This weekend is full of fantastic opportunities to use your imagination. Dress up for Halloween, take a seat in one of TV’s most notorious hotels or pretend it’s snowing and get into the après ski spirit. Failing that, grab some popcorn and watch MI6′s finest in his 23rd adventure!

Relentless Energy Drink Freeze Festival at Battersea Power Station
Get ready for winter at this fast-paced ski and snowboard show, where you’ll see some of the world’s top winter sportsmen perform astounding feats next to Battersea Power Station. After the stunts are over, sink into the après ski atmosphere and enjoy a fantastic programme of live music. Adult tickets start from £40. 26-27 Oct. 

Faulty Towers, the Dining Experience at the Charing Cross Hotel
Fans of John Cleese’s classic sitcom Fawlty Towers will adore this hilarious dining and theatrical experience. Guests take a seat in the “restaurant of the Faulty Towers hotel”, where they will be served a three-course meal in a predictably haphazard and hugely entertaining style. Tickets start from £43.50. From 26 Oct. 

Skyfall, at cinemas across London
Buckle up for 007′s latest thrilling adventure, Skyfall. Most London cinemas will be screening the film, which -according to advance reviews- will definitely leave you shaken and stirred.

NFL Fan Rally, Trafalgar Square
Prepare for Sunday’s exciting NFL game at Wembley Stadium with this free fan rally. American football fans will be treated to live entertainment, including musical performances and special appearances from players, coaches and celebrities. Stalls around the square will be offering food, drink and exclusive merchandise. 12pm-5pm, 27 Oct.  

Diwali on the Square, Trafalgar Square
Celebrate the Festival of Lights at this free event in Trafalgar Square. The colourful festival features fun for all the family, including light displays, music, dance and tempting food stalls. 28 Oct.

Halloween Events, Various Venues
This weekend kicks off a week of Halloween celebrations across London and there are lots of spooky things to do. Children will love the Witches and Warlocks event at the Cutty Sark, while adults will have a terrifyingly good time at the Candlelight Club’s Halloween Ball. For more inspiration, check out our other posts on Halloween clubbing, dining and theatre.

Terror 2012: All In The Mind at the Soho Theatre, 16 Oct-3 Nov
Head to the Soho Theatre Downstairs for theatre company The Sticking Place’s annual season of horror theatre. Disturbing, controversial and thrilling, the four plays on offer are strictly for over-18s only. Writers Robert Farquhar (Kissing Sid James & Gods Official), Alex Jones (Noise and I’m a Minger), Mike McShane (Paul Merton’s Impro Chums, Mon Droit) and Darren Ormandy (Hamburg and Sweetmeat) bring you their spookiest short plays alongside chilling cabaret from award‐winning songstress Sarah‐Louise Young (Cabaret Whore and Fascinating Aida) and Desmond O’Connor (Vive Le Cabaret).
terrorseason.com

Drowning Rock at the Camden People’s Theatre, 16 Oct-4 Nov
This ghostly tale set in a remote lighthouse is inspired by cult author HP Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Drowning Rock dwells on the mysterious and dark forces beyond the understanding of humankind. Again, this show isn’t for the faint-hearted: Camden People’s Theatre recommend it for audiences aged 15 and older.
cptheatre.co.uk

The London Horror Festival at the Etcetera Theatre, 15 Oct-7 Nov
For four weeks, the Etcetera Theatre in Camden is being taken over by a broad range of performers bringing the best in horror theatre, comedy, magic and performance art, “from psychological spine-chillers to all-out splatter”, according to their website. Highlights include The Puppetry of Flesh (23-25 Oct); Zombie Science: Worst Case Scenario (29-31 Oct) and the One Man Halloween (2-4 Nov).
londonhorrorfestival.com

The Horror! The Horror! at Wilton’s Music Hall, 24 Oct-7 Nov
Presented by Theatre of the Damned and part of The London Horror Festival, The Horror! The Horror! is a promenade performance through the historic cobwebs of Wilton’s Music Hall. It promises a “blood-soaked evening of murder, mayhem and bellowing madness, combining London’s rich history of music hall entertainment, the ancient horrors of HP Lovecraft and a cornucopia of Victorian gothic nightmares”. Sounds excellent.
londonhorrorfestival.com/the-horror-the-horror

