The Nightmare Realm Will Unleash ‘The Curse of the Five’ this Halloween
21 Nights. Five Cursed Souls. One Unforgettable Nightmare.
New venue, new theme. Early bird tickets now on sale
As summer ends and darker evenings creep in, shadows and demons begin to stir—Halloween is coming, and with it, The Nightmare Realm, Europe’s most awarded Halloween attraction. Returning for 2025, this year’s production is its most ambitious yet, set in an all-new, expanded home at Royal Liver Retail Park, Inchicore, Dublin.
Running for 21 terrifying nights from October 4th to November 2nd, the 2025 Realm features five brand-new, cinematic haunted mazes, an expanded HalloweenTown, and over 150 live performers in a fully immersive, festival-style setting. Early bird tickets are on sale now—don’t sleep on it, because the nightmares certainly won’t.
The Nightmare Realm, which is sponsored by Fanta, is an adrenaline-fueled Irish production like no other —fusing Hollywood-style set design, cinematic production, live performance, and chilling storytelling into one unforgettable experience. Think open-world gaming meets Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. From the moment you step inside, you’ll be stalked by demons, thrown into nightmares, and immersed in a world where fear becomes entertainment. You’ll be screaming and laughing at the top of your lungs and rushing back for more.
Every year, the Realm is rebuilt from the ground up—something no other Halloween event in Europe dares to do. This dedication to constant reinvention keeps the event fresh and unmissable for fans, and it’s fast becoming Ireland’s new modern Halloween tradition. Like a phantom, it appears in a new location every few years. In 2025, that location is a sprawling 7,000 sqm indoor/outdoor site at Royal Liver Retail Park, right beside the Kylemore Luas stop.
This year, visitors will descend into the chilling lore of “The Curse of the Five”—a haunting mystery that unites all five mazes into a single, lore-driven storyline. Guests will uncover the fate of five cursed souls across these original experiences. Mazes include: Gallows Hill Asylum, Trappers, Clowns in the Attic, SILO C, and A Haunting at Blackmore.
Each maze is a chapter in a century-spanning narrative. With every step, new secrets are revealed, drawing brave participants deeper into the Realm’s twisted mythology. Will you break the curse—or become part of it?
Expect cursed characters, terrifying illusions, heart-pounding soundscapes, and hidden rooms waiting to trap you. Every element is designed to deliver a fully immersive, cinematic-like experience—with scares, screams, and surprises around every corner. From the moment you enter, the demons start approaching you, and their energy to freaking you out never wavers
Complementing the mazes and now bigger, bolder, and more bizarre than ever, HalloweenTown returns as a dedicated fan hangout space. The fully immersive festival‑style area features new interactive elements: photo ops with Halloween characters, food trucks, a cloakroom, and three new haunted shops Spell & Spindle, Cauldron & Coffee, and the Fanta Fright Cinema and ‘The Tree of the Dead’ which proves that love isn’t dead after all — the perfect spooky spot for horror fans ready to say ‘till death do us part’. For the first time ever, there will be two fire shows on select nights by Fuego Fatale, as well as nightly entertainment from the incredible House of Swag dance troupe and the Realm’s resident aerialists. Returning shop favourites include: Beelz & Sons Funeral Parlour, Nothing Lasts Forever Tattoo Shop, Miss Fortune’s House of Tarot, Obscura Antiques & Oddities, White Witch Creations, Fall FM Radio Shack, Trick or Treat Sweet Shop, The Haunted Doll Shop, and The Little Museum of Horrors. It’s like a neighbourhood town dedicated to horror. Expect high-octane performances from over 150 scare actors, circus performers, stilt walkers, and dancers.
Karl O’Connor, owner of The Nightmare Realm says, “Halloween isn’t just one night—it’s a season, a subculture, a celebration of the weird and the wonderful. The Nightmare Realm is our stage for self-expression. It’s where monsters have meaning, and every scream has a story. We build it from scratch, then vanish like ghosts. In a world driven by tech, nothing beats the shared thrill of live scares”
Co-Owner and director Sylvia O’Connor adds, “The Curse of the Five is our most ambitious storyline yet. Each maze connects to create one overarching mystery for fans to solve. We’ve always rebuilt our sets every year—but this time, we’ve built an entire world.”
Karl continues, “Our new home at Royal Liver Retail Park gives us the freedom to go bigger than ever. More space, more actors, more cinematic sets—this is the ultimate Realm experience.”
The Nightmare Realm is proudly Irish, born 16 years ago from the passion of horror fans for horror fans. This same team from the beginning has grown it into Ireland’s ultimate Halloween destination, attracting locals, tourists, and even international stars. From Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly to the cast of Wednesday, Little Mix, and the Beckhams, celebrities have joined thousands of horror fans in experiencing Europe’s best Halloween event.
Every costume and prop is thoughtfully planned and handmade in Ireland, contributing to a sustainable scare production that reuses and repurposes materials where possible.
Recognised as a leader in the European scare industry, it has earned numerous international accolades, including being a multi‑time winner of Best Halloween Event in Europe (ScareTOUR Awards), with the most recent being Best Costume and Makeup 2025.
Fanta is a proud sponsor of The Nightmare Realm for 2025! Wanta FANTA? So delicious, it’ll haunt your taste buds.
The Nightmare Realm, opens on Saturday 4th October and runs for 21 selected nights until the 2nd November. The experience is recommended for age 13+. Tickets, which are priced from €24 to €40 (depending on the ticket type and the day attending). Family bundles (2a+2c) are available for peak nights priced €110. Date night deals available on select nights
Use promocode SPOOK10 to enjoy a 10% discount on off-peak nights in October – offer runs until 30th September (not applicable to family bundles or date night deals). This event sells out quickly, so pre-booking is essential. Access is easy, as it is located beside the Kylemore stop on the Luas Red Line with free on-site parking for 300+ cars. In partnership with and Development Agency (TBC).
For more see www.thenightmarerealm.ie
ARTICLE CREDIT; The Events, Tourism & Communications Agency
