Derry prepares for 100,000 to descend for Halloween festival

Londonderry is gearing up once again for a Halloween spectacular.

Around 100,000 people are expected to descend on the city for this year’s festival which takes place at 14 key locations as well as extending into Strabane and Donegal.

The festival is regarded as one of the world's best Halloween celebrations.

It promises a wide variety of attractions and celebrations including the City of Bones Trail, spectacular street performances, live music and so much more.

Celebrations are due to come to a climax with the return of the carnival parade and a fireworks display which will see 40,000 revellers gather for Halloween night.

The Planet D, a popular travel blog, named Derry alongside Dublin as the best place in the world to visit for Halloween.

Visit Derry chief executive Odhran Dunne says he is "proud of how the city has grown" to accommodate celebrations of such scale.

“The city really does roll out the red carpet for visitors," he said.

"The festival attractions are some of the best you will find in the world but beyond that our bars and restaurants are always lively and serving some of the best produce the Northwest has to offer."

The scale of the celebrations are likely to boost tourism in Derry and the surrounding area. Mr Dunne was keen to encourage visitors to make the most of local points of interest during the festival period.

"We are famed as being the gateway to both the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coast, with an abundance of stunning places to visit.

“As always, we’re looking forward to welcoming people from all over the world to Derry once more as our festivities get back to full strength."

Events take place between October 28 and 31.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.