Tulley’s Shocktoberfest 2025 Review

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6 October 2025

INTRODUCTION

Tulleys Shocktoberfest returns for another year as Europe’s largest scream park. This behemoth event promises screams, laughs, and a true festival of entertainment. The lineup this year features 11 haunts, including one brand-new maze called Glitch. The event also boasts its infamous circus show, a large team of roaming street actors, and a full list of bars, rides, and other entertainment. Celebrating 29 years of screams, the event is held at Tulleys Farm in Crawley.

Tickets here range depending on the package you are after. The standard entry ticket, the XScream Pass, which grants you unlimited access to all haunts and entertainment, starts from £43 per person. They also offer Fast Track options for 3, 6, or 12 attractions, and finally, a top-tier RIP Fast Track Bundle which includes unlimited fast-track access, merchandise, and food/drink vouchers. The event runs from either 4:30 PM or 5:30 PM through to 11:30 PM, giving you ample time to enjoy the full Halloween festival atmosphere!

KEY INFO

Location – Crawley, West Sussex
Operational Dates – Select nights 3rd Oct – 1st Nov
Opening Time – 4:30pm / 5:30pm
Closing Time – 11:30pm
Cost – £43+
Attraction Count – 11 mazes + shows
Time Spent – Full Night Required (Fastrack required on peak nights)

THE OVERALL EVENT…

WOO – Variety | WOO – Roaming Characters | BOO – Location

Tulleys Shocktoberfest is at the forefront of the UK scare industry, firmly established as Europe’s largest scream park. Each year, they continue to develop, grow, and improve their massive offering. For 2025, they have removed The Cellar and replaced it with Glitch, a horrifying new concept that blends technology and science.

Outside of this major new maze, we noted many smaller updates across existing attractions and the event hub. One significant change is the expanded roaming street team, which now includes a host of new characters. Alongside well-known favorites like Brian and the “sexy nurses,” you’ll now encounter characters with heavily plastic surgery—complete with plump lips and filler cheeks—as well as a Van Helsing-inspired character, a zombie-like figure, and even the Amish.

We did rate the location as a slight area for improvement, purely because access is difficult without driving. Although they provide a dedicated taxi point and a Metrobus service runs from the nearby train stations (Crawley or Three Bridges), personal transportation is often the easiest way to arrive.

Tulleys truly excels at offering variety on another level. With 11 mazes, shows, rides, multiple bars, DJs, and a whole host of differently themed attractions, your night is built entirely around your preferences. This incredible variety is why Tulleys remains consistently popular.

Purgatory

WOO – Flow | WOO – Concept | BOO – Storytelling

Purgatory returns for its second season and remains largely unchanged. The maze continues to feature a clever Haunted Lantern technology, where you enter with a lantern that has different lighting sequences, casting the maze in near-total darkness. The flow of this maze is one of the best, as the small group batches enter at quick frequencies. This excellent batching means you can see the light effects far better and avoid simply walking in a line. While the strong atmosphere and use of the dark, abandoned house are fantastic, Purgatory does feel like it needs an uplift on the storytelling, as the experience quickly moves from a brief introduction straight into the scares. The concept is fantastic, utilizing the dark setting to allow the lurking creatures to have a lot of free rein inside.

Electrick Circus

WOO – SFX | WOO – Actor Performance | BOO – Storytelling

Electrick Circus is the clown-themed maze here at Tulleys, but with a shocking twist. The special effects found inside are off the scale with the variety of methods used. From creepy clown animatronics and heavy atmospheric fog to vibrating floors and a rotating tunnel, and that’s just for starters. We did feel the storytelling of this maze was a little lackluster and could be improved upon, rather than simply relying on clowns and jump scares. The actors truly carry this maze on top of the special effects, delivering high energy and big-impact scares around every corner.

Wastelands Penitentiary

WOO – Screams | WOO – Audio & Lighting | BOO – SFX

Wastelands Penitentiary is the prison-themed maze that truly brings the chaos and energy you crave from a high-impact scare attraction. As you step inside the prison riot, you come face-to-face with numerous prisoners who are desperate to scare you. From loud noises to aggressive impact scares, the intensity really gets to you as you try to escape. Aside from the heavy use of smoke, the maze uses very few intricate special effects. However, the audio and lighting are superb, with the constant soundscape and the ending strobe scene always being a standout moment.

