The Best Halloween Parties in Los Angeles

Tiki fest Exotikon is back with its Super Shock Show Halloween extravaganza at The Mayan on Thursday, October 3. Expect horror-themed cocktails, vintage posters and memorabilia along with burlesque performances and live music from The Infernal Order of the Black Flame and magic from Zabrecky. Tickets at Eventbrite.

Bob Baker Marionette Theater and Screen Novelties are teaming up for Spook-A-Nanny, a Halloween event that the whole family can enjoy! Taking place at Heritage Square Museum on Wednesday, October 16, Spook-A-Nanny features spooky clips culled from VHS, DVDs and 16mm film; plus Bob Baker’s beloved puppets for a whimsical outdoor show. Be sure to bring a picnic blanket or folding chairs.

Source/Filter Music Collective presents the West Coast premiere of Paul Hindemith’s horror opera, Sancta Susanna, the story of a young nun whose satanic visions lead her to discover a dark secret. The opera itself will be performed in the Lincoln Avenue Church at Heritage Square. A post-show soiree will include a DJ playing Halloween jams. Costumes are encouraged for the shows, which are taking place on Thursday, October 24 and Friday, October 25.

The team behind Deep House Brunch heads to Hotel Figueroa’s La Casita for a Friday night Halloween bash. Scotty Boy, Christian Ten, Madison Orange and Christian Bradford will be on the decks with D-Rock on percussion and Rasmus Lee on sax. Tickets are on sale at Dice, with table reservations available.

It’s Halloween Weekend, so why not dress up as your favorite rock star and head to Zebulon, where local musicians will be paying tribute to some of the greats. The 5th Annual Halloween Covers Night includes Thin Lizzy tribute A Rock Legend; Mr. Tambourine Man, a tribute to The Byrds and The Norves, an homage to power pop group The Nerves. Tickets at Dice.

Before movies, a gadget called the magic lantern was used to project images on surfaces. On the Friday before Halloween, Philosophical Research Society contributing artist Matt Schnittker will present The (Somewhat) Sinister (Mostly) Supernatural Halloween Magic Lantern Show using a vintage projector and hand-painted slides dating back to the 19th century, including the stories “The Irish Ghost,” “Jack and the Giant Killer” and Edgar Allan Poe’s Halloween favorite “The Raven.” Schnittker’s son, Benjamin, will provide accompaniment on piano. This is an all-ages event and children under the age of 6 can go for free. There’s also a discounted rate for kids between ages 6 and 18. Tickets at Eventbrite.

Wear your Halloween best for the Titanic Masquerade party on the Entertainer Yacht in Marina del Rey. The party sets sail at 9pm and will cruise the harbor until midnight, while you wander through three decks and two dance floors with DJs playing a mix of house, hip-hop, top 40 and more. Semi-formal attire with mask preferred.

Dancers, acrobats and other performers abound inside Level 8 as the multi-venue space at AC/Moxy in Downtown LA is transformed into the seven deadly sins, plus a bonus that will come as a surprise for attendees. Tickets at Eventbrite are tiered, with some levels including access to a three-hour open bar and the Level 8 nightclub Sinners y Santos.

Dress up in your Halloween best and help raise funds for Bob Baker Marionette Theater when the beloved LA institution hosts the 2nd Annual Hallowe’en Costume Ball on Saturday, October 26 from 8pm to midnight. A special 21+ event for the grown-ups, the soiree will include a special performance of the theater’s Hallowe’en Spooktacular, as well as a costume contest and dance party. Various levels of tickets are available at the Bob Baker website, including the Super Duper Spooky Dual VIP ticket, which includes table service in the VIP Puppet Parlor.

It’s time to get your friends together and start working on those Bee-Gees and ABBA costumes. On Saturday, October 26, disco-themed Halloween party Le Freak goes down at Kiss Kiss Bang Bang in The LINE LA. DJs Clavette and Strawbry will be dropping disco heat all night and table reservations are available. Plus, you can get a 2-for-1 VIP ticket that will also get you into Thriller, the ‘80s Halloween party happening next door at Break Room 86. Tickets at Dice.

From A Nightmare on Elm Street to Purple Rain, the inspiration for a 1980s costume is endless, so pick your favorite to hit up Thriller, the Halloween bash at Break Room 86 dedicated to that era. Table reservations are available and a 2-for-1 VIP ticket will grant you access to both Thriller and Le Freak, the disco-themed Halloween party at neighboring club Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Tickets at Dice.

