Why Halloween is now bigger than Christmas for some attractions

Halloween has become so popular that some attractions now make more money from the spooky season than Christmas, operators say.

From pumpkin festivals and haunted mazes to zombie experiences, businesses say demand for Halloween events has soared as the celebration grows from a single night into a month-long attraction.

At Avon Valley Adventure Park near Bath, Halloween activities now generate around a third of the site’s annual income. Founder Doug Douglas said: “Halloween is really important for us, it has surpassed Christmas.”

“We make half of our turnover in October, and one third comes from the week of Halloween alone,” said David Gaze, owner at Chaplins fancy dress shop in Bristol.

Retailers, farm attractions and scare parks say people are spending more on costumes, decorations and immersive experiences, helping to make October one of their busiest times of the year.

Chaplins has been a staple in the city centre for 35 years, back when people wore fancy dress on New Year’s Eve.

“People don’t do that so much anymore, now it’s mostly for Halloween,” Gaze said.

Last year, it saw its busiest October to date, with customers individually spending an average of £40 on fancy costumes and accessories.

“People are spending more and the week of Halloween is our busiest every year, we get queues outside the front door.”

“It’s usually what people are seeing on TV that sells well. Some years ago it was boiler suits from Squid Game, everyone wanted that,” he added.