As the air gets crisper and the nights grow longer, Southport Pleasureland is preparing for a festival like no other. This November, we’re transforming the park into a vibrant Mexican fiesta to celebrate the Day of the Dead.

On Saturday, November 2nd, experience Pleasureland enchanted with the wonders of Mexico’s Día de los Muertos. The park will be decorated with colourful sugar skulls, and the stage will showcase incredibly talented acts, including fire shows and illusionists. Rides will be open for the evening, and we’ll end the night with a breathtaking fireworks display.

While Halloween is rooted in Celtic traditions, Día de los Muertos offers a unique and joyful perspective on celebrating life. Let’s explore the history of Halloween, the magic behind Día de los Muertos, and what you can expect at Southport Pleasureland’s Mexican Festival.

Halloween Over the Years

Today, Halloween is synonymous with the dark side of life, featuring ghouls, ghosts, and horror themes. However, it hasn’t always been about trick-or-treating, watching horror films, and attending Halloween parties. Its roots trace back to the Celtic festival of Samhain, a time when the line between the living and the dead was believed to be thin. Communities would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off wandering spirits.

Over the centuries, Halloween has evolved into a hallmark celebration filled with family fun, spooky decor, and silly games and traditions.

While Halloween focuses on the spooky side of things, the Day of the Dead offers a much different and fascinating perspective.

Day of the Dead

Día de los Muertos is often mistakenly seen as a Mexican version of Halloween, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. While they share some traditions like wearing costumes, the history and reasoning behind these costumes are vastly different. As we’ve seen, Halloween is heavily based around the fear of wandering spirits, while the Mexican festival has always been a celebration of the spirits of those we love.

Death is typically something we mourn, but the traditional Mexican festival takes a completely different approach. On this day, it’s believed that the border between the spirit world and the real world is temporarily removed. This time is used to celebrate loved ones, family members, and friends as their souls awaken momentarily from eternal slumber. The living treat the dead as guests, hosting dinners and celebrations with their favourite foods and entertainment.

During the festivities, many like to dress up with skull masks and decorate with the iconic sugar skulls (calaveras). These colourful skulls aren’t meant to be frightening; they represent the cycle of life and death and serve as a reminder to celebrate life to the fullest. The Day of the Dead celebrations aren’t based around fear; they’re about celebrating life’s fullness and great adventure.

This positive, celebratory approach to death sets it apart from the dark and eeriness of Halloween. It serves as a time to reflect on those who have passed on by sharing stories, eating, dancing, and partying.

We will be celebrating the festival this November at Pleasureland with an array of incredible Mexican Festival-themed talents displayed on our stage. With the Batala Drummers keeping spirits high in the Cartoon Boardwalk area of the park and our Fire Goddess, Gladiator of Illusion, Starlight Grinders, and Dr. Diablo creating a thrilling atmosphere on the Steampunk Bay Stage, the festival will come to life in the heart of Southport this November.

Traditions of Día de los Muertos

While their costumes and colourful skulls may look daunting and frightening, they aren’t designed for that purpose.

Let’s take a look at some of the key elements that make this festival so unique:

Ofrendas (Altars): These are often created in homes or graveyards to welcome the spirits back to the living.

They are beautifully decorated with offerings such as photographs, marigold flowers, candles, sugar skulls, food, and drink.

Calaveras: These iconic symbols are often seen in the form of sugar skulls, decorations, and face paintings. They are brightly coloured and designed with joyful imagery, signifying the sweetness of life and celebrating deceased loved ones.

Food and Drink: Dishes like Pan de muerto and tamales play a vital role in the traditions.

Papel Picado: Intricately cut tissue paper in bright colours is often hung in homes, streets, and altars.

Bringing the Celebration to Southport

Following the success of last year’s Mexican Festival and preceding years too, we’re excited for its return this year at Southport Pleasureland. We invite you to join us for an unforgettable evening filled with thrilling rides, incredible performances, and the vibrant spirit of Mexico. With an Adventurer Pass, you can enjoy unlimited rides all evening long, experience our fabulous acts on our stages, and take in the festive decor before we end the night with a breathtaking fireworks display.