News

Who You Gonna Call? New Gate Arts brings Ghostbusters-inspired fun to Derry Halloween’s 40th anniver

12 October 2026

New Gate Arts & Culture Centre is going all-in for Derry Halloween as the city celebrates the festival’s 40th anniversary, with a spectacular production promising supernatural fun, Highland dancing and plenty of surprises.

Titled Who You Gonna Call?, the production takes inspiration from the supernatural world of Ghostbusters, with a unique New Gate Arts twist. It will bring together around 60 Highland dancers, four actors and a dedicated team of staff and volunteers to create a memorable addition to this year’s programme of events.

Darren Milligan from New Gate Arts & Culture Centre, said excitement is building as the entire team prepare for this year’s celebrations.

“We absolutely love the Halloween madness! Halloween is always a special time in the city, but being part of the 40th anniversary celebrations makes this year particularly exciting for everyone at New Gate Arts.”

The production is a true team effort, involving performers of different ages alongside staff, volunteers and a five-person production team working behind the scenes to coordinate costumes, cues and every element of the show.

“One of the things we love most about the production is the range of ages involved. Our dancers include children and young people right through to adult performers, making it a genuinely intergenerational production. Behind the scenes, our staff and volunteers bring an equally broad mix of ages and experience.

“It really is a huge team effort. On stage alone we have around 64 performers, with 60 Highland dancers and four actors. Beyond that, our New Gate Arts staff get involved across the production, and we have volunteers coming in on the evenings of the shows to help with costumes and everything else that needs done behind the scenes,” Darren added.

The community spirit behind the production reflects the wider ethos of Derry Halloween, with local talent and volunteers coming together to create unforgettable experiences for everyone involved.

With excitement building, Darren went on to explain how the team is proud to play its part in a milestone year for the city.

“There’s a fantastic buzz among the dancers, actors, staff and volunteers. For us, it’s about contributing something memorable to a celebration that has become such an important part of the city’s identity.

“We’re very proud to be playing our part, and we want people to come away from our section of the celebrations having been entertained, surprised and maybe wondering exactly who they should call!”

‘Who Ya Gonna Call’ is a free event taking place as part of the Awakening of the Walled City Trail from Wednesday 28 to Friday 30 October, with performances each evening at 6.30pm, 7.30pm and 8.30pm.

Derry Halloween is delivered by Derry City and Strabane District Council with support from Tourism Northern Ireland and The Executive Office. The full Derry Halloween 2026 programme is available now at www.derryhalloween.com

Visitors are advised to book accommodation and ticketed experiences early due to anticipated demand for this special 40th anniversary celebration.