Did you feel that shiver? Sydney's Halloween festivities are creeping closer, ready to fill the streets with cobwebs, costumes and buckets of lollies as kids transform into witches, ghosts and ghouls. From spooky family festivals and trick-or-treat trails to haunted houses and after-dark adventures, Sydney's best Halloween events for kids and families are bursting with frightfully fun ways to celebrate!

So grab your scariest costume, sharpen those fangs, and get set to spook the night away at these unique, quirky and family-friendly Halloween events.
 

1. Festival of Fisher's Ghost

One of Sydney's longest-running festivals gets an extra-spooky advantage in 2026, with the Festival of Fisher's Ghost kicking off just in time for Halloween.

Campbelltown's huge community celebration marks its 70th anniversary this year, bringing carnival rides, entertainment, family activities and the famous Fisher's Ghost Parade back to the city. The parade hits Queen Street on Saturday 31 October, making this one of the biggest free Halloween events in Sydney for families looking to turn trick-or-treat night into a full day out.

Where:  Various venues including Campbelltown Showground, Campbelltown City Centre and Campbelltown RSL Rooftop Carpark
When:   31 October and 7-8 November 2026
Cost:     General admission is FREE for all events; rides, sideshows and dining are at a cost; Fisher's Ghost Fun Run registration fees apply

2. Ghost in the Rocks Festival

The cobbled laneways of The Rocks are getting a haunting makeover when Ghost in The Rocks returns from 29 October to 1 November 2026.

This massive Sydney Halloween festival spans the historic precinct with spooky installations, entertainment, themed experiences, and plenty to explore after dark. Families should head straight for the Giant Trick or Treat and Halloween Parade, while braver visitors can try experiences including Haunted Woods, Ghost Cinema, and the House of Horror. General festival entry is free, making it an easy addition to your list of family-friendly Halloween events in Sydney.

Where: The Rocks Precinct
When:  Thursday, 29 October to Sunday, 1 November 2026
Cost:    FREE entry

3. Halloween In The Sky

Halloween In The Sky is set to turn Fairfield Showground into one big spooky playground, with carnival rides, trick-or-treating, haunting street theatre, a ghostly circus and the hair-raising Globe of Death motorcycle show.

Families can also wander through the pumpkin patch, catch Professor Bubbles, visit the Halloween-themed animal nursery and dress up for the best costume competition, before a drone show lights up the night sky at 9 pm. 

Kids get a free lolly bag with entry!

Where: Fairfield Showground, 443 Smithfield Road, Prairiewood
When:  31 October 2026 | 10 am to 10 pm
Cost:    $5 per person or $10 for a family pass

4. Sydney's Halloween Fest 2026

Halloween is taking over Governor Phillip Park in Windsor for an entire weekend, with Sydney's Halloween Fest bringing plenty of eerie fun for families.

Kids can dress up and dive into trick-or-treating, horror and magic shows, reptile encounters, pony rides, face painting and photo opportunities, while jumping castles and amusement rides add even more action. Music will also play throughout the afternoon and evening, with prizes up for grabs for some of the best costumes.

Where: Governor Phillip Park, George Street, Windsor
When:  Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 October 2026, 2–9 pm
Cost:   $5 for ages 12+; $10 for ages 2-10; Family tickets start from $22 + booking fee; under 2s go FREE. Children's tickets include one jumping castle coupon.

5. Ride the Halloween Picnic Train

It's back and spookier than ever! The Picnic Train is running Halloween steam train rides out of Central Station on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November.

Each two-hour return trip winds through Sydney's suburbs in a decorated carriage, with a party bag for every passenger and eerie costumed characters wandering the aisles. Saturday has departures at 1 pm, 4 pm and 7 pm, with the 7 pm Twilight Train switching to eerie night-mode lighting onboard, while Sunday has a single 11.30 am service. The Halloween-themed lounge car sells drinks and spooky snacks, and you can also bring your own picnic.

Where: Round trip from Central Station, Sydney
When:  31 October and 1 November 2026
Cost:    Single tickets are $65, a booth of four is $149, and a private compartment for up to eight people is $235

6. Spooky Spotlight – Halloween Fun at Centennial Park

For a family-friendly Halloween adventure that's more fascinating than frightening, head into Centennial Park after dark for Spooky Spotlight – Halloween Fun.

Running from 29-31 October 2026, the guided nighttime experience sends families searching for the park's nocturnal residents, including flying foxes, possums and tawny frogmouths. Costumes are encouraged, and the experience is recommended for kids aged five and over, making this one of the more unusual Halloween activities for kids in Sydney.

