Halloween in North Shields

Halloween in North Shields is best enjoyed the way the town does everything, down by the river with the tide in and the lights coming on along the Fish Quay. Here is what tends to be on in and around town when spooky season arrives. Dates change every year, so always check this year's programme with each venue and book ahead where you can.

A family spooktacular

If you have little ones, the highlight around Halloween is usually a family show. In 2026, "Tommy and Tilly's Magic Castle: A Spooktacular Pantomime" is set to bring a friendly, not-too-scary bit of theatre to North Shields towards the end of October. It is the kind of thing that suits younger children who want the fun of dressing up without the frights. Tickets for these shows go quickly, so check the listing and the recommended age guidance before you set off, as timings and venues can shift from year to year.

Lanterns along the Fish Quay and the parks

You do not need a ticket to make an evening of it. The Fish Quay is at its most atmospheric on a dark autumn evening, with the water black and glassy and the lights strung along the front. Wrap up, walk the quayside and finish with something hot from one of the chip shops or cafes. The Old Low Light Heritage Centre on the quay is worth checking too, as it often runs family activities and half-term events around this time. Inland, Northumberland Park and the green spaces off Howard Street and the Exchange make for a good daytime pumpkin walk with younger children before the clocks change and the evenings draw in.

Spooky season nearby on the coast

Some of the best Halloween outings are a short hop along the coast. Tynemouth Priory has, in past years, hosted after-dark ghost tours around Halloween, leading visitors through the darkened ruins by torchlight. It is genuinely eerie and better suited to older children and adults, so check the age guidance and whether it is running this year. For a livelier night out, Whitley Bay Ice Rink usually holds a "Polar Halloween Party" at the end of October, a fun option if your family fancies skating in costume. Both are close enough to fold into a North Shields Halloween weekend.

For pumpkin patches, haunted halls and family spooktaculars right across the region, see our round-up of Halloween across the region.

Know a North Shields Halloween event we should add? Get in touch via our contact page.