Halloween is the scariest night of the year, when ghouls, ghosts and demons come out to play.

It’s also the perfect excuse for some devilishly good parties.

Here is how to get your thrills and chills at the creepiest Halloween celebrations in the region…

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Thursday October 27

1. THE MONSTER HALLOWEEN PARTY

Venue: Zero Gravity
Location: Skydive Dubai Dropzone, Al Sufouh Road, Dubai
Time: 7pm to 3am
Music: Dr Doom for the night, Tim Cheddar will freak you out with his monstrous soundtrack, aided and abetted by Soulninja, Jon Besant and Chris Wright.
Trick or treat: There are no half measures at Zero Gravity’s annual Halloween party and production at this beastly shindig is something else. There’s also Dhs50,000 in the cauldron to give away for the best and scariest costumes so make sure you get papped by the venue’s photographers on the night.
Freak out: Resident VJ Cold Fusion will be ramping up the fear factor with some gruesome graphics.
Door tax: Ladies free and gents Dhs50 before 9pm, Dhs100 after
More info: Tel (04) 3990009

2. THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

Venue: Nasimi Beach
Location: Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
Time: 7pm to 3am
Music: Dancefloor beats from Ukranian DJ Juicy M. Signed to Armada Music, she’s known for her remixes of Major Lazor, DJ Snake and Cut Killer.
Trick or treat: Make like a zombie and join the living dead at Nasimi.
Freak out: With Juicy M and David De Luca supplying the tunes, this is a rave to the grave.
Door tax: Ladies free before 9pm, Dhs100
More info: Tel (055) 2004321

Friday October 28

3. FIESTA DE LOS MUERTOS

Venue: Autism Rocks Arena
Location: Dubai Outlet Mall, Al Ain Road, Dubai
Time: From 5pm
Music: From Major Lazer, DNCE, All Saints, The Mariachis, Carla’s Dream and Hollaphonic
Trick or treat: This killer party is named in tribute to Mexico’s Festival Of The Dead, with something for every monster in the house. Diplo’s Major Lazer outfit headline and local lads Hollaphonic will also be out to nail it.
Freak out: The Mexican band made famous from their appearance in the hilarious Doritos adverts, The Mariachis will be covering well-known pop classics with a distinct Latin twist. Their repertoire includes everything from The Human League and Joan Jett to East 17.
Door tax: From Dhs350
More info: 117live.com/fiesta

4. DR BAGGOT’S HOUSE OF HORRORS

Venue: McGettigan’s JLT
Location: Bonnington Tower, Cluster J, JLT, Dubai
Time: 8pm til late
Music: Live bands will take you on a thrill ride through old school, rock and classic hits and a DJ will keep it on the right side of commercial.
Trick or treat: Twisted physician Dr Baggot may be banned from practising everywhere else but he’ll be conducting plenty of weird experiments at McGettigan’s House of Horrors. The toxic doctor is your host for the night and he insists that you have a bloody good time.
Freak out: Why not prepare for a night of terror with a five-hour Halloween brunch, from noon to 5pm (Dhs246), or take advantage of the Blood Thirsty post-brunch drinks deal between 5pm and 8pm (Dhs199).
Door tax: Free
More info: Tel (04) 3780805

5. HORROR METAL FROM HOLLAND

Venue: The Music Room
Location: The Majestic Hotel, Makhool Road, Bur Dubai
Time: 6pm to 3am
Music: The heaviest of heavy metal, appropriately called ‘horror metal’, from Carach Angren, supported by local death and doom acts Aramaic, Verdict and Cathect.
Trick or treat: If heavy metal’s your thing, how about this seasonal special headlined by Dutch band Carach Angren? They’re billed as pioneers of the horror metal subgenre. No-one will be gently skipping through the daisies tonight.
Freak out: Translated as ‘Iron Jaw’, Carach Angren use ghost stories and folklore as the basis for their tracks so the content of the music will be just as scary as the music itself. Yikes!
Door tax: Dhs125
More info: Tel (04) 3598888

6. BARASTI HALLOWEEN

Venue: Barasti Beach
Location: Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, Mina Seyahi, Dubai
Time: 11am to 3am
Music: Barasti’s resident DJs will work their turntable trickery up until the witching hour when international guest Jazzy Jeff – aka The Magnificent – makes a welcome return to Dubai’s infamous beach club.
Trick or treat: Expect a few tracks that will have you howling at the moon from guest DJ Jazzy Jeff. Something of a regular here in Dubai, he knows exactly how to make you scream for more.
Freak out: With spooky décor and horrifyingly tasty drinks on offer, you’d be batty to miss this epic event.
Door tax: Free
More info: Tel (04) 3993333

7. BURNING BEACH

Venue: Blue Marlin Ibiza UAE
Location: Golden Tulip Al Jazira Hotel & Resort, Dubai
Time: 1pm to 11pm
Music: House and techno from Diynamic artist Magdalena, who used to run the well-known Ego night in Hamburg and is now a familiar face behind the decks at Berlin’s Weekend
and Watergate, as well as Brooklyn-based Bedouin, the DJ and production partnership of Rami Abousabe and Tamer Malki.
Trick or treat: Blue Marlin UAE makes its annual nod to the huge utopian Burning Man festival in the Nevada Desert with its own Burning Beach event and they’ll be going all out to send your senses into overload.
Freak out: If you’re thinking fancy dress, think from tribal to futuristic and all points in between. And check out the podium dancers who’ll look like they’ve landed from another planet.
Door tax: Free guestlist
More info: Tel (056) 1133400