Terrifying True Stories is an immersive theater performance that takes guests through multiple buildings at Heritage Square Museum for 60 to 90 minutes of macabre stories that bring together haunted dolls, a Victorian Spirit Circle and other curiosities. Timed tickets are available at Eventbrite for Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27. This is an all-ages event and a portion of the proceeds benefit Heritage Square.

Hollywood’s Saturday night goth party, Bar Sinister hosts its 15th Annual Ghostly Halloween Party at Boardners on Saturday, October 26 with go-go dancers, fetish models and more setting the vibe on two dance floors. In addition to DJs Jpeg, Noizith and Tommy, there will be live performances from Rosegarden Funeral Party and Sleeping Dog. Hosted by Kent Kaliber, the highlight of the night will certainly be the costume contest - first prize is $300!

Break out the bellbottoms and love beads, because you’ll need a 1960s costume for HollyWoodstock, taking place at Hotel Ziggy on Saturday, October 26. Costumes are encouraged at this throwback Halloween party presented by Stereo Punks with DJ Sophenom playing an open to close set. Tickets are on sale at Dice with table reservations available.

Explore The Huntington at night during the Pasadena institution’s annual Halloween party, Strange Science. Held the weekend before Halloween, this 21+ event includes talks on subjects like pet cemeteries, aerial and ballet performances, falconry and more. Guests will journey from a distant past on the Primeval Time Trek and have the chance to see The Huntington's PST ART exhibition, Storm Cloud.

Hollywood dance club Sound gets spooky on Tuesday, October 29, when Justin Martin plays Space Yacht, and keeps the beat going until Kyle Watson’s headlining gig on Saturday, November 2. In between, House Heads brings Blackchild and secret guests to the decks on Wednesday, October 30, Joseph Capriati plays on Halloween and Mahmut Orhan stops by on Friday, November 1. For those planning to spend the weekend dancing at Sound, there’s a three-day Halloweekend pass available that’s good for October 31 through November 2. Costumes are encouraged for all five nights.

Celebrate Halloween with lucha libre and burlesque when Lucha VaVoom de la Liz takes over The Mayan on October 30 and 31. This year’s Halloween shows, A Nightmare on Hill Street, includes the Lucha VaVoom de la Liz debut of Danhausen, as well as the return of AEW star Taya Valkyrie. Tickets at Ticketweb.

With The Silent Light, composer and film director Michael Formanski and a cast of musicians perform heavy metal-inspired scores to silent films. On Halloween Eve, they’ll be accompanying F.W. Murnau’s German Expressionist masterpiece, Faust, at 2220 Arts + Archives in Historic Filipinotown. Tickets to this 18+ event are on sale at Dice.

Cult fave local publisher Bibliomancers is releasing a new book from Jennifer Juniper Stratford that dives into the video artist’s love of VHS. To celebrate, on Halloween MOCA will be screening selections from JJ’s Telefantasy Studios archive “channel surf” style, including a Pagan Panic Halloween Special. The free event will also include a book signing.

Celebrate Halloween with garage rock favorites Black Lips, who will be playing at Zebulon alongside Immaterial Possession and Pancho and the Wizards. The Cretin Hop’s rock ’n’ roll DJs will keep the party going. Tickets at Dice.

Cathode Cinema, which airs an eclectic collection of indie, underground and generally strange films nightly on cathodetv.com, take over Philosophical Research Society on Halloween for a party that will begin with their Spooktacular Video Mix and then segue into a DJ-driven dance party with drinks and a costume contest. Tickets at Eventbrite.

Flashback to the 1960s at Harvard & Stone on Halloween Night, when The Witching Hours presents a night of Halloween cover songs, featuring Daisychain playing the Velvet Underground; Britain’s Finest (The Beatles), Ingredient10 (The Doors) and Annie Wonder covering The Hollies. No cover, RSVP at Dice.

Celebrate the spookiest night of the year overlooking the city from Skybar at Mondrian. German producer Satin Jackets brings his sophisticated disco-house sound to the iconic venue for Halloween. Tickets are on sale at Eventbrite with table reservations available.

West Hollywood’s Halloween Carnaval is back for 2024! To experience the event, world-renowned for its large crowd of bedazzling, costumed party-goers, roam the stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny and La Cienega. You’ll find the stage, DJs and food trucks at the intersection of Santa Monica and San Vicente and local businesses will be hosting their own events during the festivities.

For more info, including street closures and safety guidelines, visit the Halloween Carnaval website.