Where: Centennial Park, Robertson Road Gates
When:  29-31 October 2026 | 6.45 pm - 8.15 pm
Cost:    $26.50 per ticket | Recommended for ages 5+. All children must be supervised by an adult. 

7. Freaky Friday at Warrick Lane, Blacktown

Blacktown is joining the Halloween action with Freaky Friday at Warrick Lane on Friday 30 October 2026.

The free family event runs from 4-8 pm, filling Warrick Lane with Halloween entertainment, creepy treats, food and plenty of opportunities to show off your best costume. More program details are still to come, but with four hours of free Halloween fun planned, it's already one to pop on the family calendar.

Where: Warrick Lane, Blacktown
When:  Friday 31 October 2026 | 4-8 pm
Cost:    FREE entry

8. Halloscream at Luna Park

Got older kids who like their Halloween celebrations seriously spooky? Halloscream at Luna Park returns from 29-31 October 2026, transforming the harbourside amusement park into a world of scare mazes, creepy characters and after-dark thrills.

This year's lineup includes Escape the Circus, The Forgotten Children and Alienation, alongside unlimited rides throughout the night. Halloscream is one of Sydney's biggest Halloween events, but with genuine scares around every corner, we'd save this one for confident tweens and teenagers rather than little witches and wizards.

Where:  Luna Park Sydney, 1 Olympic Dr, Milsons Point 
When:   29-31 October 2026
Cost:     General admission $110, VIP $150 | $3 booking fee applies 

Please note that this event contains scary themes and is not recommended for kids under 14. 

9. Halloween at the Museum

The Fairfield City Museum & Gallery is opening its doors after dark for a free celebration made especially for families.

Come dressed in your Halloween finest and wander through the museum's atmospheric Vintage Village, where spooky games, hands-on crafts and trick-or-treating will keep little ghosts busy. It's an all-ages family event, though children under 16 must attend with a parent or guardian. Registration is required, and there's no on-site parking, so families should plan to park on nearby Oxford Street.

Where: Fairfield City Museum & Gallery, 634 The Horsley Drive, Smithfield
When:  31 October 2026 | 5-8 pm
Cost:    FREE; registration required

10. Majors Bay Road Halloween Festival

Dust off the costumes because the Majors Bay Road Halloween Festival is back in Concord on Saturday 31 October 2026.

Running from 2-7 pm, this free Halloween celebration brings trick-or-treating, face painting, roving entertainers, live music and street games to the heart of Majors Bay Road. The earlier start time makes it especially handy for families with younger kids who want plenty of Halloween fun before bedtime.

Where:  Majors Bay Rd, Concord
When:   Saturday 31 October 2026 | 2-7 pm
Cost:     FREE entry

11. Halloween in Canley Heights

Halloween celebrations are taking over Canley Heights on Friday 30 October 2026, with a free evening of family entertainment finishing with a bang!

Halloween in Canley Heights runs from 4-8 pm and will feature Halloween activities for kids, entertainment and festivities throughout the town centre before fireworks light up the sky at 8 pm. If you're looking for free Halloween events in Western Sydney, this one deserves a spot on the list.

Where:  222 Canley Vale Road, Canley Heights
When:   Friday 30 October 2026 | 4-8 pm
Cost:     FREE entry

12. Q Station Spookyween

Already one of Sydney's famously haunted locations, Q Station ramps up the eerie atmosphere with a day of family Halloween fun on Sunday 25 October 2026.

Q Station's Spookyween Trick or Treat Hunt runs from 10 am-3 pm, sending kids around the historic Manly site in search of clues, characters and treats, with prizes for great costumes. Older kids can stick around for the Ghost Trackers Kids Tour at 6 pm, a two-hour ghost-hunting adventure designed to deliver chills without going completely terrifying.

Where:  Q Station, 1 North Head Scenic Drive, Manly 
When:   Sunday 25 October 2026 | Drop in anytime between 10 am- 3 pm - no booking required.
Cost:     From $5 per person

13. Sydney Zombie Walk

Thousands of zombies will shuffle into Circular Quay when the Sydney Zombie Walk returns on Saturday 24 October 2026.

This free, all-ages event brings together elaborate zombie costumes, performers, makeup artists, entertainment and plenty of impressively gruesome characters before the main zombie procession sets off at 4 pm. It's officially family-friendly, although some costumes can get pretty gory, so parents of little ones may want to consider how they feel about a few dangling eyeballs before joining this particular Sydney Halloween event - pets are also welcome!

Where:  Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay 
When:   Saturday 24 October 2026 | 12-5 pm
Cost:     FREE entry 

14. The Henry Sports Club Kids Halloween Disco

Let the little monsters loose on the dance floor at The Henry Sports Club Kids Halloween Disco on Friday 30 October 2026.

