Spook-tacular Derry Halloween festival turns 40

Tens of thousands of people are expected in Londonderry this week as the city celebrates the 40th anniversary of its Halloween festival.

From humble beginnings in the mid 1980s, the festival is - according to the organisers, Derry City and Strabane District Council - Europe's largest Halloween Festival.

Mayor of Derry Grace Uí Niallais said the festival, which gets under way on Wednesday, has grown to become "one of Ireland's most famous cultural events".

This year the city celebrates 40 years of the festival with events inspired by folklore, mythology and the traditions of Samhain, the ancient festival in which Halloween's roots lie.

Whether you're visiting for the first time or coming back once again to Derry for Halloween, here's what you need to know.

The Carnival Parade takes place on 31 October and is due to begin at 19:00 GMT.

It is expected to feature more than 600 community performers, with floats, music and street theatre forming part of the procession.

It starts on Strand Road, making its way to Harbour Square roundabout, then along the Foyle Embankment and back along Queen's Quay.

The Fireworks Finale will light up the skies over the Foyle at 20:15.

The festival programme extends well beyond the parade and fireworks, with events taking place across the city over five days.

Aerial performances above the Diamond, giant installations around Guildhall Square and characters inspired by local folklore feature across the city centre.

Live music, family activities and street entertainment are planned at venues and public spaces throughout the city, alongside a full programme of daytime and evening events.

One of the festival's best-known attractions is the Awakening the Walled City Trail, which runs over the festival's first three nights.

The trail takes visitors through part of the city's historic walls, bringing together aerial performances, music, fire displays and visual installations.

Festival and events manager Aisling McCallion said this year's event would be "bigger and more ambitious than ever".

Several new performances and installations have been commissioned to mark the festival's 40th anniversary.

Among this year's highlights are:

• Descent, a visual installation designed to transform the city walls into a portal between worlds
• Samhain Sisters, a specially commissioned 40th anniversary production by In Your Space Circus
• Through the Veil, an aerial performance above the Diamond
• New installations and performances created by local artists and creative organisations

The trail runs from 18:00 to 21:00 on 28, 29 and 30 October.

Most events are free and do not require advance booking.

For the first time, however, visitors will need tickets for the section of the Awakening the Walled City Trail taking place on the city's historic walls.

The ticketing system has been introduced to help manage visitor numbers and improve safety.

Tens of thousands of tickets were booked within days of release.

A further 2,500 tickets for each evening will be released at noon on 28, 29 and 30 October through the Millennium Forum box office and website.

Music features prominently throughout the festival, with local artists performing on the Samhain Sounds Stage in Guildhall Square and Waterloo Place.

A programme of After Dark events will take place at venues including the Guildhall, the Tower Museum and the Centre for Contemporary Art, extending the celebrations into the evening.

Guildhall Square will host a Halloween food market, while bars, cultural venues and public spaces across the city will stage live entertainment throughout the festival.

The festival includes a range of events and facilities for visitors with special educational needs and disabilities.

SEN-Sational Derry Halloween sessions at the Guildhall will include sensory play, storytelling, music and interactive activities, while several productions will offer relaxed performances with reduced noise, softer lighting and smaller audiences.

Dedicated quiet spaces, accessible parade viewing areas, accessible toilets and safety wristbands will also be available.

Temporary road closures and traffic diversions will be in place across the city centre throughout the celebrations.

From 28 to 30 October, Upper Magazine Street and Palace Street and Society Street will close from 06:00.

Bank Place, Lower Magazine Street, Shipquay Street, Butcher Street, Ferryquay Street and Bishop Street Within, Fountain Street, Artillery Street will close between 14:00 and 22:00.

Further closures will affect Foyle Street, New Market Street and Market Street from 16:00 to 22:00.

On 31 October, additional restrictions will be introduced to accommodate the parade and fireworks.

Queen's Quay will close from 16:00 to 22:00 and the Peace Bridge is also due to close temporarily from about 19:00.

Foyle Street Car Park and Queen's Quay Car Park are also to close on 31 October.

Accessible parking will be available at Strand Road, Victoria Market and St Columb's Park and additional parking will be provided at Ulster University on Halloween night.

Visitors are being advised to plan ahead and use public transport where possible.

There is plenty happening beyond Derry city centre.

Across the Strabane district, people can explore pumpkin patches, haunted attractions and the Halloween Hay Trail.

Events are planned for Artigarvan, Castlederg, Newtownstewart and Strabane.

On Saturday night, Strabane will host trick-or-treat trails, live performances and interactive activities before a fireworks display at the Melvin Sports Complex.

The festival is now promoted across the UK, North America, Europe and Australia, while international broadcasters and media organisations regularly feature Derry Halloween.

In 2015, a USA Today readers' poll named Derry the world's best Halloween destination, while the New York Times later included it in a list of leading spooky-season travel destinations.

About a quarter of the 120,000 people expected to attend the event are travelling from outside Northern Ireland.