Halloween revellers encouraged to drop and swap this year
16 October 2025
Halloween festival goers in Derry and Strabane are being offered the opportunity to recycle their old costumes and source preloved ones at specially arranged pop up shops across the City and District.
The Halloween Costume Swap will feature a treasure trove of items - and all for free.
Repair & Share Foyle are hosting the swaps and are appealing to anyone with unwanted Halloween costumes and props to consider giving them a new lease of life by donating to the Swap at locations across Derry and Strabane.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Ruairí McHugh, encouraged people to donate their old costumes and pick up some new ideas at the swap. “We’re all guilty of investing in costumes one year and moving on to a new one the next, and this is the perfect way to save money and get some inspiration for a new costume. Derry used to be famous for some of the most creative home made Halloween costumes and I would love to see that tradition being revived this year. There’s still plenty of time to come up with an idea and the costume swap is a great way to pick up items for free.”
Simply drop a costume off in one of the Boo-tique bins at the locations below. If you are on the haunt for something new for dressing up for Halloween then come along to the Halloween Costume Swap rails at The Guildhall Derry and Riversdale Leisure Centre Strabane from the 20th until the 26th of October (this may be extended until the 31st of October depending on stock availability).
Julie Hannaway, Waste and Recycling Officer with Derry City and Strabane District Council, said: “It’s that time of year again where we ask people to clear out their used Halloween costumes from previous years and donate them to the annual Halloween costume swap. Halloween costumes are the perfect items for reuse and I’m sure most of us have unwanted Halloween items in the attic or cupboard. People can donate whatever they think could be potentially used as a costume. We also encourage people to come along to our Halloween Costume Swap locations and find a costume at no cost, and for one night of the year it makes perfect sense not to splurge on something brand new. Many people in the north west love to get creative with their Halloween costume ideas and so many things can be recycled to make their spooky homemade creations. There are many benefits of reusing and recycling clothes and other unwanted items, and the Halloween Costume swap is a great way to do something positive for the environment this Halloween.”
Caroline McGuinness-Brooks from Repair & Share Foyle said: "It's really important that we collectively start to tackle the issue of textile waste. Halloween costume waste is a significant problem with 83% of costumes made from non recyclable polyester which can take hundreds of years to break down. As a global hotspot for Halloween, Derry can be leaders when it comes to circularity and sustainable costume choices.”
This year the Halloween Swap takes place between Monday the 20th of October – Sunday the 26th of October.
You can drop off your Halloween costumes at various boo-tique bins throughout the City and District from Thursday the 16th of October.
The locations are:
- The Guildhall, Derry
- Council Offices, Strand Road Derry
- Council Offices, Derry Road, Strabane
- Riversdale Leisure Centre Strabane
- Repair & Share Foyle
For more visit www.derryhalloween.com/resources