Covent Garden Announces October Line Up: Giant Sculptures, Halloween Pop Ups, Pumpkin Market, Extended Al Fresco, New Openings And More

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  • Giant dog balloon sculptures will be installed across the Piazza, forming Covent Garden’s third cultural installation this year

  • Covent Garden will celebrate a spooktacular Halloween across the estate with pop ups from Ardbeg Whiskey, Bloody Drinks, BeetleJuice and more

  • The striking Halloween Pumpkin Market returns with over 200 pumpkins, squashes and gourds

  • Covent Garden will also be the home of London Cocktail Week with a two floor multi-sensory bar experience in Carriage Hall on Floral Street

  • Covent Garden’s al fresco scheme has also been extended with over 1000 seats across 55 restaurants, 6 streets and the Piazza

On 7th October, Covent Garden, London’s home of culture, will launch a new public art exhibition by London based artist Whatshisname (Sebastian Burdon) with giant dog balloon sculptures installed across the historic Piazza. The arrival of the colourful sculptures mark Covent Garden’s third artist installation in its 2021 cultural programme, as well as the continuation of the estate’s Colour of Creativity campaign which is running until the end of October. Likewise, this October, Covent Garden will be London’s home of autumn al fresco dining as well as London’s Cocktail Week hub and will also host spooktacular celebrations for Halloween, ensuring the central London neighbourhood is the place to visit.

Whatshisname, the Polish-born artist has been taking the creative industry by storm for over fifteen years, specialising in sculptures and public art projects across the globe. Covent Garden’s latest installation will surprise visitors as they enjoy four 5m tall balloon dog sculptures in yoga poses across the estate, including downward dog, stretching dog and other mischievous positions. During the outdoor exhibition, visitors will be encouraged to share photos of the balloon dogs on social media using the hashtag #castle4bluecross and for every image posted Castle Fine Art, which is selling table-top versions of the sculptures, will donate £1 to pet charity Blue Cross. This installation follows the end of Chila Burman’s “Do you see words in rainbows?” Market Building installation, and further cements Covent Garden as a patron of culture within London and public art.

From Friday 29th to Sunday 31st October, Covent Garden will become the most fang-tastic place in Central London with activities for all the family. Visitors will see the return of the Halloween Pumpkin Market hosted in the Apple Market, including a stunning autumnal floral display created by luxury London florists Maison de Fleurs. The Market will feature over two hundred pumpkins, squashes and gourds available to purchase in various shapes and sizes.

In the lead up to the Halloween weekend, the historic Piazza will play home to the Bloody Bus, a 1980s double decker, serving classic Bloody Marys paired with a bespoke food menu from Claw & Hammer. Whisky lovers are also in for a treat, with ghoulish dram-based delights from Scottish whiskey connoisseurs Ardbeg. The ‘Ice Scream’ grown up ice cream truck will be serving up three of the Distillery’s smoky single malts alongside a bespoke menu created by renowned ice cream parlour Ruby Violet. As well as the iced treats, visitors will be tempted inside a forbidding Monsters of Smoke ‘pop up parlour’ to experience smoky Whisky based cocktails, for which tickets will be available to purchase from 11th October. Visitors can also stop by the ‘Scream for a selfie’ GIF booth where consumers can recreate their best B-Movie damsel in distress pose against the backdrop of a living spooky wall.

The Piazza will also host a Halloween inspired street food festival with pop ups from Beetle Juice for Halloween cocktails, Margo & Rita for spooky boo-rritos and terrifying tacos and The Smokey Gaucho for sweet & savoury crepes. New bar Mrs Riot will have a full menu of chilling cocktails and will also host a “High Tea With The Ghouls” Halloween themed drag brunch on Saturday 30th October. Frenchie will launch a new pumpkin tart and Halloween cocktail, whilst elsewhere on the estate, Olivia Burton will be running Halloween inspired face painting, and Whittards will be launching pumpkin spice chai and sticky toffee popcorn hot chocolate. For sweet treats, Hotel Chocolat will be serving blood orange hot chocolat and frighteningly flavoursome ’Boo boxes’ of chocolates and Ladurée will offer terrifyingly tasty Popcorn Tarts as well as a glow in the dark selection box of popcorn and vanilla macarons.

This October, Covent Garden will become the home of this year’s London Cocktail Week (1st - 24th October) with an experiential multisensory hub. The Essence House, a two-floor drinks experience in Carriage Hall will pop up on Covent Garden’s Floral Street, showcasing the most exquisite cocktails served by the world’s best bartenders.

Covent Garden will continue to be the home of al fresco dining with over 1000 outdoor dining seats across 55 restaurants offering weatherproof drinking and dining for visitors. Global and independent restaurants offering outdoor dining including Sushisamba, The Oystermen, La Goccia, Frenchie, Cora Pearl, Mariage Frères and more. New four storey townhouse 3 Henrietta Street will also open this October with four new restaurant concepts inside, alongside its neighbour Big Mamma’s Ave Mario. Throughout the month guests looking for a tipple to enjoy can visit The Ivy Market Grill for a colourful cocktail and gin enthusiasts can visit newly opened Bullards Gin in the Market Building.

For shoppers, Covent Garden offers open-air shopping in a historical setting with a number of exciting new fashion and lifestyle openings including new luxury accessories brand Strathberry, as well as Ganni, Arc’teryx and Vashi which join Tiffany & Co. Paul Smith, A.P.C, Free People, Sandro, Polo Ralph Lauren, Mulberry and many more across the estate. The widespread pedestrianised streets and historical atmosphere of the Covent Garden estate make for a joyful day of exploring, with nearby museums, the Royal Opera House and its iconic Piazza making it London’s number one destination.

For further information on this installation, Covent Garden rich history supporting the arts and more about its shops and restaurants visit www.coventgarden.london.

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