The Good Neighbour Halloween Special at BAC, 31 Oct
BAC is presenting an adult-only version of family show The Good Neighbour for Halloween. You can explore the dark and dusty passages of Battersea’s old Town Hall: either fight your way through the cobwebs in search of a lost memory, or take an eerie moonlit tour of the streets of Battersea with the strangest brass band you’ve ever seen. After your journey, join in the Council Chamber-based Halloween party complete with spooky cocktails and DJ.
bac.org.uk/whats-on/good-neighbour-halloween-special

Halloween Fun at the Polka Theatre, 30-31 Oct
With all these adult-only shows, you might be thinking Halloween theatre’s not for kids. However, the ever-brilliant Polka Theatre has a couple of fab workshops for little ones, meaning everyone can get into the Halloween spirit. On 30 October, there’s a Halloween themed make-up session for 7-11 year olds; and on 31 October, you can create Halloween light sculptures, laterns and ghostly shadow puppets in a creepy, craft workshop for 5-7 year olds.
polkatheatre.com/editorial/take-part

Check out more London Halloween spookiness here

Avert your eyes and put down your popcorn as classic horror films hit London’s cinema screens this Halloween.

Jameson Cult Film Club Presents “Chills in the Chapel”, Union Chapel, Islington: 29-30 Oct
The Jameson Cult Film Club presents two horror classics in the atmospheric setting of the Union Chapel, Islington. Steel yourself for The Blair Witch Project (1999) and the best horror remake of all time (fact), Philip Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) on the 29 and 30 October respectively.
Read more abot Chills in the Chapel

Brain Wash Presents Fright Night at Curzon Soho: 28 Oct
Don your most gruesome fancy dress for a night of DJs, VJs and drinks and a rare screening of Tom Holland’s Fright Night (1985) at Curzon Soho. Regularly voted as one of the greatest horror films of all time, Fright Night follows one boy’s mission to prove that his neighbour is a vampire. The fun starts at the bar from 9pm, with the screening from 11.30pm.
www.curzoncinemas.com/fright-night-a-halloween-spooktacular

Halloween Screamings, The Round Chapel, Hackney: 28, 30 & 31 Oct
From the creators of the Rooftop Cinema Club comes a short season of creepy classics, including The Exorcist (1973), The Omen (1976) and Halloween (1978), on the 28, 30 and 31 October. Doors open at 6.45pm and there’s a licensed bar – serving spirits no doubt.
experiencecinema.com

The Underground Picturehouse at The Water Poet Spitalfields: 31 Oct
And finally for some light relief, head to The Water Poet in Spitalfields for a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) on 31 October. Doors open from 6.30pm for a 7pm screening.
www.wegottickets.com

If you’re feeling brave this Halloween, there’s plenty of ghoulish food and drink to try in London.

At Artesian bar, you can enjoy a scary Vieux Carre cocktail, containing cognac, rye whiskey, vermouth, bitters and herbal liqueur, plus two special ingredients: Columbian giant ants and mopani worms!

Or perhaps you’d prefer The Living Room’s spine-tingling Zombie, Corpse Reviver or Blood & Sand cocktails? (These cocktails are a little tamer: despite the names there are no creepy ingredients.)

Over at Gelupo in Soho, you can enjoy a Sanguinaccio gelato, made from chocolate, pigs’ blood and Marsala. Or head to Harrods for some more traditional treats: chocolates in the shape of witches, ghosts, pumpkins, skulls and eyeballs.

Even cupcakes are going spooky this Halloween. There’s a devilishly delicious selection available at The Hummingbird Bakery, topped with spiders’ webs, monsters, ghosts and pumpkins.

AAGGHH! It’s Alive! comes to Fortnum & Mason’s Demonstration Kitchen on 27 October. You can find out how to make scary Halloween dishes, from finger pies to worm cakes, perfect for Halloween parties.

Or pop into Carluccio’s for some terrifyingly good gifts for trick-or-treaters, including pumpkin lollies, ghost and pumpkin biscuits, ghost meringues, bat biscuits, Halloween jellies and chocolate pumpkins.

Happy Halloween!

