The Ten Best Halloween Events in Sydney 2013

Where will you get your scares and candy this Halloween week? Here are some of Sydney's bloody best happenings.

Karnevil

It might not technically be on October 31, but that just means you don't have to worry about being hungover at work the next day, right? This October 26, the Big Top at Luna Park will be transformed into a haunted house. Well, a haunted house with live music and circus acts roaming around. There'll be DJ sets by Bombs Away, Nina Las Vegas and What So Not. Ego are also set for a multisensory, audiovisual Halloween-themed performance/DJ set. There's prizes for the best dressed and most terrifying, and the ticket price also gets you free rides from 6-8pm.

Jesse Willesee's Haunted Hotel

Why didn't the skeleton cross the road? He didn't have the guts! If jokes like that make you laugh instead of cringe, then Jesse Willesee's Haunted Hotel has got you covered this October 31. The man behind interactive photo shoot 700 Photos at Darlo Bar is back with a brand-new interactive project. This Halloween, he's turning all five levels of the Kings Cross Hotel into an 'American-style' haunted house, complete with live photo shoots, art installations and even Halloween Joke Booths, where you can sit down and be told bad Halloween jokes all night. There's plenty on offer for music lovers as well, with performances from Teenage Mothers, Black Zeroes, Bang! Bang! Rock N Roll andK ill City Creeps, as well as the Handgames Mixtape Launch at FBI Social.

Lady Killers at The Standard

The only thing scary about these female-fronted bands is how scary awesome they are. This year, The Standard is celebrating Halloween with four of the best rock acts the Sydney music scene has to offer, with She Rex, The Fabergettes, The Dark Hawks and Lily So each bringing their own unique sounds to the event.

The Preatures at Newtown Hotel

Halloween isn't the only thing the Newtown Hotel's got to celebrate this year — it's also their first birthday. To celebrate, they've got gospel soul rockers The Preatures on board, with Tokyo Denmark Sweden as support, for a free Halloween/birthday party, with free Bulmers and Carlton Draught from 6.30pm. With free music and free beer cider, this event's bound to reach capacity pretty quick, so we suggest getting in early.

El Loco Day of the Dead Party

Want to keep your Halloween festivities running a little way past the 31st? Thanks to our Mexican amigos at El Loco you can — with the annual Del Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festivities going down on November 2. With free face painting and DJs playing all night long, this traditional Day of the Dead celebration looks even bigger and better then previous years. There's free entry all evening and $5 drinks from 5-7pm, while the kitchen stays open till 3am (late-night tacos whattup!). Prizes will also be awarded for best dressed, judged by special guest, local artist Skullavera.

Dendy Cinemas Halloween

Feeling like you might want to avoid those adorable (*cough* annoying) trick-or-treaters knocking on your door on Halloween eve? Dendy Cinemas have got you covered. Join them for an evening of classic horror flicks, as they screen Army of Darkness and The Evil Dead at the Dendy Newtown. With special screenings also available in the comfort of the Dendy Lounge, this is the cultural alternative to Halloween; still with just the right amount of fear. See the Dendy website for session times and tickets.

Frankie's Pizza High Carb Halloween

Ain't no party like a Frankie's party. Seriously though, these dudes know how to get down. And with the excuse of All Hallows Eve on the cards, Frankie's team Anton Forte and Jason Scott were not going to pass up an opportunity to get freaky. Frankie's High Carb Halloween Party comes to you on October 31 in the first of what is sure to become an annual event of haunting proportions. With music from Massive (coming especially from Melbourne for the event), Twin Beats and DJ Dedderz — along with Frankie’s World Famous (and extremely severed) House Band — this is set to be one bloody good evening. Dress up, have a frozen margarita (or several) and of course, eat pizza. Bands are on from 9pm and entry is free!

Jurassic Lounge: Halloween

Calling Sydney’s grooviest guys, gals and goulz. The coolest weekly party for freaks and geeks may be coming to a close within the next month, but that is no reason for Jurassic Lounge to chicken out on some pretty epic Halloween celebrations. Jurassic Lounge: Halloween may be a couple of days premature, but it will be a no less scary night. Feel like getting spooky a couple of days early? Or perhaps hoping to road test your costume before the big day? Here's your chance to freak out in the creepy cave, turn plastic milk containers into spooky lanterns with Reverse Garbage, take part in a (witch)craft workshop or get your fortune told by Diana Calleja. Fun Machine will bring the party with their alternative pop tunes, and DJ Dusty Fingers is on the decks for the silent disco. The second last Jurassic Lounge before it becomes extinct; this is the Halloween shindig not to be missed. Head here for tickets.

Live Fast Die Young at the Soda Factory

James Dean once said: "Live fast, die young. And leave a beautiful corpse." And The Soda Factory wholeheartedly agrees, embracing the spirit of All Hallows Eve and putting on the party to end all parties. Gear up for trick-or-treats on arrival, apple-bobbing competitions, candied-beers/cocktails and The Uppercut Deluxe Pop-Up Barbershop, all for one night only. However, most notable will be the star-studded line-up for the evening: performers resurrected for your Halloween listening pleasure. Expect 'live' beats from the likes of James Brown, Nirvana and Marvin Gaye — the evening later culminating into a headline set from, yep, Michael Jackson. Oh and there's also a $200 bar tab to be won for the best costume on the night. Need we say more? Party kicks off at 5pm, Thursday 31st.

New Orleans Halloween Voodoo Festival

For 14 years, the Voodoo Festival has possessed New Orleans' Halloween with some of the world's most sought-after live music acts, from Pearl Jam to The Cure to Nine Inch Nails. This year, Sydneysiders will have the chance to experience a little of the magic, with The Bourbon getting their ghoul on in preparation for the city's first ever Voodoo. At 6pm on October 31, doors will open to reveal a scarily transformed venue, complete with evil twins. Headline acts are Australian rockabilly band Pat Capocci and the Two-Timing Playboys and urban party outfit Pocketful of Soul, while award-winning chef James Metcalfe is conjuring up a Halloween-inspired menu.

By the Concrete Playground team. Top image: Bahman. via photopin cc.