Derry~Londonderry a fang-tastic place for a spooktacular break says Hollywood movie star
October 5: Hollywood movie star and proud Derry girl, Bronagh Gallagher has predicted this year’s Halloween celebrations in the city will be the best ever as the festival returns to full strength for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.
The Pulp Fiction and Commitments actress was speaking as over 100,000 visitors are set to descent on Derry this month for Europe’s biggest Halloween festival which runs from October 28-31.
This year’s festivities take place at 14 key locations across the city as well as extending into Strabane and Donegal. Coming together in one giant finale with the return of the magnificent carnival parade and epic fireworks display, the spectacle will see 40,000 revellers gather in Derry on Halloween night.
Bronagh said: “There are so many reasons for me to be proud to be a Derry girl and our Halloween festival is certainly a major one.
“It seems wherever I go in the world people know about Derry’s Halloween celebrations which is just amazing.
“When people come, they are blown away by the scale of the events but what makes them want to return is the warmth of the people and the atmosphere they find when they go out to the city’s bars and restaurants.
“I’m just so pleased to see the festival back to full strength after the pandemic and I have no doubt 2022 will be one of the best Halloweens the city has ever staged. I want to wish everyone at home and everyone visiting Derry a wonderful Halloween.”
Renowned as the birthplace of Halloween, Ireland has a deep connection with the celebration, but nowhere stronger than in the North West where the event has grown into a gruesome global phenomenon.
In 2015 Derry was voted Best Halloween Destination by the readers of USA Today while this year it has been named alongside Dublin as The Best Place in the World to Visit for Halloween by The Planet D, one of the most influential travel blogs on the planet.
Organisers have been working hard to ensure this year’s programme is packed with a wide range of activities.
Enjoy some gentle ‘exorcise’ at Awakening The Walled City, along the 1km City of Bones Trail through the centre of Derry with haunting animated projections and audio, spectacular street performances and creepy walkabout characters ready to give you a fright around every corner.
The Forest of Shadows Trail will be a 2km walk over The Peace Bridge, leading you through a portal into the iconic St Columb’s Park where the veil is at its thinnest between worlds. Be prepared to face your fears as demons and creatures emerge from the underworld, intent on entertaining everyone who is brave enough to visit.
Feast at the mouth-watering Legenderry Food Market and with the fearsome Little Horrors Family Programme and the stunning Live Music Programme also taking place, there’s something to get everyone in the spooky spirit.
The city is guaranteed to be buzzing throughout with visitors from this world and beyond. You can be assured of lively entertainment, lots of craic and the warm welcome Derry is renowned for.
When it comes to visiting Derry there are some spooktacular places to stay to suit everyone’s budget and taste, either in the heart of the city or in the surrounding area.
From international hotel brands, boutique designer hotels right through to the best B&Bs, guest houses and self-catering accommodation in the country, Derry has it all, but be warned and book early as they are usually packed to the rafters for Halloween.
Visit Derry Chief Executive Odhran Dunne said he is proud to see how the city has grown into one of the best places in the world to enjoy Halloween.
He said: “This is a vibrant city with a rich, mythical, creative and cultural history. When people visit for the Halloween festival, they are guaranteed to have a wonderful time at great value.
“As always, we’re looking forward to welcoming people from all over the world to Derry once more as our festivities get back to full strength.
“The city really does roll out the red carpet for visitors. The festival attractions are some of the best you will find in the world but beyond that our bars and restaurants are always lively and serving some of the best produce the North West has to offer.
“With the Halloween festivities also taking in Donegal and Strabane, this is the perfect opportunity to visit the whole area. We are famed as being the gateway to both the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coast with an abundance of stunning places to visit.”
For a full preview of Halloween in Derry and for great places to stay and eat visit www.visitderry.com and www.derryhalloween.com
