Screamfest 2025 Review

Recently I was asked to recommend a scream park that has a carnival vibe, with plenty to do and see alongside the standard scare mazes. Screamfest has always delivered on this front, and so, despite not having visited their 2025 event at the time of making the recommendation, I still felt confident in doing so. As it turned out, I could have hyped it up tenfold and it still wouldn’t have been a strong enough endorsement. Screamfest 2025 was magic. Starting with the mazes:

Freak Out

Guarded by a formidable inflatable clown head, the façade of this reimagined classic signposts exactly what type of experience lies within. Brash, exaggerated, colourful and crazed, the clowns are running riot once more, gleefully toying with disoriented guests who are trying (and failing) to navigate confusing corridors, doors with cryptic messages, and a bewildering mirror-maze segment. All of this is compounded by flashing strobe and pounding music (provided this year as a collaboration between themed entertainment stalwart Nick Hutson and metal musician Serena Cherry), creating a raucously fun experience that does exactly what it says on the tin. I had a blast - special shout out to the sinister ringmaster who set the tone perfectly!

Hellcatraz

Not new for 2025, but new for me, I had high hopes for this. Screamfest mazes often have very strong intro scenes (I’m looking at you Slasher) and this was no exception; total darkness, isolation and a dramatic voiceover all added to the mounting tension. The guidelines for this maze specified that the scareactors can and will touch guests (a rarity at Screamfest), which turned out to be the sole focus of the whole experience. Lighting conditions in the maze offered a clear view of what was happening, hindering any opportunity to scare guests. The grabbing and pushing in the absence of darkness amounted to a one-note walkthrough, as there was nothing to build upon once the scareactors got going. However, their intense energy created a chaotic experience, which was thrilling throughout despite feeling a little predictable.

Hillbilly Joe’s Zombee Zoo

It may be time to bid farewell to this beloved and hilariously unhinged attraction. It has served us well, but the high-energy hijinks of the moonshine-swigging hillbilly zookeepers has dissipated a little, leaving behind a solidly themed walkthrough which is good for a giggle. The empty scenes and missed effects from 2021 were prevalent again, possibly as a result of groups navigating the maze at wildly inconsistent speeds (it’s always the way!), but the experience is still a memorable one, enhanced by its zany soundtrack and fun scareactor performances. 

Insomnia

I’ve had my ups and downs with Insomnia, but through it all, I’ve never considered this to be anything less than an absolute jewel in the crown of the UK scene. Ambitious yet understated, often misunderstood and wildly underrated, it asserts that there is nothing more terrifying than a nightmare from the perspective of a child - it seeming so real, so impossible to wake from, and from feeling so alone and helpless when a parent is dismissive. The attraction is made up of multiple layers, mixing theatricality and scares, fragments of fiction and memories of real life trauma bleeding into a nightmare realm, where everything is twisted and distorted. Navigating the maze in a larger group can result in missed moments; you really have to take your time with this, and that isn’t always logistically possible. Despite this, Insomnia stands out as a confident piece of storytelling, from the pre-show right through to the finale.

Mutation Damnation

At last, a theme that fits the corn maze! A scientific research facility known as Atheria Life Sciences, where scientists push the boundaries of genetically modified food, promising a healthier future for life on earth. We arrived at the facility and were met with the most eerily polite robotic tour guide, who was as engaging as he was unnerving, and did a brilliant job of setting the tone, subtly indicating that they’re hiding something. From there, we entered the corn maze, where we discovered that these experiments have brought about some horrifying changes in those undertaking them. As with Hellcatraz, this was similarly lacking in scares; we encountered characters as we wandered through, which was enjoyable on the clear and starry night that we visited. Throw in a big squeeze and double chainsaw finish, and that’s enough to keep me smiling.

---

The atmosphere at Screamfest has now reached the level of a full on Halloween festival. There are multiple bars (including a dedicated spooky cocktail bar!) and food options, fairground rides and horror-themed sideshow activities, and even a mini scare zone featuring a horrifying anthropomorphic bat. Pops of creepy streetmosphere were happening in every corner of the site, with roaming scareactors landing scares on unsuspecting guests, and a miniature theatrical setpiece featuring a witch burning slowly upon a pyre. This is everything a scream park should be.

In addition to this, the entertainment on stage was an absolute riot, with live music, circus performers, and a stomach-churning freakshow featuring some extreme feats of physical endurance. As the evening progressed, fan favorite Nurse Babs took to the stage for a wildly unhinged cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s Crazy Train, and insisted we all join together in a conga line around the main hub. Seeing everyone laughing and celebrating the spooky season together - some wearing costumes and others just enjoying the vibe – it was genuinely heartwarming.

As I downed my last prosecco and stood up to leave, stuffing my freezing cold hands into my coat pockets, a performer came up to me and wished me a happy Halloween. Events like this are what make October so special; the passion of everyone involved is evident. It's a true celebration of spooky season, and I can’t wait to return next year.