Halloween clubbing no longer means waiting until midnight before entering a dark room. Day parties have become a central part of the UK dance music calendar, offering longer sets, easier travel and the unusual experience of arriving home before morning.
This year’s leading Halloween events cover every possible schedule, from midday openings to 4am finishes.
Appetite At Ironworks, London
Appetite offers the earliest start at Ironworks in East London.
Doors open at midday for ten hours of music from Groove Armada, Sidney Charles, Egyptian Lover, Flora Tha Explora and RTK Tarantino.
The lineup has enough depth to sustain the full day, while the 10pm finish makes the event appealing to clubbers who want a proper session without sacrificing the following morning.
Halloween Carnival Of The Dead, Bristol
Bristol follows at 2pm with the tenth Halloween Carnival of the Dead.
4AM Kru, Oppidan, Lou Nour and Chimpo B2B Selectacee perform across two areas at The Prospect Building. Its 10pm finish places the event somewhere between a festival day and a traditional warehouse rave.
Groundwork At Quarters, Brighton
Brighton retains the classic late-night format.
Groundwork at Quarters begins at 11pm and continues until 4am. Soul Mass Transit System and Captain Wallop headline, with Silva Snipa and Vergano supporting beneath the seafront arches.
This is the option for anyone who still believes Halloween should unfold after dark.
Slapfunk And Ruckus24, Leeds
Slapfunk and Ruckus24 start at TESTBED at 1pm.
Dr Banana, Locklead, Dungeon Meat, Reeshy and Isabelle Koci B2B Noidmate provide a musically focused alternative to the larger production-led events elsewhere.
Living Dead Festival, Cardiff And Birmingham
Living Dead Festival sits between the two formats, beginning at 10pm across Tramshed Cardiff and XOYO Birmingham.
Both venues receive full Halloween transformations before their locally focused house lineups take over.
The range of opening hours reflects a wider change in UK clubbing. Halloween can now mean a full afternoon, a conventional night out or something between the two. The best schedule is the one that lets you enjoy the music rather than spend half the event worrying about the journey home.
