Bar Rouge: In the Woods

Go dressed as: The Big Bad Wolf, perhaps; any evil character
Cover charge: None for those in costume, $25 otherwise
Rated (age requirement): R21
Best Dressed gets you: Belvedere Vodka magnum (26th), 2D1N stay at Swissôtel The Stamford with two-pax champagne brunch at Skai (27 October)

The sinister trappings of a dark forest are your backdrop as Swissotel’s rooftop lounge and rave haven transforms for the occasion. Expect some gravity-defying antics from performers while disturbing characters torment those unfortunate enough to walk the grounds. Knock back a few cocktails – the Halloween special included – and get with DJ’s agenda… you may even find the right potion that’ll give you the courage to mount that dancing cage.

26 & 27 Oct (Fri & Sat), 10pm till late. More information here. Tel: +65 9177-7303.

Lulu’s Lounge: Carnival of the Absurd

Go dressed as: We quote – “Carnival, absurde, st(r)ange fun”.
Cover charge: $35
Rated: R25 (M), R21 (F)

Here’s one thing we know about Lulu’s Lounge- they always manage to surprise. Less grotesquerie and more cabaret-meets-oddball, expect fabulous displays of drag and copious helpings of bared skin (all in good taste, of course), but stay on guard for a promised ‘twist’ to the ‘usual’ Lulu’s. Pair that with wacky, in-your-face entertainment acts that often culminate in raucous and stitch-inducing mirth, and you have a definitive recipe for a memorable Halloween.

27 Oct (Sat), 9pm till 6am. More information here. Tel: +65 9829-1922

Ce La Vi: Cirque Le Soir

Go dressed as: Latex-clad Halloween characters
Cover charge: $48 pre-sale (Grey Goose pour), $68 at the door (Grey Goose pour)
Rated: M18

The iconic MBS rooftop restaurant and club takes the Halloween spectacle to new heights by roping in an award-winning troupe, Cirque Le Soir, to bring the bizarre and mind-bending to the party. Fire breathers, contortionists and exotic dancers spice up what is touted to become “a fantasy realm of an S&M dungeon” – so don that skintight leather or latex and leave your inhibitions at the door.

27 Oct (Sat), 10pm – 5am. More details and purchase here. Tel: +65 6508 2188.

Lavo: Scare Factory

Go dressed as: Horror movie characters
Cover charge: None for those in costume and makeup, $30 otherwise
Rated: M18
Best Dressed gets you: Chance to nab 2D1N stay at MBS, dining vouchers

Turn the tables on your greatest fears or childhood PTSD by taking on the personas of cinema’s most unnerving characters. To set the scene at the Scare Factory, antagonists from classics like The Shining, The Ring and The Exorcist will already be trawling the grounds. The costume prizes are also some of the most generous we’ve seen. Time to dust off that old Jason Krueger get-up.

Offhand, we’d head down just for the brain-shaped ice-cream.

27 Oct (Sat), 10pm till late. More information here. Tel: +65 6688-8591.

Bang Bang: Ready, Player One

Go dressed as: Classic video game character
Cover charge: None
Rated: R21 (M), M18 (F)
Best Dressed gets you: Grey Goose Vodka

If you’ve had your fill of fright nights, Bang Bang’s taking a retro tack instead with a video game-themed party. To that end, they’ve shipped in a PacMan arcade game and have Tamagotchis up for grabs in their claw machine. We’re thinking nostalgia and photo opps galore as a scene from the namesake movie unfolds in the club. If you’ve got any cosplayer friends that can coincidentally bust a move or two, now’s the time to shove them in the limelight.

27 Oct (Sat), 10.30pm – 6am. More information here. Tel: +65 8127 2808.

Header image: Snapshot from first edition of Carnival of the Absurd, Lulu’s Lounge, via Facebook.