Scarefest 2024

Scarefest 2024 saw the introduction of both a new scare maze and family walkthrough alongside returning scare attractions and family-friendly entertainment. All of the scare attractions, excluding the scare zone, and the family walkthrough attractions carried an additional charge, while all other attractions were free and accessible to all.

Dates: 11th October – 3rd November 2024

Galactica and The Smiler opened at the later time of 10:30am, while Nemesis Sub Terra, Rita, The World of David Walliams, Cuckoo Cars Driving School, Spinball Whizzer and Hex: The Legend of the Towers all opened at 11am.

Battle Galleons and all CBeebies Land attractions shut at 5pm.

Other rides shut at either 8pm or 9pm depending on the date.

Frights One-shots – £12.00
Frights Combi – Early slots £34.00, Late slots £38.00
Unlimited Frights Pass – £120.00 (limited to 100 passes)

Spooks One-shots – £8.00
Spooks Duo – £15.00

Spooks & Frights Combi – £50.00

Thrill Attractions
COMPOUND
Daz Games: PANIC Reloaded
Altonville Mine Tours – Tiny’s Revenge
The Attic: Terror of the Towers
Burial Grounds

Family Attractions
Amigos in the Afterlife
Trick O’ Treat Town
Freaky Fun Zone
Patch’s Trick or Treat Party
Phil’s Halloween Dance Party
Sin Bin: ImmortHELL
Alton Ancestors
CBeebies Land Monster Ball

The headline new for 2024 addition was COMPOUND, a scare maze which continued the story of Nemesis Reborn and saw guests subjected to the Phalanx’s sinister experiment! Located in a new building close to Forbidden Valley, the queue line entrance was marked by signage, as well as theming in the form of some of the crates and oil drums. The maze structure was of the same design as Survival Games at Thorpe Park, with its external appearance lending itself to its theme.

After being batched, guests waited in a holding area for a Phalanx Operative to collect them. Upon collection, guests were walked to the maze’s entrance at the opposite end of the building and then directed into the facility and one of a number of chambers located around the perimeter of the first room. With the doors to all of the chambers sealed with magnetic locks, guests were left to watch a video explaining that they are set to be used by the Phalanx for their experiments involving the Nemesis younglings which are also housed in the same facility. As warnings appear and sirens begin to sound, the back doors to the chambers open, inviting guests to venture onwards into the facility.

Inside, guests explored a number of different rooms, with several different routes through the facility. Alongside scientific labs, guests could find themselves sent down a crawl tunnel, placed in isolation, traversing a ‘bridge’ above toxic green water, and even end up in a kitchen. One room also featured sliding cage doors that could be used to hold and separate guests prior to them entering the final sections of the maze. Also found within were the nests of the Nemesis younglings, seeing the return of the alien creatures that were found within former scare maze, Sub Species: The End Games. However, it was final rooms that were the most disorientating as a result of the use of intense strobes and haze, as more creatures stalk guests amongst the cages and scientific clutter, followed by a final encounter with taser-wielding Phalanx operatives.

Overall, COMPOUND was the closest that a Scarefest attraction has come to replicating the intensity of Sub Species: The End Games. Nonetheless, although the multiple routes boosted its repeatability, it did also result in inconsistent experiences for guests, but the maze as a whole was undoubtedly well-themed, with smells adding to the immersion.

Daz Games: Panic Reloaded was a new iteration of 2024’s headline addition, Daz Games: PANIC, and again represented a collaboration with YouTuber Daz Black. Billed as an experience where escape room met live action scare maze, the core objective remained unchanged: guests were required to tackle a series of challenges and locate their symbols. Guests are batched into the experience in groups of up to 40, with the first step being to collect a wristband containing a scannable chip and to enter a name. Everyone is then assigned a unique combination of two symbols.

It was in the pre-show where the changes to the storyline became evident, with Daz acknowledging that things didn’t exactly go to plan during Scarefest 2023 and so he’d therefore given it another go. Unfortunately a virus had found its way into the maze and so guests’ help was required to purge this from the system. To assist, Daz installed “Anti Vi”, an anti virus programme which took the physical form of an elderly woman within the maze. As a result, the experience had a slightly calmer start, with guests directed into the centre of the labyrinth by the Unrendered before the virus, appearing as neon-green zombie-like creatures, took hold and chaos ensued. There were some new symbols and tasks, along with the time available to escape being reduced from seven to six minutes. Whilst the attraction still lacked the immersive and detailed theming of other Scarefest attractions, it did feature an intense soundtrack and disorientating lighting which built as the timer counted down. Upon exiting the attraction, there were screens displaying leaderboards of the times that guests managed to successfully escape in, both from the last game and over the duration of Scarefest 2024. A dedicated merchandise stall was also located outside the exit.

Following its refresh for 2023, Altonville Mine Tours – Tiny’s Revenge returned as part of the Scarefest 2024 line-up with Tiny continuing to evade capture and believed to still reside within the Mines. Also back for its sixth Scarefest was The Attic: Terror of the Towers.

Free-flowing outdoor scare zone Burial Grounds also returned following its debut in 2023, remaining free to enter and open until 30 minutes after the ride close time.

Amigos in the Afterlife was the second new for 2024 attraction, being an interactive family walkthrough located in The Alton Towers Dungeon building. The entrance to the attraction was marked by a giant colourful skull, denoting it as the Land of the Dead. The walkthrough saw guests accidentally cross through a portal into the afterlife, encountering different characters in each scene, with the overall experience packed with UV effects, wonderful smells and lots of interactivity. The family walkthrough was a fun addition to Scarefest for both children and adults alike, heralding the arrival of a potential new Scarefest icon in Barry the Tequila Worm.

Trick O’ Treat Town returned for a fourth year, with this family friendly interactive walkthrough once again sponsored by HARIBO.

The family shows and entertainment were once again hosted on the Front Lawns stage. Scarefest 2024 saw two new Freaky Friends in Vampurr and Zombob! All seven characters featured in new versions of Patch’s Trick or Treat Party and Phil’s Halloween Dance Party. The entertainment line-up also featured a mix of live vocals and dance from Sin Bin, with this 2024’s show enhanced by the addition of fire effects! The food and beverage units seen on the Front Lawns during Oktoberfest were once again retained, making this area a combined food and entertainment hub.

The Alton Ancestors also made a return with an updated dance routine, roaming Towers Street in between performances and performing their ‘Final Haunt’ dance on the Front Lawn stage in the evening.

CBeebies Land joined in the Scarefest festivities for a seventh year with the CBeebies Land Monster Ball.

Towers Street was decorated with its traditional colourful bunting, as well as the ride-themed pumpkins and main Scarefest sign. At the top of Towers Street were new additions in the form of flags and small items of theming, along with the frog fountains receiving witches hats and capes. After its disappearance in 2023, the iconic, new-look hearse also made a welcome return, featuring all seven Freaky Friends. As darkness fell, The Towers were once again illuminated and retained the mist effects around its base added for 2023, with new additions in the form of spotlights.

As in the preceding years, there was no overnight or late night experience available during Scarefest 2024.

Over at the Resort’s accommodation there was a variety of entertainment suitable for guests of all ages, including live vocalists and magic shows.