Running from 7-9 pm, the family disco is for primary school-aged kids and includes a DJ, dance games, costume prizes, giveaways, and a lolly bag for every child. Entry is free for members and $5 for non-members, with supervising adults free, making it a budget-friendly Halloween night out for Western Sydney families.

Where:  144 Henry Lawson Ave, Werrington County
When:   Friday 30 October 2026 | 7-9 pm
Cost:     Entry is free for members and $5 for non-members

Worth Driving For

15. Halloween Family Fest, Newcastle

Halloween Family Fest is taking over Griffiths Park in Stockton across two weekends with loads to see and do.

Kids can work their way around the Trick-or-Treat Trail, bounce through Monsteropolis, meet reptiles at Critters Corner and hit the dance floor at the Monster Mash Disco. There's also an outdoor cinema, costume competitions, slime and potion-making activities, photo ops and a Little Spooks Carnival with rides including the Cup & Saucer, Giant Slide and Horse-O-Plane. 

Where: Griffiths Park, Stockton, Newcastle
When:  Saturday 24 October, 10 am-9 pm; Sunday 25 October, 10 am-4 pm; Friday 30 October, 4-9 pm; Saturday 31 October, 10 am-9 pm; Sunday 1 November 2026, 10 am-4 pm
Cost:    TBA

More Family Fun on Halloween in Sydney

Trick or Treating Adventures

If the kids have been begging you for more trick-or-treating since last Halloween, it's time to start mapping out those streets!

Sydney is a great city for trick-or-treating, as most neighbourhoods come alive with creepy, colourful decorations and the festive spirit of handing out chocolates and lollies. If you're looking for the best streets for trick-or-treating this year, check out our handy guide for where to go trick-or-treating in 2026. 

Spook Yourself on a Ghost Tour

If you're really keen to kick the spooky factor up a few notches on Halloween this year, booking a ghost tour is the way to do it!

Sydney ghost tours are pretty creepy on any night of the year, but embarking on a ghost tour on Halloween - now we're talking! Sydney offers a range of ghost tours to suit all ages and scare levels.  

FAQs

When is Halloween in Sydney 2026?

Halloween falls on Saturday 31 October 2026, giving families a full weekend to spread trick-or-treating, festivals and parties across the lead-up dates too.

What are the best free Halloween events in Sydney for families?

Plenty of Sydney's biggest Halloween events cost nothing to attend. Ghost in The Rocks runs free from 29 October to 1 November with a Giant Trick or Treat and Halloween Parade. Majors Bay Road Halloween Festival in Concord brings trick-or-treating and live entertainment on 31 October from 2 to 7 pm, while Halloween in Canley Heights wraps up with fireworks on 30 October. The Sydney Zombie Walk at Circular Quay and Freaky Friday at Warrick Lane in Blacktown round out the free lineup, and general admission to the Festival of Fisher's Ghost in Campbelltown is also free, with costs only applying to rides and sideshows.

Where can kids go trick-or-treating in Sydney?

Sydney has plenty of streets known for going all out with decorations and lolly-handing on Halloween night, from the North Shore to the Inner West. For a full suburb-by-suburb breakdown of the best streets to try this year, check out our guide to trick-or-treating in Sydney.

Is Halloscream at Luna Park suitable for young children?

Halloscream is one for the older kids. The event features genuine scare mazes and after-dark thrills, and organisers recommend it for confident tweens and teenagers rather than young children; the event itself notes it's not suitable for kids under 14.

What Halloween events in Sydney are good for toddlers and young kids?

A few events on this list are built with littlies in mind. Majors Bay Road Halloween Festival wraps up by 7 pm, making it easy to fit around early bedtimes, while Q Station's Spookyween Trick or Treat Hunt is a drop-in event from 10 am to 3 pm designed for gentle daytime spooks rather than after-dark scares. The Kids Halloween Disco at The Henry Sports Club is another solid pick for primary school-aged kids, with a DJ, dance games and a lolly bag for every child.

—

About ellaslist

ellaslist is a trusted local guide for families across Sydney and NSW, written by parents and family lifestyle editors who understand what makes an outing with kids genuinely work. Our team researches and curates the best family-friendly events, attractions, playgrounds, restaurants and school holiday activities, with practical details on age suitability, accessibility, parking, public transport, facilities and family-friendly tips.

More Spring Fun For Families

Spring in Sydney 2026: Blooms, Festivals, and Family Fun
See Sydney's Jacaranda Trees in Full Bloom
Your Seasonal Guide For Family Fruit Picking