By Matthew Chambers, Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies

As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, spooky season descends on Manchester and those of us at Haunt Manchester in the mood for thrills and chills, there’s no better destination this Halloween than GRUB & Chapeltown Picture House.

Chapeltown Picture House

Located at The Red Bank Project, just a ten-minute walk from the city centre, Chapeltown Picture House is one of the most exciting small venues in all of Manchester with movie screenings served up alongside comedy and acoustic gigs, spoken word nights, video gaming sessions, DJ performances, live podcast recordings and much much more. CPH shares an ethos with its parent venue, GRUB, in bringing the opportunity to promote awesome events to creative individuals who might not otherwise get the chance.

As well as its craft beer basement bar and spacious upstairs bar, GRUB is famous for its amazing Food Fairs on Fridays and Saturdays, where independent street vendors get to ply their trade in a welcoming and supportive environment that carries over into Europe’s first weekly vegan street food event, Plant Powered Sundays. With GRUB’s 7th Birthday spectacular on the horizon, there’s no better time than now to get introduced to one of Manchester's best venues.

Grub MCR

Photography by James Darcey

But the fun is only just beginning this October as GRUB and CPH are putting on a host of treats to keep all you ghouls giddy with excitement.

Halloween at GRUB

HALLOWE’EN WEEK kicks off on Wednesday 27th October at 7:30pm with GRUB’s annual spooky edition of their FIZZY QUIZ, the quiz with the fizziest prizes, including a gallon of lager. On Thursday 28th October things take a turn for the traditional with two pumpkin carving sessions with a family session at 4:30pm and an adults session at 7:30pm. The family fun continues on Friday 29th October from midday to 4:00pm with FREAKY FAMILY FRIDAYS including a number of activities friendly to all the family. For all you grown-up creatures of the night, don’t miss out on THE MONSTER’s BALL. GRUB’s after dark, adults only, devilish disco from 9pm Friday till late. With 2 for £5 shots all night, a DJ set from Jamie Groovement and £5 entry (plus a free drink), this will be a night to remember. Saturday 30th October brings us the CREEPY COSTUME CARNIVAL from midday to 10:00pm, but get down (in costume) before 7:00pm to get a chance to have your photo taken for social media, where the best costume will be picked by the public, with the chance to win free food and drink. Finally on Sunday 31st October from 10:00am, GRUB presents the CHILDREN’S DUMPLING WORKSHOP WITH OI DUMPLINGS, where children get to roll dough into their own dumplings with one of our amazing traders, Oi Dumplings.

As jam-packed as HALLOWE’EN WEEK at GRUB is, if you’re anything like me, the season just isn’t the same without a good old fashioned, horror movie marathon and thankfully, Chapeltown Picture House have teamed up with RAD Film Screenings to satisfy your nightmarish cinematic cravings with a NIGHTMARE ON RAD STREET.

RAD screenings

For 7 years now, RAD Film Screenings have been bringing awesome cult cinema screenings to venues all across Manchester and this year’s Halloween event is looking to be one of the best. While the crypt doors creak open at 4pm, the event really kicks off with Sam Raimi’s hilarious and hair-raising horror classic, EVIL DEAD 2 at 4.30pm followed up by an overlooked gem in Chuck Russell’s 1988 cult classic THE BLOB. Tom Holland’s 1985 comedy horror FRIGHT NIGHT keeps the laughs coming alongside the chills from 8:20pm before the night closes out with Kevin S. Tenney’s demonically schlocky NIGHT OF THE DEMONS. Tickets for each film are £5.50 with a full event pass only costing £16.50. RAD’s events always have a fun and lively atmosphere and this NIGHTMARE ON RAD STREET looks to keep the tradition alive. Tickets are on sale now.

But that’s not all as, if the Sunday 31st October screening of the 4K restoration of the DAWN OF THE DEAD: THEATRICAL CUT (1978) sells out, rumour has it we’ll be getting a secret second film, and the living dead do have a habit of turning up in Manchester around this time every year.

For further information on all of these events, and much, much more, be sure to follow GRUB, Chapeltown Picture House and RAD Film Screenings on all their social media.

Follow GRUB at:

Twitter & Instagram: @GRUBMCR

Follow Chapeltown Picture House at:

Twitter & Instagram: @CPHMCR

Follow RAD Film Screenings at: 

Twitter & Instagram: @RADscreenings

About HAUNT MANCHESTER

Haunt Manchester is a public-facing initiative set up by researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University’s Arts and Humanities Faculty – which is home to the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies – to promote the city’s Gothic heritage as a unique tourist attraction.

Images provided with thanks to GRUB, Chapeltown Picture House and RAD Film Screenings