Rugby's October half term is 26 to 30 October. A free Halloween trail in Caldecott Park, a circus at the Benn Hall, and free literary festival workshops.
Checked 25 September 2026. October half term in Rugby runs from Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 at Warwickshire schools. The week opens with the Rugby Literary Festival’s free family day on the Sunday before, and has a free Halloween trail in Caldecott Park on the Wednesday and Thursday.
The quick answer
- Half term: Monday 26 to Friday 30 October. Lawrence Sheriff also closes on Friday 23 October. Rugby School and Bilton Grange are off from 16 or 17 October to 1 November.
- Free: the Mischief and Magic Trail in Caldecott Park, 28 and 29 October, 12 noon to 4pm, and literary festival children’s workshops at the Benn Hall on Sunday 25 October.
- Ticketed: Trick and Treat Circus Live at the Benn Hall, Tuesday 27 October, 1.30pm, £13.
School by school dates are on our term dates page.
What’s on, day by day
Every listing below is from the organiser’s page or from The Rugby Town, the council’s visitor site, checked on 25 September.
| Date | Event | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 24 Oct | Literary Festival Book Fair, 10am to 3.30pm | Rugby Library | Free |
| Sat 24 to Sat 31 Oct | Calendar Girls The Musical, 7.30pm (no show Mon 26; 2.30pm matinees Sun 25 and Sat 31) | Rugby Theatre | £25 |
| Sun 25 Oct | Literary Festival Family Day, 11am to 4pm | Benn Hall | Free |
| Tue 27 Oct | Trick and Treat Circus Live, 1.30pm | Benn Hall | £13 |
| Wed 28 Oct | Wind in the Willows | Macready Theatre, Rugby School | Not yet listed |
| Wed 28 and Thu 29 Oct | Mischief and Magic Trail, 12 noon to 4pm | Caldecott Park | Not yet listed |
| Fri 30 Oct | K-Pop Icons, 7pm | Benn Hall | £19.50 |
| Fri 30 Oct | Halloween Quiz Night (18+), 7.30pm | Rugby Library | £5 plus fee |
| Sat 31 Oct | Halloween candle making with afternoon tea, 5pm | Izzy Loops | £69 |
| Sun 1 Nov | Diwali Celebration, 2pm to 7pm | Town centre | Free |
The free things
Mischief and Magic Trail, Caldecott Park, Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October, 12 noon to 4pm. Billed as the town’s Halloween celebrations, with “seasonal activities, festive decorations, and plenty of Halloween fun for the whole family”. The listing says more information is coming, so what the trail involves, and whether any part is charged, is not yet published.
Rugby Literary Festival, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October. The festival’s weekend falls just before half term, and nearly everything in it is free.
- Book Fair, Saturday, 10am to 3.30pm at Rugby Library, with more than 20 author stands (listing)
- Writer’s Block Escape Room at the library on the Saturday, 10am and 11am sessions, ages 7 and up
- Family Day at the Benn Hall on the Sunday: a drop-in book cover drawing workshop with artist Aish from 11am to 4pm for all ages; storytelling and crafts with author Tanya Rosie (ages 3 to 7, 11am); Animal Tales sessions at 11am and 2pm (ages 7 to 11); a read aloud with author Rosie Pickering at 2pm (ages 3 to 7); and a superhero workshop for 5 to 7 year olds. Children must be with a parent or guardian
Diwali Celebration, Sunday 1 November, 2pm to 7pm, town centre. Free entry. The organisers were still asking for stallholders and performers when we checked, so the programme is not out.
Tickets worth booking now
- Trick and Treat Circus Live, Benn Hall, Tuesday 27 October at 1.30pm, £13. An hour-long, “scare-free” Halloween show mixing circus and pantomime, aimed at young children
- K-Pop Icons, Benn Hall, Friday 30 October at 7pm, £19.50, rated PG. An interactive show with digital avatar characters, dancers and songs from BLACKPINK, BTS and the Demon Hunters groups Saja Boys and Huntr/x
- Calendar Girls The Musical, Rugby Theatre, 24 to 31 October, £25 with concessions. The theatre advises parental guidance for younger audiences, as the show contains brief partial nudity and themes of illness and grief
- Halloween Quiz Night, Rugby Library, Friday 30 October, 7.30pm to 9.30pm, doors 7pm. Adults only, £5 a head plus a booking fee, teams of up to six, booking essential through Eventbrite
Still to be announced
- Wind in the Willows on Wednesday 28 October and Pizza and Jazz with Frankie Lee and the Casuals on Friday 30 October are listed for the Macready Theatre programme at Rugby School, with details “coming soon”
- The Mischief and Magic Trail’s full programme
The week after
Bonfire Night falls the following weekend. Our fireworks page has what is confirmed for the Rugby Round Table display and the smaller displays around the borough.
More for families: school term dates, things to do in Rugby, parking in Rugby and roadworks and travel.
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