Halloween thrill-seekers are transforming October into a peak month for theme parks, with Merlin Entertainments revealing the period now rivals August for profitability.
The owner of major attractions including Thorpe Park and Alton Towers states October now accounts for approximately a fifth of its yearly profit.
Fiona Eastwood, Merlin’s boss, emphasised the growing importance of the autumn season, stating October is “as significant” as the peak summer season for the attractions giant, which also operates Chessington World of Adventures and Legoland Windsor.
At Thorpe Park in Surrey, renowned for its Fright Nights since 2002, October now generates nearly half (46 per cent) of its annual profit.
The park even saw October visitor numbers surpass August in 2024, welcoming a third more guests than in the traditional summer peak.
Last year, October contributed almost a fifth of annual visitor numbers and nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of revenues at the attraction.
Similarly, Alton Towers in Staffordshire benefits significantly from its Scarefest programme. October now contributes 27 per cent of its annual earnings and 16 per cent of total revenue.
The park anticipates welcoming more than 440,000 visitors throughout this month alone.
Ms Eastwood said: “From the launch of Fright Nights at Thorpe Park in 2002 with just two scare mazes, to now delivering Halloween experiences right across our estate, we’ve transformed this occasion into a defining moment in our trading calendar.
“We’ve turned Halloween into a focal point that captures the imagination across generations and is now as significant as the peak summer season, and in some cases even more so.”
Outside of the UK, the firm’s Heide Park Resort in Germany saw the highest share of Halloween across Merlin’s European estate last year.
It comes as Halloween becomes a key event in the calendar for Britons, with the UK rapidly catching up with the grand-scale celebrations seen in America each year.
Merlin said its rides in the dark remain among the most popular attractions, with guests citing night-time experiences as a key reason for visiting its theme parks over the Halloween season.
But Ms Eastwood said its immersive experiences are also drawing in visitors.
UK attractions such as Alton Towers and Thorpe Park are expanding their Halloween programmes this year to offer more immersive, age-inclusive experiences which aim to “blend excitement with seasonal storytelling”.
Halloween experiences for this year include a new maze at Thorpe Park and two new attractions at Alton Towers – Trick O’ Treat Town and Amigos of the Afterlife.
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