Halloween Events in Cornwall 2026: What's On Near St Austell and Mevagissey

The big Halloween events in Cornwall this year, around St Austell and Mevagissey, all land on the last weekend of October. On Saturday 31 October we're throwing Dead Western, a free cowboy-themed Halloween party on the beach at Portmellon with a rodeo bull, line dancing and a live band. Within twenty minutes of us there's also Halloween at Heligan, fireworks at Par, and a fireworks weekend at Lappa Valley.

Here's what's on, who it suits and how to fit two or three into one weekend.

Dead Western at The Rising Sun, Saturday 31 October

The Rising Sun Inn is a 17th-century free house on the beach at Portmellon, a mile from Mevagissey in south Cornwall. On Halloween night the restaurant turns into a saloon.

• From 6:30pm: doors, Halloween games and the rodeo bull.
• 6:30 to 7:30pm: line dancing in the restaurant. Free, and no experience needed.
• 6:30 to 9:30pm: the rodeo bull. Rides are bought at the bar, and the best rider wins a stay in one of our sea-view rooms.
• 8 to 10pm: Johnny Ringo & The Cowboys, live.
• Games: apple bobbing, mummified and trick or treat, with prizes.

Entry is free and you don't need to book: just turn up. Fancy dress is optional but encouraged, and the theme is Dead Western, so think cowboys, saloon ghosts and frontier zombies. Everything else, including the rodeo bull prices, is on our Dead Western post.

It's a family night early on and gets livelier once the band starts. [SCOTT: confirm whether dogs are welcome on the night or best left at home, and whether food is served.]

Are there Halloween events in Cornwall for adults?

Yes, and most of them are in the evening. Ours is one: a band, a bar and a rodeo bull is about as grown-up as Halloween gets in a beach pub. For something darker, Heligan is running a Folk Horror Film Festival every night from 24 to 31 October, 6 to 9pm, with films shown out on the estate. Check Heligan's site for which films suit which ages.

Halloween events in Cornwall for families

• Halloween at Heligan, 24 October to 1 November. Medieval myths, spooky cinema and falconry at the Lost Gardens, ten minutes' drive from us. Heligan also runs family walks that half term, including a glowing fungi walk after dark on Monday 26 October.
• Illuminate the Night, Saturday 31 October, 4 to 10pm, at the Par Events Field by Par Moor Road near St Austell. Fireworks, laser shows, funfair rides and street food.
• Lappa Valley, near St Newlyn East, has fireworks on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October from 5.30pm. It's the furthest of these, nearer Newquay.

If you're torn between the two big gardens for a daytime visit, our guide to Eden or Heligan covers which is closer and which suits a half day.

How can I do more than one on Halloween?

The easiest plan: fireworks at Par from 4pm, then on to Portmellon for the band at 8. Par is a short drive from us; allow twenty-five minutes on a busy night. Or spend the day at Heligan and come down the hill to us for the evening. Either way, book a room if nobody wants to drive. Our rooms are upstairs, room only, and the party is underneath you.

Is Cornwall good for Halloween?

We think so. Cornwall has more folklore than most of the country: piskies, knockers in the mines, wreckers, drowned bells and saints arriving on millstones. Around here the stories are of smugglers and of Sir Henry Bodrugan, who is said to have leapt from the cliffs near Chapel Point in 1487 to escape his enemies. It's all storytelling, and that's half the fun. Nobody here claims the pub is haunted. The other half is that it's half term, the beaches are empty, and the pubs are full of people in costume.

What else is on at the pub that week?

Halloween falls on a Saturday, so the usual week carries on around it:

• Sunday 1 November: Sunday roast, 12 to 3pm, then live music most Sunday afternoons.
• Tuesday: Pie & Mash (pies 5:30 to 8:30pm) and the quiz from 7:30pm.
• Thursday to Saturday: sharing plates, 5 to 9pm.

We're open Monday and Tuesday 4 to 9pm, Wednesday 12 to 10pm, Thursday to Saturday 12 to 11pm and Sunday 12 to 8pm. Dogs are welcome in the pub (our dog-friendly pubs guide has the rest of the area), though not in the rooms. The full list is on What's On.

Quick answers

What's on for Halloween in Cornwall in 2026? Around St Austell: Dead Western at The Rising Sun, Portmellon (Sat 31 Oct, free, from 6:30pm), Halloween at Heligan (24 Oct to 1 Nov), Illuminate the Night at Par (Sat 31 Oct, 4 to 10pm) and fireworks at Lappa Valley (30 and 31 Oct).

Do I need to book for the Halloween party at The Rising Sun? No. Entry is free and you can just turn up. If you want a room for the night, book that ahead on our rooms page.

Is fancy dress compulsory? No, but most people make an effort. The theme is Dead Western.

Is the Halloween party family friendly? Yes, children are welcome at all times. The early evening, with the games and line dancing, suits families best.

The Rising Sun Inn, 2 Portmellon Park, Portmellon, Mevagissey, Saint Austell PL26 6PL · 01726 473214 · See What's On