Europe's Largest Halloween Party Attracts Massive Crowds in Northern Ireland
In Londonderry, the second-largest city in Northern Ireland, the largest Halloween party in Europe is taking place. Tens of thousands of people are participating in the annual Halloween festival, which concludes tonight.
The four-day event culminates with an annual parade and fireworks finale.
More and more people gather in the medieval walled city at the end of October to join the four-day festival, which includes parades, air shows, pyrotechnics, and music. Halloween has been celebrated in Londonderry for nearly forty years, and with each passing year, the festival grows larger. It originates from the Celtic celebration of the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.
Halloween's festivities in Derry gained worldwide popularity after the first official Halloween celebration in 1986, making it one of the best Halloween destinations in the world.
This is the longest night of the year in the city, and it attracts thousands of people, both young and old, in carnival costumes.
It was traditionally believed that the veil between this world and the afterlife was thinnest on October 31, allowing spirits and demons to pass easily. Hence, this day is considered the source of Halloween.
This year's Halloween celebrations began on Saturday, October 28, and brought the streets of Londonderry to life with theatrical performances, floating choirs, light shows, eerie creatures, and roaming hooligans who wander the city at night. This year, the "Awakening of the Walled City" route serves as the festival's culmination, narrating the story of Halloween through illumination, aerial displays, pyrotechnics, and music.
According to the city council, this year, the city spent £450,000 on preparing for the festival, and the investment has proven worthwhile.
"We know from previous events that it brings around £3.5 million to the local economy and countless non-monetary benefits throughout Northern Ireland," a city representative said.
The city council expects that over 130,000 people will visit the city during the four-day event.