Necropolis: The City of the Dead
Dates
October 20, 2026
Doors
Early evening
Where
Glasgow Necropolis
Tickets from
£25.00
Inside the venue
Gallery
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
Walk the illuminated paths of Glasgow’s Victorian Necropolis with costumed storytellers, then browse Cathedral Square’s evening market. Family sessions from 4pm, atmospheric sessions from 8:30pm.
- Format: An illuminated trail through Glasgow’s Victorian Necropolis with costumed storytellers — gentle family sessions from 4pm and more atmospheric sessions from 8:30pm.
- Story-led, not an equipment ghost hunt. Choose a family session or a later atmospheric session to suit your group.
- No contact: Performers will not make physical contact with guests; please don’t touch performers, fixtures or historic fabric.
- Supervision & age: All ages welcome; under-18s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times, given uneven ground and low lighting.
- Optional: Your ticket covers the whole evening — only the timed headline experience needs a booked slot, so you can enjoy the festival, market and food areas without it.
Overlooking Glasgow Cathedral, the Necropolis is one of Europe’s grandest Victorian cemeteries — 3,500 monuments spread across a dramatic hillside. This Halloween, the winding paths are lit with projection and lantern installations from 4pm right through to midnight, with costumed storytellers stationed at key monuments sharing the real (and sometimes very strange) histories of the people buried there. Cathedral Square below becomes an evening market of its own, so families can enjoy the earlier, gentler hours while night owls linger for the fuller, more atmospheric later sessions.
Why you should book this
The Necropolis’s illuminated trail changes every year, so this year’s lighting design and storyteller scripts won’t be repeated. At £25 — the lowest price in the whole pack — with family-friendly early sessions and atmospheric later ones, this is an easy, low-cost way to try a Halloween event with the whole family before deciding what else to book.
What you’ll experience
- The Illuminated Trail — the self-paced headline experience: winding hillside paths lit with projection and lantern installations
- 4 Storyteller Stations — costumed storytellers along the route sharing real Necropolis history, from gentle daytime tales to darker evening ones
- Cathedral Square Evening Market — food trucks, craft stalls, and a licensed bar at the foot of the hill, running the same 4pm–midnight hours
- Torch-Making Workshop — a family-friendly craft station near the entrance where children can make their own lantern to carry on the trail (small additional charge)
- Cathedral Square Live Music — acoustic sets on an outdoor stage from 7pm
Evening schedule
| Time | What’s on |
|---|---|
| 4:00pm | Trail opens — family-friendly lighting and gentler storyteller scripts |
| 4:00pm | Cathedral Square market and torch-making workshop open |
| 7:00pm | Cathedral Square live acoustic sets begin |
| 8:30pm | Trail lighting and storyteller scripts shift to fuller, more atmospheric evening tone |
| 10:00pm | Last entry to the trail |
| 11:15pm | Estimated last trail-walkers exit (75 min self-paced) |
| 11:30pm | Market last orders |
| 12:00am | Cathedral Square closes |
Before you visit
🚗 Getting there & parking
By car: Cathedral Square car park sits directly adjacent to the entrance — under a 2-minute walk to the Necropolis gates. By train: High Street Station is an 8-minute walk to Cathedral Square.
🕐 Entry & times
Daily 4:00pm–12:00am, 20 Oct–1 Nov 2026. A valid ticket for your chosen date admits you to the whole evening; the timed headline experience needs its booked slot. Arrive a little before your slot — late arrivals are accommodated in a later slot subject to availability.
⚠ 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: Outdoor, steep paths in places, cemetery setting — good footwear recommended. Family session (from 4pm) is genuinely suitable for children; later sessions (from 8:30pm) lean more atmospheric/adult in tone. Good for: Families · Couples · First-time visitors to Glasgow wanting something atmospheric but not scary · Anyone wanting a full evening rather than a single attraction
Getting there
Where
Venue
Glasgow Necropolis
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
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
Is anything staged?
No. Nothing is staged and no outcome is ever promised. Genuine historic buildings, investigated with structured vigils and traditional techniques.
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 from My Account.
Which ticket should I choose?
Twilight for families, Standard for the full after-dark tour, Premium for a small-group vigil with equipment, VIP for the extended late session on 31 October.
Can I change my date?
Yes, up to 48 hours before, subject to availability on the night you move to.
Do I need experience?
None at all. Guides run every session and stay with your group the whole time.
Book your experience
- Instant e-ticket by email, QR per guest
- Secure card checkout — total confirmed at checkout
- Every activity on the night is optional
£25.00
Early Bird — 20% off