Derry Halloween Parade 2025: Motorhome Mods, Fireworks & a Mocktail in Derry City

Every October, Derry turns into something between Sleepy Hollow and Ibiza for goths and I am here for it. The Derry Halloween Parade is Europe’s self-proclaimed biggest Halloween event, pulling in about 40,000 people dressed as everything from zombies to people who “came as themselves” (looking at you, Mrs M).

We parked in our usual spot in St Columb’s Park, wedged in tighter than the budget on an IKEA kitchen. Both cab doors were pinned shut by other vans, so the only way out was the side door, sideways. It’s a glamorous life, van-lifing.

Day One: The DIY that wasn’t meant to be

Before the city filled with costumes and chaos, I made the brilliant decision to “quickly” sort the tatty carpet between the cab and the living area. You know that little bridge panel that covers the drop between cab and coach? Yeah, that one.

Turns out it wasn’t a carpet bridge at all. It was a structural abyss hiding dead 12V cables, dust, and decades of regret. My plan to recarpet turned into a full-blown varnish job and a new USB socket installation over the cab. Because obviously the week of Derry Halloween is the perfect time to start van modifications.

I wanted the socket to power our internal CCTV and some festive LED lights (Mrs M is Christmas-mad). After realising both existing 12V feeds were deader than my will to live, I ran new wiring from the distribution box, varnished the board, and somehow convinced myself it looked intentional.

Day Two: Into the mayhem

We arrived on Thursday afternoon, smugly beating the crowds. That turned out to be a good shout because by Friday the place was heaving. The Peace Bridge was closed from 7 pm to 9 pm for safety, and I am fairly sure the entire population of the northwest was shoulder-to-shoulder in costume.

Mrs M, ever the minimalist, proudly declared she was “coming as herself.” I laughed, she gave me that look, and we carried on toward the parade route.

The parade, the fireworks, and the fairground finale

The parade itself was everything Derry does best. Creative chaos, skeletons on stilts, drummers with more energy than sense, and enough fake fog to cover a small country. The fireworks over the Foyle were spectacular (I muted the video’s audio here, mostly because everyone around us was screaming like banshees).

Once the last rocket faded, we wandered across to Ebrington Square to check out the fairground that had been running all week. Think candyfloss, flashing lights, and teenagers pretending to be terrified on rides that were clearly built by someone’s cousin.

Finishing strong (with a mocktail)

No trip’s complete without a pint, so we ended the night at Stitch & Weave. I had a Guinness, Mrs M had a mocktail that looked suspiciously like swamp water but apparently tasted “lovely.” By then the crowds had thinned, the rain had mercifully stayed away, and the van was still intact. A Halloween miracle.

Final thoughts

The Derry Halloween Parade 2025 once again proved why the city calls itself the Home of Halloween. It is over the top, full of heart, and the kind of madness you cannot help but love, especially if you are watching it all unfold from your own tiny, varnish-smelling home on wheels.