Terror Season at the Soho Theatre: 19 Oct-5 Nov
Head down to Soho Downstairs, a new underground comedy and cabaret venue for the Soho Theatre’s annual season of horror theatre. Prepare to be terrified and thrilled by an evening of twisted tales, cabaret and Halloween oddities at this controversial sell-out event. Hosted by Desmond O’Connor and Merrill Grant, look out for special guests Jonny Woo, Dusty Limits, Laura Corcoran from Frisky and Mannish, and Fancy Chance.
www.sohotheatre.com/whats-on/terror

Festival of the Dead at the Battersea Arts Centre: 28-29 Oct
The Nabokov Arts Club is taking over Battersea Arts Centre, filling the whole space with two consecutive nights of Halloween madness. Festival of the Dead promises to be an extravaganza of live theatre, music, comedy, dance and visual art, all wrapped up into a big party. Highlights include storytelling and poetry, comic theatre with Bad Physics and the Curious Directive, and an immersive theatrical event by Nabokov, Tangled Feet and award-winning playwright Polly Stenham.
www.bac.org.uk/whats-on/nabokov-arts-club

London Horror Festival at the Courtyard Theatre: 25 Oct-27 Nov
More than just a Halloween theatre show, the London Horror Festival presents five weeks’ of dark and challenging performing arts. As well as the Theatre of the Damned’s Revenge of the Grand Guignol, there’s also a performance by Le Nouveau Guignol, the world’s only permanent repertory horror theatre company.
www.londonhorrorfestival.com

All Hallows at the Fan Museum: 31 Oct-1 Nov
A terrifying new play called All Hallows: A Play About Fear receives its premiere reading at the Fan Museum this Halloween. Five professional actors present a story covering more than 120 years of unexpected and decidedly chilling events. Adult themes mean this show isn’t suitable for young people under 16, or those of a nervous disposition. You have been warned!
thefanmuseum.org.uk/events

The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre: booking until 2012
One of the longest running West End shows ever, The Woman in Black still continues to haunt everyone who sees it. Head to the Fortune Theatre this Halloween to see one of the most exciting, spooky, gripping and successful theatre shows ever staged. The Woman in Black isn’t gory or filled with gruesome horror, but as the drama and tension build, you’ll still find your spine totally chilled by the terrifying, ghostly truths unfolding on stage.
www.thewomaninblack.com

Looking for more tips for enjoying Halloween in London? Check out what’s on elsewhere for Halloween, or read out guide to London’s best Halloween Club Nights…

With the holiday falling on a Monday, most London clubs are hosting their Halloween fun on Saturday 29 October. And as the clocks go back on Sunday, there’s a whole extra hour of freakish fun to be had! So dig out your witches hat and take a look at our pick of Halloween club nights in London:

Feeling Gloomy: Gloomy Halloween Spooktacular
DJ Grim Reaper and a Depeche Mode tribute act will ensure a hauntingly good night, along with the usual “misery pop” at The O2 Academy 2 Islington .
Advance tickets from £4.50 (club only), gig tickets £9. Book now

Propaganda Halloween Spooktacular
Get your indie fix at the brand new Electric Brixton (formerly The Fridge) with a guest appearance from Plan B’s beat boxer Faith SFX.  Advance tickets £5 Book now

Secretsundaze and Electric Minds Halloween Asylum Party
An asylum-themed techno party in former Victorian warehouse, Village Underground. Swedish duo Skudge headline, along with sets from Fred P, James Priestly and Giles Smith. Advance tickets £5-15 Book now

White Mischief: Ghost in the Marchine
Halloween-themed steampunk at Scala, with weird and wonderful acts including mime from The Boy With The Tape on His Face, steampunk legends Abney Park and nail-biting entertainment from the Covent Garden Chainsaw Juggler. Last remaining tickets £29.99  Book now

The Big Chill Presents Bruk Out
A night of the freshest UK bass at The Big Chill House featuring Marcus Nasty, Greenmoney, Elijah & Skilliam and a second room of hip hop sounds hosted by Yo Mama! Free entry

The Monster Raving Kigu Party
Get in on the Kigu craze at a secret London location. The Monster Raving Kigu Party promises Halloween-themed party games, £2 cocktails, the best underground music and general silliness! You don’t have to turn up in an animal suit, but fancy dress of some sort is compulsory. Tickets £15. Book now

Belle Epoque Halloween Special
Journey back to 19th century Paris and sample the delights of the Green Fairy at Belle Epoque’s Halloween Special. Advance tickets £20. Book now

More London clubs

A short walk from Euston station, the Mexican restaurant Mestizo offers a great taste of Mexico without any need to leave NW1.

When I visited on Friday, I was greeted by an exquisite, colourful, intricately decorated altar. This Dia de los Muertos altar (an altar for the Mexican Day of the Dead, our Halloween) contains all the traditional elements required for such a display: candles, salt, earth, sugar skulls, marigolds, water, tequila, and photos and favourite foods of the “dear departed” are all presented on the traditional seven steps, and swathed in a bright orange cut paper backcloth.

