For The Love Of Horror: Where Nightmares Come to Life
July 29 2025, Published 3:16 a.m. ET
The BEC Arena in Manchester will once again become the heart of horror fandom on 18–19 October 2025. For The Love Of Horror, one of Monopoly Events’ most anticipated genre-specific conventions, gathers thousands of fans each year to celebrate the blood-soaked brilliance of horror cinema and television. Attendees come to meet the faces behind the masks, revisit scenes they know by heart, and take part in an event built entirely around their devotion to the terrifying, the strange and the unforgettable.
What Awaits in Manchester This October
For The Love Of Horror transforms the Bowlers Exhibition Centre into a fully horror-themed convention tailored specifically to fans of the genre. The venue is reimagined with horror-specific props, full set builds, and a large trader and artist area. Guests can walk through constructed scenes, have their photo taken with iconic backdrops, or ride the outdoor ghost train that runs throughout the weekend.
The event features autograph sessions, photo opportunities, and live on-stage appearances from star guests. Visitors have the chance to hear directly from actors about their roles, careers, and current work. Unlike general conventions, this show is focused entirely on horror, from every attraction to every guest.
The convention is part of Monopoly Events’ genre-specific ‘For The Love Of’ brand and brings together over ten thousand attendees annually. Fans come in costume, often with elaborate and creative outfits inspired by classic and current horror films. The shared interest creates a strong sense of community, where like-minded people gather from across the UK.
In past years, the event has hosted horror legends including Tim Curry, Skeet Ulrich, Corey Taylor, David Arquette, Nick Castle, Matthew Lillard, and Kiefer Sutherland, securing its place as a cornerstone of the horror fan calendar.
Guests Who Made the Genre What It Is
This year’s announced guests present a varied selection of horror royalty and genre favourites. Matthew Lillard appears again, known not only for his role in Scream but also for his habit of meeting fans with patience and humour. Skeet Ulrich joins him, continuing the tradition of bringing key Scream cast members back into the spotlight.
Ted Raimi will also attend. Known for his ability to shift from menace to comic relief within the space of a single scene, Raimi remains a recognisable figure across cult horror titles. Bonnie Aarons, whose portrayal of the Nun left many viewers questioning whether their lights were bright enough at night, brings a chilling presence to the guest list. Simon Pegg, appearing on Saturday only, adds a slightly different flavour, blending horror with dry humour in the way only British horror-comedy seems to manage.
Lauren LaVera, fresh from recent successes, adds modern momentum to the line-up, while Devon Sawa brings an element of haunted nostalgia with his career built on close calls with the grim reaper. Clint Howard, one of horror’s more eccentric regulars, and Jamie Kennedy, whose presence in Scream delivered both warnings and wisecracks, will also attend. Nick Castle, the man behind the original Michael Myers mask, continues his tradition of returning to the convention, reminding many that silence can often do more than dialogue in horror cinema.
Rituals, Routines and That Digital Twist
Those who attend For The Love Of Horror rarely arrive without a plan. Many have visited before. They pack carefully, choosing outfits that have been tested in advance and supplies that will survive long hours and queue-heavy mornings. Travel is arranged well ahead of time, hotels are booked the moment dates are confirmed, and timetables are cross-referenced against panel schedules. Fans of this particular gathering know what to expect and how to prepare.
There is also another strand of horror enthusiasm that builds in the weeks ahead. Online communities grow particularly animated as the event approaches. Discussions shift from costume design to lore analysis and favourite villain rankings. Among these threads, there is mention of horror-themed online slots, especially those with themes that mirror the aesthetics celebrated at the event.
Games such as Horror Hotel and 32Red Halloween Horrors Megaways incorporate the same visual language seen at the convention: scary motifs, eerie soundtracks and sudden shocks. These themed games reflect the genre’s versatility, extending horror into digital corners where the influence of slasher cinema blends with animated reels and unsettling sound effects.
The Stallholders Behind the Screams
Beyond the actors and cosplayers, another group returns each year with goods that appeal to the collector, the decorator and the lifelong fan. The show floor becomes a marketplace where every item has a story. It is not uncommon to see hand-painted figurines next to vintage posters, or finely stitched patches displayed beside plastic models of haunted houses.
Many stallholders specialise in horror-specific crafts. They design artwork that never reaches mainstream platforms and create objects that seem pulled from an imaginary film set. Some build replica props that mimic weapons or trinkets seen in classic horror films, while others work with textiles to produce wearable items that nod to fandom without shouting it.
These stalls provide more than merchandise. They become conversation points, places where attendees trade recommendations and stories, and where traders remember faces from past events.
The range of products includes practical items such as mugs and keyrings, alongside decorative pieces like limited edition prints and resin-cast ornaments. Much of it is
handmade, all of it reflects a clear understanding of the audience. The horror genre’s visual language appears in every booth, with reds, blacks and bone-white hues filling the stands.
Stage Time and Strange Truths
The panel stage is where some of the more surprising moments occur. Structured around loose topics, these sessions allow actors to speak freely about past roles, working conditions and the awkwardness of green-screen acting. Sometimes the stories drift into peculiar territory, with recollections of lost props, last-minute rewrites and elaborate pranks played on set.
Panels often feature multiple guests, which creates an unpredictable energy. Someone mentions a casting mishap, and another interrupts with a memory of their own. Conversations loop between decades, from VHS-era horror through to current streaming titles. Actors speak about audition rooms, costume malfunctions and script changes with a kind of amused detachment, as if still trying to understand how some scenes made it into final cuts.
Audience questions range from technical queries about practical effects to deeply detailed observations about character development. The guests rarely shy away from answering. Their responses often spark more questions, turning a single anecdote into a miniature oral history of a film that might once have slipped under the radar. Each panel builds its own following. Visitors return year after year, not only for autographs but to hear more of these stories.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
A Place That Keeps Finding New Ways to Frighte
For The Love Of Horror continues to thrive because it understands the people who attend. It doesn’t rely on nostalgia alone. It builds new memories each year, new scenes that feel as carefully directed as anything in the films it celebrates. The event’s organisers know that what keeps people coming back is the blend of familiarity and surprise, of routine and variation.
Attendees prepare because they know what the weekend represents. It’s a time of focus, a space where conversations do not need to begin with explanations. Everyone already speaks the same language. The queue for the ghost train might be long, but the person ahead likely knows the original release year of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The volunteer helping with wristbands might have a tattoo quoting Hellraiser. No one feels the need to soften their enthusiasm.
Each year adds new layers. More guests are announced, more props are built, more fans commit to attending. The shape of the event shifts slightly, but its purpose remains the same. There is something peculiar in the way it brings people together, not through comfort but through shared affection for unease. That may be the most appropriate form of tribute the genre could ask for.
