Halloween in Australia

Kids wear spooky costumes and go trick-or-treating. Pic: Prakash

Halloween is growing in popularity across Australia. It blends imported traditions like trick-or-treat and fancy dress with local flavours — warm weather events and creative community celebrations.

Halloween Date for 2025

Name Date Day Holiday Type States
Halloween 31 Oct Friday Observance All

Are Businesses Closed?

Halloween is not a public holiday. Businesses and Offices are open according to their normal hours.

Are Schools Closed?

Schools stay open in Halloween. Kids go trick-or-treating after school.

What is Halloween in Australia today?

Halloween is the late-October celebration of costumes, spooky fun, and treats. In Australia, it looks familiar — pumpkins, costumes, and parties — but the way people join in adapts to local culture, climate, and community habits.

Why Halloween feels different in Australia

Here are the main ways Halloween in Australia stands apart from countries where it has a longer history:

  • Seasonal difference: Halloween falls in spring in Australia, not autumn. That means warmer evenings and outdoor street events rather than the chilly, leaf-strewn scenes common in North America and parts of Europe.
  • Less uniform trick-or-treating: Trick-or-treat patterns are uneven. Some suburbs and newer housing estates see lots of kids, while others — especially in older neighbourhoods — may have very little door-to-door activity.
  • Community-led celebrations: Many Australians celebrate Halloween at local festivals, school events, shopping-centre parties, or private gatherings instead of whole-street trick-or-treating traditions.
  • Creative modification: Australians combine Halloween with local holidays and themes — for example, spring flower motifs, backyard barbecues, or beach-friendly costumes — giving the day a unique, playful twist.

What Aussies do for Halloween

Celebrations vary by age and location. Common ways people mark Halloween include:

  • Family-friendly trick-or-treating in participating neighbourhoods or organised shopping-centre events.
  • Costume parties at schools, workplaces, pubs, and community halls.
  • Pumpkin carving and pumpkin displays — often adapted to warm-weather décor.
  • Lantern parades, spooky markets, and community festivals.
  • Themed food and drinks at cafés and restaurants, including creative cupcakes, pumpkin dishes, and autumn-inspired menus despite spring weather.

Our Tips

Here's our tips to make Halloween fun for everybody:

  • Be clear if you are welcoming trick-or-treaters: a lit porch or a sign helps.
  • Respect neighbours who don’t celebrate; check where trick-or-treating is welcome in your street.
  • Offer allergy-safe or non-food treats as options for children with dietary needs.
  • Plan activities for a range of ages — not everyone wants scares; some prefer crafts or costume photo booths.
  • Supervise your kids to keep them safe on street and the driveways. Dark costumes are less visible to the drivers in the evening.