Festival Pier — Thames Ghost Cruise
Dates
October 20, 2026
Doors
Early evening
Where
Festival Pier, Belvedere Road, South Bank
Tickets from
Price range: £0.00 through £74.00
Instant e-ticket
In your inbox the moment you pay
Secure checkout
Encrypted card payment
Guide-supervised
Every vigil led by experienced staff
Date changes
Move night up to 48 hours before*
About this
Event Description
A Thames ghost cruise from Festival Pier, past Westminster and Tower Bridge. Four haunted decks, silent disco, live scare actors. Family by day, strictly 18+ after dark, 20 Oct–2 Nov 2026.
- Format: A chartered multi-deck passenger vessel with a themed quayside zone. Family session by day, strictly 18+ after dark.
- Age & ID: Evening sessions are strictly 18+ and valid photo ID is required. Full-face masks are not permitted after dark — crew must be able to identify everyone on board.
- No contact: All zones are no-touch. Actors may startle but never physically contact guests. A no-scare wristband is available on request.
- Named tickets: Every guest must be named at booking for the passenger manifest, including under-4s admitted free. Unnamed tickets will not be boarded.
- Supervision: Under-12s must be accompanied and supervised by an adult at all times, including on the quay.
This is the only sailing event of the five. A chartered multi-deck Thames passenger vessel boards at Festival Pier on the South Bank and cruises the central river past the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, the City skyline and Tower Bridge. Where a land-based scare park spreads guests over acres, a vessel does the opposite — it seals them in. You cannot leave mid-experience, sightlines are tight, decks are narrow, and the river supplies the fog, the cold and the darkness for free. Daytime sailings are gentle and story-led; After Dark is four haunted decks and a scare cast.
Why you should book this
London’s first full-scale floating Halloween scarefest, and the cheapest way into this series — £26 for a two-hour daytime cruise and £45 for four hours After Dark, against a £40–£75 band for comparable Thames evening party cruises. Every onboard attraction is included. Because this one genuinely sails, capacity is a hard ceiling set by the vessel’s passenger certificate and there are no walk-ups on a busy night. Fri 30 and Sat 31 Oct sell first, and boarding closes strictly 15 minutes before departure.
What you’ll experience
- Pumpkin Deck by day — gentle ghost-story tours of the vessel, pumpkin craft tables, a magic show, face painting and a trick-or-treat deck trail, all ages welcome
- Five haunted zones after dark — The Bilge · Cabin Thirteen · The Frost Fair · The Waterman’s Watch · Fog on the Water, all strictly no-touch
- The Bilge — the most intense zone on board, and not for the claustrophobic
- Silent Scream Disco — a three-channel headphone silent disco, included in every evening ticket
- Tower Bridge Finale — a scripted lighting, projection and sound sequence, nightly
- Live Pumpkin-Carving Battle and a Best Costume Contest every single night, with prizes
Haunted zones (after dark)
| Zone | Concept |
|---|---|
| The Bilge | Lowest accessible deck. Near-total darkness, dripping water effects, close-quarters confinement, with the vessel’s own engine noise in the soundscape. The most intense zone. |
| Cabin Thirteen | A single dressed cabin run as a timed 90-second solo or pair walk-through — claustrophobic, quiet, no jump scares, pure dread. |
| The Frost Fair | Inspired by the documented Thames frost fairs, when the river froze hard enough to hold markets. Cold-blue lighting, cracking-ice sound design. |
| The Waterman’s Watch | Drawn from the real history of the Thames watermen who ferried Londoners across the river for centuries. Lantern-lit, slow, story-led. |
| Fog on the Water | Open-air upper deck under low haze and moving beam lighting, silhouette actors against the real London skyline. Weather-dependent. |
Onboard & quayside attractions
| Attraction | Details |
|---|---|
| Main Deck Dance Floor | Licensed bar, DJ booth and dance floor in the covered main saloon — evening, 18+ |
| Silent Scream Disco | Three-channel headphone silent disco on the covered rear deck — keeps volume within river noise limits |
| The Skyline Photo Deck | Themed photo sets with Tower Bridge and the City as a live backdrop — both sessions |
| Karaoke Crypt | Horror-theme-tune karaoke in the lower saloon — evening, 18+ |
| Deck Games Corner | Halloween quiz, ring toss and bean-bag toss with soft props — daytime, all ages |
| VR Nightmare Pods | Seated 5-minute VR horror experience, fixed seating for stability — evening, 18+, paid add-on |
Daily schedule
| Time | What’s on |
|---|---|
| 11:00am–1:00pm | Pumpkin Cruise — gentle ghost-story narration, pumpkin craft, magic show, face painting |
| 2:00pm–4:00pm | Twilight Family Sailing — as above with dusk lighting |
| 3:30pm | Family costume parade and judging on the upper deck |
| 4:00pm–6:00pm | Turnaround alongside the pier — full vessel reset, no guests aboard |
| 7:00pm | After Dark departs — strictly 18+, boarding closed at 6:45pm |
| 9:00pm | Live Pumpkin-Carving Battle on the main deck |
| 9:45pm | Best Costume Contest |
| 10:15pm | Tower Bridge Finale — lighting, haze and sound timed to the bridge pass |
| 11:00pm | Return to Festival Pier — all guests disembark within 20 minutes |
Before you visit
🚗 Getting there & parking
By tube and rail: Waterloo (National Rail, Jubilee, Bakerloo, Northern, Waterloo & City) and Embankment (District, Circle, Bakerloo, Northern) are both a short walk. Numerous bus routes serve Waterloo Bridge and the South Bank. By car: there is no event parking and the pier sits within the Congestion Charge zone — public transport is the only sensible option.
