They say that Halloween is the night when dead leaves fly, like witches and switches across the sky, so where are you planning to flit and fly? Have you picked out your costume yet? So many questions, and just over 24 hours left to answer them, so let’s jump in: here are some Halloween events so you can focus on more important things like finding all the bits and bobs you’ll need to create your getup.
FAMILY FRIENDLY HAUNTING: 19H – 22H | FREE – You can get in. But can you get out? The Jardim de Estrela’s Haunted Escape Garden is open to kids over 13, but you have to register here in advance. The park has been transformed into a horror scene inspired by cult classic thrillers. According to the organizers, “This event has been designed for those who like a challenge and don’t scare easily.” Inspired by the logic of the famous escape rooms, the Escape Garden invites you to enter a labyrinth of puzzles and mysteries, where every decision can be the difference between getting out in time… or being trapped in the dark. Not into it? Just down the block at the Junta Freguesia da Estrela, you’ll find some free family-friendly fun that you can escape any time you want to, open between 19h and 22h. No registration is necessary.
KID-FRIENDLY SKELETON BUBBLES: 20H – 2H | FREE – The Mercado de Algés has put together a Halloween-themed fair complete with face painting, candy giveaways, a soap bubble spectacular, and live music to keep things popping. The theme is Dia de los Muertos, so expect all kinds of colorful bone bags walking around!
METAL MADNESS: 20H | FREE – The Valhalla Rock Pub is throwing a Metal-themed Halloween bash! The pub will be transformed into a haunted kingdom, ready to welcome monsters, witches, vampires, and all other beings of darkness, and recommends you come as your scariest alter ego. The first imperial is free for those who show up in costume. Prizes for the best costume of the night!
HARD TECHNO COSTUME RAVE: 20H – 6H | 30€ – The Halloween Lisbon Festival 2024 is celebrating the spooky season with 10 hours of live music, cinema, flea markets, and performances at the exclusive ONE – Your First Stop in Marvila. Get all gussied up for an intense event where, apparently, “time dissolves on the dance floor…a unique experience, lived in constant ecstasy, which has already become a benchmark of Lisbon nights.” You see where this is going? DJs include SNTS, DYEN, Ketarina, Madson Carpenter, Mudwud, Schusta, and resident Steve Menta.
COSTUME KARAOKE AND MASKED BALL: 20H – 3H | FREE – Júlio’s (eat, drink, enjoy) bar has planned out a night full of fun and chills at their karaoke and masked ball. Come show off your voice at their spooktacular karaoke and unleash your creativity at the Masked Ball, where the best costume wins a special prize. There will be themed drinks, spooky snacks, and more, apparently.
AVANT-GARDE AND HYPNOTIC MUSIC: 21H30 – 4H(ish) | 15€ – Mabe Fratti and Calcutá are playing at B.Leza Clube at 22h. Thanks to Zé dos Bois, B.Leza is mixing things up a little. Mabe Fratti is a Guatemalan cellist and vocalist whose work includes collaborations with artists such as Belafonte Sensacional. She is part of the avant-garde music collective Amor Muere and is known for mixing experimental/avant-garde music with pop. Calcutta, a.k.a. Teresa Castro, is a composer and multi-instrumentalist from Lisbon, currently based in Porto. She started playing guitar at the age of nine and has been making her mark on the Portuguese music scene ever since. Her performances are described as hypnotic, where contemporary elements such as folk, drone, and experimental music are interwoven with other ancestral influences, such as Indian classical music or polyphonic singing.
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS CUMBIA PARTY: 21h30 – 0h30 | 5€ – Join the San la Muerte Cumbia Club at Bartô and help them continue to spread Latin America’s favorite music to the world, starting with their prime location near the Castle. Here’s an excellent excuse to paint up your face and dig out that tophat, because the price is right and so are the tunes. Don’t know what to expect? Traditional cumbia music uses a blend of African, Native American, and European styles and uses musical instruments such as drums, flutes, maracas, and accordions, so it’s going to be a diverse and welcoming crown ready to boogie on down. Go join them!