Our host, Brian, had created the altar that day, along with Luz Elena Ruesga (the wife of Sr Ignacio Duran, the Minister of Culture at the Mexican Embassy), her friend Alejandro Guajardo, and UK-based Mexican artist Javier Calderon.

Over a delicious frozen margarita, Brian explained Mestizo’s position as one of London’s most authentic Mexican restaurants. As well as being owned by Mexicans, and having a female head chef from Mexico (Dalcy Aguilera), Mestizo’s staff are also from Mexico. When the Mexican Embassy hosts events, they’ll often use Mestizo as caterers. When Mexican sports teams are in town, they choose Mestizo for their post-match celebrations. And with more than 200 varieties of tequila, surely more than any other restaurant / bar in London, Mestizo’s unique credentials are there for everyone to see, taste, and knock back in a variety of simple shot glasses.

Pop in, and you can take your pick from traditional dishes like Guajolote en Mole Poblano, Crepas de Cuitlacoche and authentic Tacos in soft flour or corn tortillas loaded with your choice of delicious fillings. You won’t be disappointed.

Aside from the fantastic food and drink on offer, Mestizo also hosts cultural events. From tomorrow, there’ll be a fantastic exhibition of original photos from the famous Casasola Archive of the Mexican revolution, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the revolution. And on 20 November, the Dia de la Revolucion itself, don’t miss Mestizo’s special commemoration party, in the event space downstairs from the restaurant.

Do you have any more tips for finding a taste of Mexico in London? Let us know in the comments below.

After enjoying White Mischief so much in March, I returned this weekend to see what they’d come up with for Halloween.

The steampunk extravaganza had a great line-up of entertainment including comedian Nina Conti, singer David McAlmont and neo-burlesque artist Empress Stah.

I was happily surprised that my very favourite cabaret entertainer Dusty Limits was hosting the evening. As usual, he had the best make up, songs and jokes and almost made me want the main acts off the stage so I could see more of him!

We also had lots of fun watching Mac Abbe et le Zombi Orchestra, meeting a man-eating plant and dancing to a few golden oldies in the Devil’s Dance room.

So what did my fellow White Mischief-goers think of the night?

“What a great evening. I was amazed by the effort that everyone had put into their costumes. Imagination was certainly not in short supply.  I’ll definitely be back. Well done White Mischief!”
Gillian, 29, Herne Hill

“White Mischief wins! Fabulous night, loved the costumes and the varied wacky entertainment, didn’t love the sore feet from too much dancing.”
Nic, 31, Shoreditch

“A good time had by all. Full marks to the David Bowie impersonator for his costume.”
Ben, 28

“Any Halloween event that promises a “Zombi Orchestra” is clearly looking to make a big impact, and White Mischief didnt disappoint. The evening had a great atmosphere and some brilliant live acts, and was really made by the effort that guests went to with fancy dress. There can’t be many events where David Bowie can be found cavorting next to a zebra….” Sarah, 27, Essex

What did you do for Halloween?

Here’s a great little video from our friends at Urban Telly, all about Halloween in London.

Attractions and key places to visit in the video include:

• The Blind Beggar in Whitechapel
• The London Bridge Experience
• Wicked Day at St Pancras International
• Ghost Stories at the Duke of York’s Theatre
• London Canal Museum

• Boo at Bermondsey Square – farmers market and a screening of Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. 30 Oct
• Fangtasia: Live out your vampire fantasies at a True Blood-themed club night in three London venues, The Betsy Smith (Kilburn), The Winchester (Islington) or The Lodge Tavern (Ealing).  30 Oct
• TNT Magazine’s Halloween Party – packed with frightful fashion, scary shenanigans, devilish drink specials and freaky fun at the Grand Union Kentish Town. 30 Oct
• The BFI IMAX Halloween all-nighter. Five frightening films on the giant screen in 3D! 30 Oct from 11.30pm
  
• Have a Medieval Banquet Halloween with the Vampire Ball on 29 Oct, Fright Night on 30 Oct and the Hunky Punk Ball on 31 Oct
• Enjoy a host of family-friendly, spooky goings on at ZSL London Zoo for Halloween. 29-31 Oct

Read about more Halloween in London ideas here. What are your Halloween plans?