Where Halloween began! Every October, the city of Derry, Ireland transforms into Europe’s biggest Halloween celebration — parades, fireworks, eerie legends, and Celtic magic filling its ancient streets.

While Hollywood gave us iconic Halloween films like Hocus Pocus and Beetlejuice, the holiday’s roots trace back over 2,000 years to Europe — and specifically to Ireland. The ancient Celtic festival of Samhain marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of the darker half of the year.

Today, Ireland proudly honors that heritage with Derry Halloween, Europe’s biggest Halloween festival. Held each year from October 28–31 in the riverside city of Derry (Londonderry), the celebration brings the spirit of Samhain to life with eerie parades, music, costumes, fireworks, and a touch of Celtic magic inside the city’s medieval walls.