Scarefest 2025

[Craig]

Scarefest 2024 saw the return of Scarefest stalwarts The Attic, Altonville Mine Tours and family favourite Trick O’Treat Town. Elsewhere, Daz Games: Panic Reloaded returned for a second year, as did the walkthrough scare zone Burial Grounds.

We did see two brand new attractions, with the Mexican themed Amigos in The Afterlife featuring in the former Alton Towers Dungeon building, and the Phalanx themed COMPOUND being located in a new area and building constructed between Gloomy Wood and Forbidden Valley.

For entertainment, we saw the return of the Alton Ancestors and the stage shows on the lawns, as well as two additional new costume characters.

Last year saw planning permission granted for an additional building, similar to that used for COMPOUND over by Dark Forest, where Darkest Depths was previously located. It’s thought this will be utilised for a maze in 2025.

There was a lot of discussion here on TowersStreet that people would like to see some substantial changes for 2025 and that people felt the event had gotten a little stale. What changes would you like to see for this year? Have any attractions outstayed their welcome? What would you like to see return?

 

[Ash]

1) Daz Games removed
2) Dark Forest maze building utilised for Wraith themed maze
3) New maze building added to MMM area behind Nickelodeon (Amigos relocation)
4) Old Nickelodeon building re-used for Trick or Treat Town
5) New maze building added behind Curse

Lineup for 2025:
New: The Woods (Thrill)
New: Alton Manor Conservatory (Family/Thrill)
New: Spooky Gardens light walk (All - Retained for Xmas)
Existing: The Attic
Existing: Burial Grounds
Existing: Compound
Existing: Trick or Treat
Existing: Amigos
Existing: CBeebies Monsters Ball

Shows:
New: DJ added to the courtyard/tavern area
Existing: Main Stage Alton Ancestors
Existing: Main Stage Halloween Characters
Existing: Main Stage Dance act
Existing: Main Stage Jukebox Show

Food & Drink/Hospitality:
Hospitality tent opened up for Family VIP offering with food/drink included like Fireworks
Towers Suite/Family Restaurant opened up for adult VIP offering

Removed: Altonville Mines

2026:
Changes:
New: Maze structure added below Oblivion Queue for new Smiler themed attraction
Removed: The Attic (Time to give the towers a break)

New: Nightime “spooky” guided towers tours where all guests carry torches, similar to current tours but with ghost stories etc

New: Projection mapped night time show on the towers with permanent projector infrastructure added. Permanent water screen added to lake

2027:
New: maze structure added to access road by KC

Other: The lawns changed to semi hard standing.
Planning for new indoor show space on former MMM area.

Reasonable changes with long term planning in mind.

 

[Zeock]

I hope that the Amigos attraction is replaced, as that seemed quite unpopular last year.
I would like a new maze to properly replace Darkest Depths by being slightly tamer than the others.
I would also like AVMT to be replaced, but The Attic and especially Compound should stay.

 

[Lyle1019]

Hi, does anyone know when the dates for scarefest are usually announced? Ty

 

[AltonLover123]

5) New maze building added behind Curse

Where would this go? With the compound building being there I can’t quite picture where else it would fit?

 

[owenstreet7]

I'm thinking the Amigos will remain for 2025 at least as the dungeons won't be operating this season and I don't see anything happening with it right now unless we get a surprise

 

[Ash]

Where would this go? With the compound building being there I can’t quite picture where else it would fit?

I agree, in an ideal world I’d move compound to somewhere within FV, but other than “maybe” the piece of land between airs lifts hill and nemesis final turn, there’s not a lot of obvious places.

For curse I think near the workshops at the back is the best place. Maybe with a covered queue to not expose the side of the building.

 

[AltonLover123]

I agree, in an ideal world I’d move compound to somewhere within FV, but other than “maybe” the piece of land between airs lifts hill and nemesis final turn, there’s not a lot of obvious places.

For curse I think near the workshops at the back is the best place. Maybe with a covered queue to not expose the side of the building.

Here?

 

[Bert2theSpark]

between airs lifts hill and nemesis final turn

Err… There’s actually a secret coaster that’s a clone of Wuzeball at Phantasialand between those areas, they might be able to squeeze a giant container in there if they floated it between them though?

 

[Ash]

Here?

No, either to further to the left or the right place of some existing containers

 

[Hazza]

I think that 2025 should be the year where they reinvent Scarefest (Similar to the overhauls of 2015 and 2019). Replace The attic and Altonville mine tours and remove Daz games. This would mean less mazes but quality over quantity. This leave for the two new mazes to be built in the towers and the old Darkest Depths area. Compound stays. This is only referring to thrill mazes, I think Amigos will stay this year.

However many predictions, hopes and wishes people make the same sentiment is probably shared by everyone. The current scarefest is stale and it needs to feel fresh again.

 

[siralgenon]

I think after the entertainment news you might as well delete this thread

 

[djtruefitt]

I’m guessing if the rumours are true and all the ents are being made redundant, then Scarefest will be outsourced. The likes of Daz games was created by an external company and staffed by towers ent. I guess we’ll just see that but full created and staffed by external staff.

 

[Dave]

Scarefest was origionally outsourced when many (not me) thought it was at its best

I’m not convinced on the ents outsourcing being a good thing overall but events they choose to run will probably be fine. I suspect its impact will be on general AV around all the parks as this will revert to tech services and although tech services are skilled it’s not their area of expertise.

 

[LLCorkscrew]

Scarefest was origionally outsourced when many (not me) thought it was at its best

I’m not convinced on the ents outsourcing being a good thing overall but events they choose to run will probably be fine. I suspect its impact will be on general AV around all the parks as this will revert to tech services and although tech services are skilled it’s not their area of expertise.

Wasn't 2002 the only year that the maze (TOTT) was mostly outsourced? Guess they did that to get a grounding and after the setup was there, they took it in house.

2003 was produced in house, directed by Jamie Greaves and another bloke IIRC. They were lovely in helping find me the music for that year.

I did enjoy 02's maze, but I'd say 03 was just as good!

I thought everything 2007 onwards was delivered in-house - I think they've had 4 Ents Managers in that time, with various maze managers / creative leads.

Maybe they'll outsource to Pete Cliffe's company... he directed some bloody good mazes to be fair.

It's an awful shame that people have lost their jobs, it must be such a hard thing to go through. From an Alton Scarefest pov, who knows what affect it'll have.