Chop Shop

WOO – Actor Performance | WOO – Screams | BOO – Theming

Chop Shop is always a fan favorite, and if you are scared of chainsaws, then this maze is your worst nightmare. The sheer volume of screams this attraction got out of us is insane, as the entire second half of the maze is pure chainsaws and terror. This focus, however, does mean it sacrifices much of the detailed theming it could have. While the first half of the attraction is well-themed, the second half is noticeably limited in aesthetics. The actors throughout are exceptional; they were very good at getting right up close and providing a relentlessly horrifying attraction.

The Carving

WOO – Screams | WOO – Storytelling | BOO – Concept

The Carving is also a relatively new maze, returning for its second year. The premise is based on an American family who are out to “carve you up” for their dinner, giving it a dark and compelling storyline. This narrative is demonstrated effectively in the maze, with the actors delivering a great introduction scene before the action develops. The core concept of the maze is slightly basic, feeling a little similar to a Purge-style scenario, but its simplicity is easily understood. The Carving excels at delivering continuous scares, which had us running through multiple sections due to the quick and creepy frights.

Haunted Hayride: Route 666

WOO – Storytelling | WOO – Concept | BOO – Screams

The Haunted Hayride is another fan favorite at Tulleys Shocktoberfest, offering a unique experience that departs from the average maze. Instead of walking, you take a seat on the back of a tractor and travel through numerous film-like sets. This format has noticeably faded from many events in recent years, making Tulleys’ continued commitment to it feel even more special. While the screams do become limited when you are safely seated, the actors effectively board the trailer and get up close, though the result is more funny than truly scary. As you travel through the different sets, the entire experience is tied together by a clear, simple story that is easily understood. We like this narrative approach as it allows the park the freedom to refresh the scenes each year without damaging the core story.

Coven of 13

WOO – Actor Performance | WOO – Actor utilisation | BOO – Concept

The Village: Coven of 13 has received some great improvements for 2025. It felt more intense and scary than ever before, featuring moments of genuine disorientation and rooms densely packed with actors. The cast aggressively pushed us to our limits, grouping us together and forcing us into corners as they delivered scares. While the core concept of the maze—witches and their burning at the stake—is fairly basic and not unique, the way the cast utilizes their space is fantastic. Actors have plenty of room to get you in different places, creating the illusion that there are far more people inside than there actually are. Very impressive.

Creepy Cottage

WOO – Theming | WOO – Storytelling | BOO – Screams

The Creepy Cottage is the longest-standing maze at the event and is exactly what the name suggests: a classic creepy cottage. The cottage is well-themed, featuring detailed sets in multiple rooms, including a kitchen, a lounge, and a bedroom. The dimly lit hallways create a genuinely haunting atmosphere. We didn’t find ourselves too scared inside this maze, partly due to the limited cast and its similarity to previous years. However, the simple story told within is effective, and its status as a staple part of the event means guests continue to love its old-school charm.

DOOM TOWN

WOO – Theming | WOO – Concept | BOO – SFX

Doom Town is one of the most spectacular mazes at Tulleys, and arguably in the entire UK. The sheer scale of the attraction immediately sets it apart, with an incredibly high level of detailed theming used to bring the experience to life. The maze features a huge town setting with multiple distinct buildings and a large road separating the sections. However, despite the massive scale, the attraction is surprisingly limited in its use of elaborate special effects. We would love to see more SFX integrated, especially given the space and options available. The concept of Doom Town is fantastic—it’s based on stepping into a zombie video game—and the park has truly brought that world to life, creating a genuinely immersive experience right from the start.

