by Greek tragedies, you'll walk around a sprawling metropolitis after the fall of Troy. Important families battle to assert their dominance over one another, but only one can win. As you walk around Troy, follow your instincts and discover ancient Greek stories. Don't stay in one spot, keep moving and let your curiosities run wild.

Book Punchdrunk: The Burnt City tickets on Lonodn Theatre.

The Mousetrap and Witness for the Prosecution

Agatha Christie, the Queen of Crime, absolutely knew how to build a spooky atmosphere in her bestselling novels – and the same is true of these two theatrical productions. The Mousetrap strands us in a remote guesthouse during a blizzard, with a group of suspicious strangers and a killer on the loose. Meanwhile Witness for the Prosecution sees a man’s life hanging in the balance during a murder trial which feels all the more real for the play being staged in London County Hall. Either, or both, would make the ideal Halloween outing.

Book The Mousetrap tickets on London Theatre.

Book Witness for the Prosecution tickets on London Theatre.

Photo credit: The Woman in Black (Photo courtesy of production)