[Updated Oct 26: Our list of Halloween events in Beijing for 2016 now exceeds 94 ... check the full list here]
As Beijingers trickle back after their week-long October 1 National holiday, thoughts quickly turn to: holy sh*t, there are only two shopping weekends left to get costumes ready for Halloween in Beijing 2016.
As to where to party in Beijing for this year's ghoulish festivities, fear not – the calendar is coming together nicely, and as usual we'll attempt to exhaustively chronicle all your Beijing Halloween party choices until the clock strikes midnight on October 31.
Here's a sneak preview of just some of the haunted happenings for 2016 (follow along in our events section for more here).
The horrific happenings start early with an October 14 costume party at The Tiki Bungalow, a bar that's known for serving goosebump-inducing and spine-tinglingly good cocktails. The event doubles as an anniversary party for the venue, a milestone that will be celebrated with free shots to any patrons that show up in costume. Better still: prizes will be given to the most "erotically dressed guests." Let's hope attendees will work off their beer bellies before turning up in such scandalous attire, so that the occasion proves more titillating than horrifying. The party starts at 7pm and will no doubt go late.
If you're looking for a solid Friday (October 28) option, there is Killer Thriller Night at Centro with free horror face painting, a best costume competition where you can stand to win prizes such as an Apple watch, a weekend at Kerry Hotel, or a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne. To make things interesting, there will also be special vampire shots.
For those who prefer to be out on a creepy rooftop, Yin on 12 is putting on their scariest look on October 29 for a Night of Wicked Treats. Dress your best, because there will be prizes and a lucky draw.
Live music diehards, meanwhile, will be trick or treated to a frightfully fun gig at Yugong Yishan on October 27. Dubbed "Freak Out 2016: The Forbidden Temple Halloween Warehouse Fest," this show will feature performances by American DJ AraabMuzik and South Korean upshot Keith Ape, and attendees are encouraged to show up in costume.
That gig will be followed by the October 29 "Heavy Night Halloween Party of 330 Metal Music Festival," for which Yugong Yishan will host a number of blood curdlingly loud headbangers.
ModernSky Lab also jumps on the Halloween train (to hell), coordinating a two-day event between October 28-29 with bands, DJs, costumes, interactive games, and more.
Temple Bar will also be hosting a night of metal on October 28 with female-fronted metal band Ready to Die, hard rock band Face, and Scare the Children from 10pm onwards. Entry is free.
Also, beloved hutong haunt Modernista will host not one, but two fun Halloween events later on in the month. The spooky festivities begin October 28 with a Halloween themed performance by the popular Stevie Mac and The Mac Daddies, followed by an October 29 costume party for which Mademoiselle et Son Orchestre will grace the stage. Those of you that like to dance are also sure to enjoy Destination's three day Halloween extravaganza, slated for Oct. 28, 29 and 31, and featuring tunes from ·DJ Twisted Dee (美国) (more details here).
Hungry Halloween enthusiasts, meanwhile, will have their appetites satisfied by Hatchery's Zombie Pirate Kitchen Takeover at Feast from October 28-30, where dishes like Walk Ye Old Plank (New Zealand green shell mussels in white wine sauce), Davy Jones’ Zombie Bride (New Zealand green shell mussels in anchovy sauce with chilies), and Corpse Curry (New Zealand green shell mussels in green chili sauce with shrimp paste) will be on offer.
Those looking for a combination of brunch and a haunted house on October 30 will find their Halloween wishes come true at the Beijing Hilton Capital Airport.
Kerry's Kitchen will also be preparing lots of food and drink, a lucky draw, and playtime at Adventure Zone for families. RMB 318 (plus service charge and VAT) per adult, and children under six years old go free.
Paddy O'Sheas will also get in on the Halloween fun with an October 28 costume party where attendees can get ghoulish makeup slathered on their faces, enjoy wide swaths of drink specials, and enjoy spooky music spilling out the speakers.
If you're a real party animal, Ron Mexico is hosting Crawloween on October 29, starting at 8pm, a hutong Halloween pub crawl. For RMB 275, you get 10 drink tokens that enable you to have drinks and shots at most of our favorite hutong haunts: Temple, Hot Cat Club, Cafe de la Poste, The Tiki Bungalow, and of course Ron Mexico.
Then there's Jing-A Taproom, which will host a Halloween Beer Mile on October 29, where prizes will be awarded to the participants with the most creative costumes after those attendees finish four laps around Courtyard 4 (sign up here).
Nanjie is the starting point for a Halloween Pub Crawl on October 29 (RMB 200, RMB 150 (presale), with free welcome shots, free shots on the party bus, free entry into the final club, awesome drinks specials at all bars, and plenty of Halloween fun.
For a frightfully funny good time, Beijingers can turn to E&A Bar's Dead Funny standup night on October 29 at 7.30pm, where eight comedians will hop onstage dole out jokes that split more sides than a slasher flick.
On the same night, Migas will host the Street Kids DJ's for what they've dubbed to be a Freaks Halloween Party (those festivities start at 10pm on October 29 and go late). Whereas geekier party-goers can opt for The Local's Star Wars themed Halloween party (October 29 at 8pm).
There's also plenty of Halloween fun to be had on the actual day itself, October 31. Home Plate will host a Rocky Horror Picture Show, while Swissotel's Flo bar will host a costume party, and Gongti dance club Vics will have a fright night themed party.
There's also a range of highly unconventional Halloween events this year. On October 29, Boom Castle Festival bills itself as a "rave course" in which "raw noises merge with the abstract structures of a deserted base that stands out as the ultimate party premises,"among other things.
For queer women, there is Lalaween on October 29 from 9pm onwards, organized by the organizers of Les Booze. The party takes place at Chill Bar, and there are special happy hour drinks prices, and there'll be a Halloween costume contest.
Classier Halloween events include an October 31 performance of Halloween Chamber Music by M.E Chamber Ensemble, a Halloween performance by the Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra on October 31, and an Agatha Christie inspired drama from November 4-6, presented by the Shanghai Grand Theater.
There's also a few season-long events, like Happy Valley Amusement Park's annual Halloween festival, which features 12 haunted houses, five parties, and five shows from October 14 through November 13.
Families on the other hand will likely want to take part in beijingkids'10th anniversary Halloween party on October 29-30.
More terrifying happenings are sure to be arranged as Halloween draws nearer. If you are planning such events, or hear about any that aren't listed above, feel free to let us know in the comments section below or by contacting the author at the email address below.
More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle
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Photos: TKHunt, courtesy of the venues/organizers, Margaux Schreurs
