This year, the many ghosts of The Rocks will transform the old quarter into their haunted playground, filled with wild parties, immersive experiences, and street shows. Expect epic costumes, DJ performances, and out-of-this-world food and cocktail creations across four fright-filled nights. (Free entry)
The dead don’t rest… and they’ve got plans for The Rocks.
Back from the grave for another year of ghoulish glam, killer costumes, and blood-curdling cocktails, Ghost Festival is returning this Halloween and it’s staking its claim as Sydney’s unmissable rendez-vous with the dead.
Running across four epic nights from October 30 to November 2, Ghost Festival is Australia’s first and only Halloween Street festival. In its inaugural year, it saw over 115,000 souls descend upon The Rocks and Circular Quay, turning Sydney’s historic heart into a haunted hive of spooky celebrations.
Now, Ghost is rising once more with a jam-packed program of immersive experiences, live music, terrifying theatre, and dance floors that’ll raise the dead (or at least keep you dancing ‘til 1AM).
Poliakov’s Haunted Woods
A Treat for the Eyes and the
Stomach
A ring of haunted wood cabins serves up freakishly good eats from favourites like Messina, Gong Cha, and other spooky culinary creators and each dish crafted to thrill both your tastebuds and your Instagram feed.
At the centre of it all, the Poliakov Vodka Main Stage keeps the party pulsing with live DJ sets, monster beats, and a crowd dancing like they’ve made a deal with the devil. Slide up to the Vodka Bar where crazy scientists are serving chilling cocktails as your only way to survive the night.
Whether you’re here for the food, the drinks, or the after-dark energy, Poliakov’s Haunted Woods is where Halloween tastes its best.
Sydney’s Halloween Market
Witches, Wonders & Wicked Finds
Just up the cobblestones, The Halloween Market on Playfair Street casts a spell all its own. By day, it’s a charming showcase of artisan stalls and family-friendly delights, from pumpkin-spiced treats and handcrafted wares to bubbling brews and magical trinkets.
But as night falls, the market takes a darker turn.
The lights dim. Fog creeps in. Cauldrons bubble beside flickering candles. Witches gather in shadowy corners, and the once whimsical laneways begin to whisper secrets. Black magic meets boutique shopping as curious souls roam through a mystical night market pulsing with eerie sounds, glowing pumpkins, and enchanting surprises.
Expect handmade potions, dark chocolate spells and curious creations from some of Sydney’s most bewitching makers. It’s a space where the dead come to eat, drink and shop, and where every corner hides a little magic.
Ghost Cinema
Watch the Screen… But Watch
Your Back
Back by bloodthirsty demand, the Ghost Cinema returns to Cadmans Cottage, and this year, the scares are dialled all the way up.
Settle into a deckchair under the stars (if you dare) for an immersive outdoor horror movie experience like no other. Expect cult classics, The Exorcist, The Corpse Bride or The Conjuring. live performers who roam the aisles mid-scream, immersive soundscapes, and more than a few moments that’ll have you watching over your shoulder.
Party With the Dead in Sydney’s
Most Haunted Places
When the lights go low, the monsters come out to play.
Party in a real haunted house. The House of Horrors Party is back after selling out last year, This multi-level haunted house turned tech house temple, complete with four themed rooms, 3 live DJs sets, and endless fun and scares.
The Murder Cocktail Bar will appear for 4 days only deep inside The Rocks’ most haunted (true) laneway. Think 1930s speakeasy vibes with red velvet, gramophones, and ghostly piano tunes. Here enjoy live retro music and cocktails from another era. While, somewhere in the shadows, the Murder Mystery experience unfolds, a twisted tale based on one of The Rocks’ most chilling real crimes. Sip, sleuth, repeat. Sold out in no time in 2024, this is a must book your tickets early experience.
The Crossing Lane & Reese’s Ghouls
Gate
Immortalise Your Darkest Look in
360°
Before you hit the dance floor (or solve a murder), head to The Crossing Lane and book a full SFX transformation courtesy of professional makeup artists, monsters, witches, zombies, you name it.
Then make your way to Reese’s Ghouls Gate, a 360° video booth that’s equal parts photo moment and costume competition. Strike your pose, claim your Reese’s, immortalise your look and be voted Sydney’s best Halloween costume of 2025!
This Isn’t just Halloween… This is Ghost in The Rocks
free entry street festival
More announcements are
creeping closer, stay tuned.
GHOST FESTIVAL
Ghost Festival is a must-see free event for anyone seeking to experience a frightfully delightful Halloween experience in the heart of The Rocks, where the historic lanes will be haunted by spine-tingling stories twisting into real-life events.
INTERESTING FACTS
Some believe the restless spirits of sailors, convicts, and plague victims still wander The Rocks’s cobbled streets today. One of the most chilling tales is that ofAnne Kirkman, a young woman whose husband was lost at sea. Stricken with grief, Anne died suddenly of typhoid fever in her Cumberland Street terrace. Locals insist her ghost still lingers, drifting through the laneways in a long white gown, lantern in hand, as if eternally waiting for her beloved to return from the harbour. On quiet nights, some even claim to hear the faint sound of her sobs echoing through the stones of The Rocks.
Event Details:
Dates: Thursday October 30 – Sunday November 2, 2025 Location: The Rocks – Sydney
Entry: Free to attend
Ghost Cinema tickets start at $39
House of Horrors Party early bird tickets start at $55
Murder Mystery Experience tickets start at $149
Website: https://ghostfestival.com.au/
Ghost Festival social media
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghostfestivalsyd/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ghostfestivalsyd/