Saturday October 29

8. NIGHTMARE CIRQUE

Venue: Cirque Le Soir
Location: Fairmont Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
Time: 10.30pm to 3am
Music: Resident jock DJ Pepelz will be dropping classic dancefloor hits all night long
Trick or treat: Let’s be frank: Cirque Le Soir is already the freakiest club in town with a team of weird and wonderful performers who make you gawp and gasp on any given weekend. But the shock factor will be turned up to stun tonight for extra hair-raising freaky fun.
Freak out: Don’t miss Gordon Gamsby, the nine-time Guinness World Record holder for sword and neon tube swallowing. Yup, you read that right – neon tube. It’s perfectly natural, said no-one ever!
Door tax: Free
More info: Tel (050) 9955400

9. INKFEST & COSTUME FESTIVAL

Venue: The Music Room
Location: The Majestic Hotel, Makhool Road, Bur Dubai
Time: 6pm to 3am
Music: Rock
Trick or treat: DXB Inkfest is back and it’s bigger than ever. This is the largest non-profit festival for all tattoo collectors, fans, enthusiasts and artists in the UAE, built by artists for artists. The event aims to capture the true essence of body art culture and lifestyle.
Freak out: Get your rocks off to great music while checking out jaw-dropping, eye-popping body art. Oh, and there’ll be a few ghouls hovering around, too.
Door tax: Dhs70, including a free drink
More info: Tel (04) 3598888

Sunday October 30

10. THE LIST PRESNTS DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

Venue: Billionaire Mansion
Location: Taj Hotel, Burj Khalifa Blvd, Dubai
Time: 8pm to 3am
Music: From Mr Shef Codes, Mr Levier and Tim Kay
Trick or treat: Get dressed up, get gruesome and celebrate The Day Of The Dead with the Billionaire Mansion gang, who are promising that this will top any other Sunday party at the venue so far.
Freak out: Expect extraordinary décor and slick entertainment in a night designed to lift your spirits.
Door tax: Free
More info: Tel (050) 2261662

Monday October 31

11. BAZAAR OF BAD DREAMS

Venue: Cavalli Club
Location: Fairmont Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
Time: 8.30pm to 3am
Music: Courtesy of Cavalli’s resident DJs
Trick or treat: Journey through your worst nightmare at Cavalli with creepy clowns, mirrored mazes, spider-webs and terrifying characters around every corner. Expect the hair on the back of your neck to stand permanently to attention for the duration.
Freak out: If you’re brave enough, settle in for the Halloween Night Brunch, which includes two spooktacular cocktails.
Door tax: Free, night brunch Dhs299
More info: Tel (04) 3325555

12. NYCTOPHOBIA

Venue: Armani Prive
Location: Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa, Dubai
Time: 10pm to 3am
Music: A live show performance plus tunes from DJ Shirry Dee and DJ Shabi NYX
Trick or treat: Step into another dimension and enter a world of darkness and disturbance and chilling pathological ambience.
Freak out: The club will be plunged into blackouts with creepy sound effects and morbid visuals to give you the fright night of your life. There are prizes too for the most creative and scary costumes,including a one night stay for two at the plush Armani Hotel and a luxury car drive experience.
Door tax: Free
More info: Tel (04) 8883308

13. HALLOWEEN NIGHT

Venue: The Irish Village
Location: 31 A Street, Al Garhoud, Dubai
Time: 6pm till late
Music: Live music plus resident DJ Marky Mark will be getting his freak on
Trick or treat: Join in the ghoulish games at The Irish Village’s annual Halloween party. Kids can join in the fun until 9.30pm before the Boogey Man gets them.
Freak out: Put extra effort into your fancy dress costume and you could walk off with a wicked prize.
Door tax: Free
More info: Tel (04) 2395000

14. VR UNDERGROUND HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

Venue: VIP Room
Location: JW Marriott Marquis Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Business Bay, Dubai
Time: 9pm to 3am
Music: The first in VIP Room’s Underground series, a new monthly party “showcasing the best in house, techno and electronic music”, kicks off with Cadenza Records boss Luciano. The Swiss-Chilean DJ and producer is joined by Michka and DJ V.
Trick or treat: “Halloween is not all about costumes,” says the club, “it’s an eerie spirit that lurks in the air and brings out the thrillseekers to challenge their comfortable way of being.” Not just about monkey nuts and bobbing for apples, then.
Freak out: Despite all that “daring Halloween costumes” are still encouraged.
Door tax: Dhs250
More info: Tel (052) 8818888

15. HAUNTED MANSION

Venue: Nikki Privé
Location: Nikki Beach Dubai, Pearl Jumeirah, Dubai
Time: 8pm till late
Music: Expect live entertainment in the ghostly form of resident DJs, a percussionist and violinist.
Trick or treat: Play dress up and join in the fun of the Haunted Mansion theme.
Freak out: Expect phantoms, spirits and ghouls to be breathing down your neck.
Door tax: Free
More info: Tel (04) 3766162

16. HALLOWEEN SPECIAL HIP-HOP CHIC

Venue: Cirque Le Soir
Location: Fairmont Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
Time: 10.30pm to 3am
Music: Strictly hip-hop and R&B
Trick or treat: Dubai’s award-winning hip-hop and R&B party turns freak show for a night of chills and thrills.
Freak out: Hold tight as the Hip-Hop Chic crew don’t take any prisoners when it comes to partying.
Door Tax: Free
More info: Tel (050) 9955400

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Images: Supplied