October 31
| Date | Saturday 31 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Where | UK, international, US and Australia |
About Halloween 2026: Saturday 31 October
Halloween 2026 is on Saturday 31 October 2026. Halloween falls on the same date every year, the evening before All Saints’ Day, and in the UK it is marked with trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving, fancy dress and family events. There is no single organiser; it is a folk and commercial festival rather than a campaign.
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Saturday 31 October 2026 |
| 2027 | Sunday 31 October 2027 |
| 2028 | Tuesday 31 October 2028 |
What’s different in 2026
Three things make Halloween 2026 unusual.
- It is a Saturday. Nobody has school or work the next morning, so expect trick-or-treaters on the streets for longer and parties on the night itself rather than the weekend before.
- It closes October half term. Many councils in England, including Birmingham and Southwark, and every local authority on the Welsh Government’s approved list, have half term from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026. Halloween is the Saturday at the end of that week, and pupils return on Monday 2 November. Scottish and Northern Irish holidays differ, so check your own school.
- The clocks go back the weekend before. British Summer Time ends on Sunday 25 October 2026, so it will be dark by early evening on Halloween. Reflective strips and torches matter more than usual.
Attractions run Halloween programmes across the whole half term rather than on the 31st alone. English Heritage’s Halloween half term at Eltham Palace, for example, runs from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. Weekday slots during half term are usually quieter than the Saturday itself.
Fireworks go on sale early too: registered sellers can sell them for private use from 15 October to 10 November under UK fireworks law, so some Halloween parties will overlap with the run-up to Bonfire Night.
How to take part in 2026
- Schools: Halloween falls in the holiday, so hold dress-up or pumpkin-decorating activities on Friday 23 October, the last day before half term in many areas, or on the first day back, Monday 2 November.
- Workplaces: with the 31st on a Saturday, Friday 30 October is the natural day for a desk-decorating contest, a bake sale or a costume lunch. Many parents will be on leave that week, so plan for a smaller team.
- Families: agree a route and a finish time before you leave, go out while there is still some light after the clock change, and stick to houses with a pumpkin or a porch light on.
- Communities: a Saturday Halloween suits a street trail or a daytime party at a village hall for younger children who will not be out after dark.
- Food waste: buy an edible pumpkin and cook the flesh. Hubbub’s Eat Your Pumpkin campaign has recipes and ideas for community events.
Key dates around Halloween 2026
- Sunday 25 October: clocks go back one hour
- Monday 26 to Friday 30 October: October half term in many areas of England and all of Wales
- Friday 30 October: Mischief Night
- Sunday 1 November: World Vegan Day
- Thursday 5 November: Bonfire Night
- Sunday 8 November: Diwali
For the history of Halloween and ideas that work every year, see our guide to Halloween. For everything else happening this month, see October awareness days and weeks.
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