Glitch

WOO – Actor utilisation | WOO – Concept | BOO – Theming

Glitch is the newest maze at the event, replacing The Cellar. From the outside, the maze looks highly technological, with a large screen advertising the logo, building significant hype for its opening year. The concept centers on a creepy, dark story that appears to blend technology, AI, and science. Sadly, the theming inside is quite simple, with much of the interior being dark and relying on basic black walls, rather than the expected high-tech effects or screens. That said, the actors are used exceptionally well. They have the ability to move across the entire maze with ease, thanks to the largely open layout. This style, similar to that seen in Wastelands Penitentiary and Purgatory, allows the park to utilize fewer actors while creating the feeling that the space is far more populated. While it may not be the highest-rated maze in its opening year, we are confident that with some further improvements, it will quickly become another standout attraction at this event.

Hell-Ements

WOO – SFX | WOO – Storytelling | BOO – Theming

Hell-Ements is another long-standing attraction and is the park’s hooded maze. The experience requires you to put a cloth hood over your head and follow a single rope or chain to find the exit. Due to this sensory deprivation, the special effects must be absolutely on point. The theming is obviously non-existent, as you can’t see anything until the final moments; however, the story is simple and effective. It follows a narrative where the elements themselves—wind, water, and heat—are used to punish you throughout your journey to execution.

Fire & Light Show

WOO – Audio & Lighting | WOO – SFX | BOO – Storytelling

The laser and light show is set in the Wasteland area, which also features roaming characters. This five-minute show happens every 30 minutes, presenting a spectacle of dancers, lasers, fire, and other visual displays. The audio and lighting are truly what make the show, with the music acting as a key cue for the dancers and pyrotechnics. The story, however, felt a little lost; in previous years, the narrative seemed to match the area better, but this version felt random and disconnected from the Wastelands theme. That said, the special effects—with powerful pyro, lasers, and smoke filling the sky—are outstanding, making this a fantastic show that runs multiple times each night.

@thrillnation Here's what not to miss on your visit to @Tulleys Shocktober Fest 🔥 #Shocktoberfest #Halloween #ScareMaze #Party #Spooky ♬ Pandora - Herkules Beats

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6 October 2025

INTRODUCTION

KEY INFO

Location – Crawley, West SussexOperational Dates – Select nights 3rd Oct – 1st NovOpening Time – 4:30pm / 5:30pmClosing Time – 11:30pmCost – £43+Attraction Count – 11 mazes + showsTime Spent – Full Night Required (Fastrack required on peak nights)

THE OVERALL EVENT…

WOO – Variety | WOO – Roaming Characters | BOO – Location

Purgatory

WOO – Flow | WOO – Concept | BOO – Storytelling

Electrick Circus

WOO – SFX | WOO – Actor Performance | BOO – Storytelling

Wastelands Penitentiary

WOO – Screams | WOO – Audio & Lighting | BOO – SFX

Chop Shop

WOO – Actor Performance | WOO – Screams | BOO – Theming

The Carving

WOO – Screams | WOO – Storytelling | BOO – Concept

Haunted Hayride: Route 666

WOO – Storytelling | WOO – Concept | BOO – Screams

Coven of 13

WOO – Actor Performance | WOO – Actor utilisation | BOO – Concept

Creepy Cottage

WOO – Theming | WOO – Storytelling | BOO – Screams

DOOM TOWN

WOO – Theming | WOO – Concept | BOO – SFX

Glitch

WOO – Actor utilisation | WOO – Concept | BOO – Theming

Hell-Ements

WOO – SFX | WOO – Storytelling | BOO – Theming

Fire & Light Show

WOO – Audio & Lighting | WOO – SFX | BOO – Storytelling

PHOTO GALLERY

Halloween Ratings

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Thorpe Park Fright Nights Ratings ()

Thorpe Park Fright Nights Ratings ()

Thorpe Park Fright Nights Ratings ()

Thorpe Park Fright Nights Ratings ()

Thorpe Park Fright Nights Ratings ()

Location – Crawley, West Sussex
Operational Dates – Select nights 3rd Oct – 1st Nov
Opening Time – 4:30pm / 5:30pm
Closing Time – 11:30pm
Cost – £43+
Attraction Count – 11 mazes + shows
Time Spent – Full Night Required (Fastrack required on peak nights)