Half-Term in Brighton and Hove 2026: Family Events, Museum Activities and Halloween Fun From 26 to 30 October
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery in Pavilion Gardens, file photo (Photo: Paul Farmer, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph)
Half-term in Brighton and Hove runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, with pupils back on Monday 2 November, according to the council's school dates. Brighton and Hove Museums has a packed family programme, from free drop-in storytimes to a ghost tour for teenagers and a Halloween pop-up cinema in the museum on Saturday 31 October.
We have gone through the museums' own event pages and put every date, time, price and age limit in one place, with what is free, what needs booking and what is on all week. Dates apply to community schools, so check with your own school if it is an academy.
Source: Brighton and Hove Museums event pages and Brighton and Hove City Council, linked below. Details as listed on 12 October 2026
Your week, day by day
Storytimes and Museum Makers carry a Black History Month theme. Our Black History Month guide has more.
Free and drop-in
Three things need no booking, according to their listings. Storytime at Hove Museum on Monday 26 October is upstairs at the museum, and Story time at Brighton Museum on Tuesday 27 October is in the Archaeology Gallery. Both have expert storytellers sharing tales from around the world, in sessions of about 20 minutes, and both are free and drop-in for all ages. Under-13s must be with an adult.
Museum Makers at Brighton Museum on Wednesday 28 October is a drop-in arts and crafts session for ages 5 to 12, drawing on the museum's world cultures collection. It is free with museum admission. Alice in FUNderland at Preston Manor on Thursday 29 October is free with admission to the manor and is run with Brighton Science Festival. It mixes Victorian parlour games with activities inspired by Lewis Carroll, including the science of shrinking and growing, puzzles and wordplay.
The Brighton Museum and Preston Manor listings also show a "Book tickets" link without saying whether booking is needed, so check the event page before you set off.
Book ahead
The Booth Museum tours mark 150 years since Edward Thomas Booth first showed his bird dioramas to the public at the Royal Pavilion. They include a look at the museum stores and a sneak peek at changes before the museum reopens in February 2027. The upstairs stores are up a narrow staircase and are not wheelchair accessible.
Halloween night at the museum
On Saturday 31 October Brighton Museum's Central Gallery becomes a pop-up cinema, run with Picturehouse. Hocus Pocus (PG) starts at 7pm and is suitable for ages 8 and up, with under-13s accompanied by an adult. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (12A) follows at 9.15pm.
Tickets are £20 per person for one film or £35 for the double feature if both are bought together. Dressing up is encouraged, with a prize for Best Dressed Guest at each screening. Outside snacks are welcome but alcohol is not, and a bar and food are on sale on the night.
On all week and just beyond
- Dragons at the Royal Pavilion and Garden runs to Sunday 1 November, with a dragon quest, dragon eggs and a Dragon Detective trail. Free with Royal Pavilion admission
- Magic Place opens at Brighton Museum on Saturday 24 October and runs to 21 February 2027. It is an interactive installation that reacts to visitors in real time, free with museum admission
- Ghostly Gatherings at Preston Manor are for ages 16 and over at £36. The Fridays to 30 October are sold out, and extra dates have been added on 6 and 13 November
- Horrible Histories at Theatre Royal Brighton: ticketing listings show Terrible Tudors and Awful Egyptians on 29 to 31 October. We could not confirm times or which show is on which day, so check the theatre's listing
What we could not confirm
- museum admission prices, which are on each museum's plan your visit page
- whether the Brighton Museum storytime and Alice in FUNderland need booking, as the listings are unclear
- Horrible Histories times and age guidance
Details can change, so check the Brighton and Hove Museums what's on page before you go. ImJustBrighton has no connection to the museums.
Sources and further reading
- Brighton and Hove City Council: school term and holiday dates
- Brighton and Hove Museums: what's on
- Playing With Your Eyes: A Day for Families
- Storytime at Hove Museum
- Story time at Brighton Museum
- Museum Makers at Brighton Museum
- Museum Makers at Hove Museum
- Alice in FUNderland
- Booth Diorama and Stores Tours
- Haunted Happenings: A Ghost Tour for Young People
- Halloween pop-up cinema: Hocus Pocus
- Halloween pop-up cinema: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Ghostly Gatherings
- Dragons
- Magic Place
- ATG Tickets: Horrible Histories Terrible Tudors, Theatre Royal Brighton
- ATG Tickets: Horrible Histories Awful Egyptians, Theatre Royal Brighton
For more, see our family and events coverage.
Read more from ImJustBrighton
Things to do in Brighton this October: your complete guide
Black History Month in Brighton and Hove 2026: 17 events, dates, prices and how to book
