Halloween 2025 in Australia

While Australians celebrate Halloween on October 31 like the rest of the world, it coincides with springtime rather than autumn, bringing a unique seasonal twist to the festivities.

Is Halloween a Public Holiday?

Halloween is not a public holiday. Businesses have normal opening hours.

When Is Halloween in Australia?

Halloween is celebrated on October 31 each year in Australia.

While it is not a public holiday, it has become an increasingly visible springtime tradition, especially for families with children. On Halloween night, many neighborhoods come alive with costumes, carved or plastic pumpkins, and groups of trick-or-treaters collecting lollies (candy) door-to-door.

Is Anything Closed?

Since Halloween is not a public holiday, businesses, schools, and government offices operate as usual. Celebrations generally take place in the evening after work and school hours.

How Australians Celebrate Halloween

Halloween in Australia is celebrated in many different ways, blending global influences with unique local twists. From costumes and trick-or-treating to large events and community displays, Australians are finding their own style of spooky fun.

Local Variations

Because pumpkins are less common in October, some people carve jack-o-lanterns out of watermelons or pineapples.

In Melbourne, certain suburbs turn the holiday into a neighborhood spectacle—whole streets are transformed into immersive Halloween displays, often mapped out in local event guides.

Trick-or-Treating

Trick-or-treating has become common in suburban areas. Children wear Halloween costumes and go door-to-door collecting lollies, usually at houses with Halloween-themed decorations. Many trick-or-treaters use pillowcases or buckets for their treats.

Costume Parties

Families, schools, and workplaces host Halloween parties. Costumes often include witches, vampires, ghosts, or Disney characters. These family-friendly events are now a regular Halloween tradition.

Haunted Houses and Events

Attractions like Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast host Halloween Fright Nights, with haunted mazes and shows. Ghost tours and horror movie marathons are also popular during the spooky season.

The Sydney Zombie Walk is a community event, often held around Halloween, that raises money for charity.

Popularity and Spending Trends

Halloween has become a regular cultural and retail event in Australia. A survey by the Australian Retailers Association shows that about one in five Australians takes part in the celebrations.

In recent years, spending has added up to hundreds of millions of dollars. People usually spend an average of AU$93 each. Most of this goes on costumes, lollies, decorations, and events.

Even so, Halloween is not as widely celebrated in Australia as it is in the United States or the United Kingdom.

A Brief History of Halloween Down Under

Halloween began as the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, later blending with Christian traditions like All Hallows’ Eve.

In Australia, the first known Halloween celebration took place in 1858, when Scottish and Irish miners in Castlemaine, Victoria, hosted a themed ball.

For many decades, the holiday remained a small observance. Its wider popularity grew more recently, influenced by American culture, including movies, television, and social media.

Symbols of Halloween

Halloween is full of symbols that give it a spooky feel:

• Jack-o-lanterns are made from pumpkins or local fruits.
• Ghosts, skeletons, witches, and vampires—classic costume choices.
• Spiders, bats, and black cats are tied to myths and superstition.
• Orange and black colors are often seen on costumes and decorations, with green and purple as more modern additions.

About Halloween in Other Countries

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.