Halloween 2023
27.10.2023 - 01.11.2023
Let’s take a look at all the spooky goings on for Halloween 2023, from traditional customs and options for entertaining kids, to crazy boat parties and fancy dress club nights…
La Castanyada
Historically, Catalans celebrate All Saints’ Day (1st November) by attending church and visiting family graves to lay wreaths and light candles in remembrance of the dead. In addition, they celebrate the tradition of La Castanyada, either on the 1st November or the 31st October, eating roasted chestnuts and sweet bread rolls known as panallets, either at home or buying them from the vendors out on the streets.
If you’re in Barcelona at this time of year, you might enjoy the smells of the roasting chestnuts and autumnal air, and the elegant sombreness of these religious traditions.
Halloween Parties
As for American-style Halloween celebrations, you’ll find plenty going on too. Young Catalans enjoy dressing up for a party and typically embrace the opportunity to get in costume and head out for the evening. Whilst the large number of American exchange students and tourists, and other foreigners who’ve grown up on Hollywood horror movies, are always keen to paint the town red this time of year, make the 31st October one of Barcelona’s liveliest nights.
Many bars and clubs around town will be throwing fantastic fiestas with drinks promos and prizes for the best fancy dress costumes.
1. Halloween Boat Party (31st Oct)
How about spending Halloween on a double-decker catamaran, fully decked out with Halloween decorations, with a DJ spinning all your favourite hits? This one-of-a-kind boat party will kick off at 18:00, just as the sun sets, and after two hours of booze and bailando on the high seas, everyone will transfer over to Pacha Red Room for the most epic afterparty.
Here are all the important details:
- Date: 31st October
- Check-in: Coconut Club Bar starting from 17:00
- Halloween Boat Party: 18:00 to 20:00
- Includes 5 drinks
- Live DJ
- Costumes or masks are a must!
- Pacha Red Room Afterparty
Reserve Tickets: Tickets are €60 and you can buy them direct from Stoke Travel.
2. Halloween Party at CocoVail Beer Hall (27th Oct)
This popular craft beer bar will be revamping their entire venue with a ahorror theme on the 27th October for a special seasonal booze up that will feature drinks and food promos aplenty. Read more details on their blog!
3. Halloween Party at La Whiskeria (31st Oct)
For a sophisticated and sexy Halloween be sure to pass by La Whiskeria, as this suave sipping point is throwing on a special soiree featuring Burlesque Show and tarot readings. Tickets are €30 per person (€50 for couples) and you can buy them on their website
4. Halloween Party at The Old Irish Pub (31st Oct)
Live music in the form of Banshee Duo are the main entertainment at the Old Irish Pub come the 31st, and they play from 8-11pm. Don’t worry though, you can keep on doing your Thriller impressions until 3am, as the resident DJ takes over from 11 til late. Prize for the best costume. Check out their website.
5. Glamour Freaks HALLOWEEN at Slow Barcelona (31st Oct)
This 31st head to Slow Barcelona, one of the city’s best cocktail-bars-turned-nightclub, for a debauched disco debacle featuring DJs Juli de Alonso, Puche and more spinning tunes until 6am. Advance tickets are just €12 and feature a free mixed drink, or two free beers, and you can grab them via the Slow website.
6. Spooky Church Party at The George Payne (31st Oct)
This fun-loving pub on Urquinaona square will be fitting itself out in creepy crypt style come the 31st October. Dress up as a skeleton priest, zombie nun, vampire pope or anything else you like (they are not strict on the theme, as long as it’s scary!), and get in on the action. Free entry, costume competition, Spooky Shots & Creepy Cocktails and DJ Vagah B spinning the tunes. Check out their website for more details!
7. Halloween at Flaherty’s Irish Pub (31st Oct)
Celebrate the scary season in good company at this welcoming Irish pub, where you can celebrate with generous 2-for-1 drinks promos on offer until midnight. Plus there’s a free shot of punch with jelly beans for anyone who arrives in costume. For good craic look no further!
8. Halloween Weekender at Belushi’s Bar (31st Oct)
Ghosts, gremlins and ghouls are all invited to Belushi’s Bar this Halloween, and you can join them on Tuesday 31st. Entrance is free of charge, and if you head down in fancy dress and you’ll have a chance of winning a €50 bar tab as a prize. Meanwhile they’ll be DJs, late-night kitchen and ‘Bloody Shots’ for the brave of heart. Belushi’s is the official bar of St. Christopher’s Inn hostel and a favourite place for international students and locals. Check out their website for more info.
8. Halloween at Ice Barcelona
Get chilled to the bone this Halloween season with a dip into the subzero chamber at Ice Barcelona. You can imagine you’re starring in The Thing, as you drink vodka from a glass made out of ice and pose with the frozen sculptures. Use the code HALLOWEEN when booking your tickets and get a 10% discount! A good one to combine with a visit to Furia (see below).
9. Halloween Party at Furia Cocktail Bar (31st Oct)
Just off the beach from Ice Barcelona, this classy art deco cocktail bar will be throwing a party on the Tuesday, with live DJs and discounts on sangria and cocktails for anyone who follows them on Instagram. More info on their website.
10. Halloween Party at GAIA (31st Oct)
For anyone living uptown, be sure to head over to GAIA, a chic bar restaurant on the lively Carrer Tuset, where you can get quality cocktails and tapas, with DJs creating a party vibe.
Halloween for Kids
If you want to celebrate the season with your kids, then I’d recommend taking them to Poble Espanyol. This open air cultural centre will have plenty going on during the whole Halloween season (21st October to 12th November), including workshops, kids’ activities, and spooky decorations. The highlight of their Halloween programme will be a tour of two creepy houses, that will jangle the nerves of young and old. More info on their website.
poble-espanyol.com/halloween-at-poble-espanyol