🕐 Entry & times
Daytime sailings 11:00am and 2:00pm, After Dark departs 7:00pm, daily 20 Oct–2 Nov 2026. Sailings depart on time from an allocated pier slot and cannot be held. Boarding opens 30 minutes before departure and closes strictly 15 minutes before.
⚠ Code of conduct
Prohibited at all events: real or imitation weapons, full-face masks that prevent ID checks, and glass containers. Costumes are welcome within those limits. Security searches may be carried out on entry. Abusive or threatening behaviour, or failure to follow venue instructions, means removal without a refund.
Content note: This is a fixed-departure sailing, not a berthed event. The vessel operates to an allocated pier slot and cannot be held — boarding closes 15 minutes before departure and late guests are not carried. There is no re-entry and no mid-cruise disembarkation. Darkness, confined spaces, strobe-style lighting, haze, loud sound and vessel motion. Main deck is step-free; lower and upper decks are by stairs. Gangway gradient varies with the tide. Not suitable for guests who are pregnant, have heart or respiratory conditions, photosensitive epilepsy or severe claustrophobia. Good for: Londoners · Tourists wanting a skyline night · Couples · Groups celebrating on the water
What you get
Every ticket includes
On the night
Access & guiding
- Entry to the venue on your chosen night
- Experienced guides with you the whole time
- Small, controlled groups — never a coach party
- Nothing staged, no outcome promised
Before you go
Your ticket
- Unique QR code for every guest
- PDF download, ready to print
- Apple Wallet & Google Wallet
- Resend anytime from My Account
If plans change
Support
- Move night up to 48 hours before*
- Questions answered before the event
- Clear age and access info on every tier
- *Subject to availability
Not sure which
Choose your ticket
Every event runs more than one ticket tier. Tier names and prices vary by venue — pick a date and tier in the booking card and the exact price updates instantly.
Daytime & family tiers
Lights still up
- Earlier session, no scare content
- Rides, trails and entertainment included
- All ages welcome with an adult
After-dark tiers
The main event
- Full after-dark experience at the venue
- Live-actor scare zones and mazes
- Age-restricted — see the ticket option
Where offered
Upgrades
- Smaller groups, fewer places per session
- Extra access or equipment where offered
- Fri and Sat nights sell out first
Selected events
Season Pass
- Unlimited entry across the season
- Both sessions where an event runs two
- Not available on every event
Getting there
Where
Venue
Festival Pier, Belvedere Road, South Bank
Please allow extra travel time — several of our venues are rural, with limited public transport. Parking details are on your ticket.
Event dates
October 20, 2026
Inside the venue
Gallery
Before you book
Good to know
Age policy varies by tier — check the ticket option you pick. Photo ID may be requested for age-restricted tiers.
Genuine historic buildings. Expect uneven floors and, at some venues, steep stairs and limited step-free access.
Bring a torch, warm layers and flat, sensible shoes. Venues are cold and dark.
No physical contact takes place. All vigils are guide-supervised and every activity is optional.
Still deciding
Questions
What kind of night is this?
It depends on the event. Ghost hunts and horror houses take place in genuine historic buildings, with structured vigils and no promised outcome. Theme-park scarefests are built entertainment with live actors, mazes and scare zones. Each event page says which it is at the top.
What happens after I pay?
Your e-ticket is emailed straight away, with a unique QR code per guest. Save it as PDF, add to Apple or Google Wallet, or resend it any time from My Account.
Which ticket should I choose?
Daytime tiers are family-safe with no scare content. After-dark tiers are the full experience and are age-restricted — the limit is listed on each option. Upgrades mean smaller groups and longer access. Coming more than once? Check whether a Season Pass is offered.
Can I change my date?
Yes, up to 48 hours before, subject to availability on the night you move to.
Is there any physical contact?
No. Actors may startle you but never touch guests, and every activity on the night is optional. A no-scare wristband is available on request at most events.
Do I need experience?
None at all. Staff are on site throughout, and anything guide-led is clearly marked on the event page.
Book your experience
Price range: £0.00 through £74.00
- Instant e-ticket by email, QR per guest
- Secure card checkout — total confirmed at checkout
- Every activity on the night is optional
Price range: £0.00 through £74.00
Early Bird — 30% off
