More than £100,000 has been invested into updating a Halloween event’s attractions this year.
Screamfest at National Forest Adventure Farm attracts over 30,000 visitors to the attraction near Burton upon Trent every year.
New additions for 2025 include two walk-through scare zones and different twists to three of the six scare mazes.
Crazed clown maze Freakout has been transformed into a distorted reality with the launch of Freakout
Resurrected creating Screamfest’s biggest ever UV themed elements. Taking two weeks to complete, over 50 metres of UV illustrative designs have been added into Freakout Resurrected with all new glow in the dark clowns promising a frightening twist.
Tom Robinson, who has the run nighttime Screamfest event with his brother Ivor since 2012, said: “We are really excited about this year’s lineup for Screamfest. Every year we look to create something new to bring shocks and laughs to visitors and this year is no different.
“This year we have added new elements to each of our scares with a fun twist for Freakout Resurrected and new ending elements for Insomnia and Hellcatraz. With two new scare zones and new maze attraction Mutant Damnation it promises to be another frightfully fun year.”
All new prosthetics, costumes and sets have been created with the scare spread out over an acre of maize maze with three 830 sq ft walk throughs and 17 actors ready to jump out at visitors.
A claustrophobic tunnel has been added leaving guests struggling to escape the clutches of mutant plants taking over the genetically modified food plant in the maze.
Earlier this month, Screamfest invited journalism students from University of Derby to visit, providing a chance to practise their interviewing and feature writing skills.
They were also given an insight into how the team of professional special effects artists create each of the actors’ looks with handcrafted prosthetics, fake blood and body spray paint and were told how the fil-style sets are crafted.
Ivor, who regularly travels to America’s largest scream park convention Transworld for ideas, said: “As a family-run farm attraction, we have always been very passionate about helping to support students and young people to develop their skills.
“Screamfest is an experience like no other, so it is great to be able to share our knowledge and let future generations of journalists get a glimpse into what goes in to creating Halloween fright nights full of fun and shocks each year.”
Screamfest, which is not recommended for under 16s, runs on selected dates until Saturday, 1 November, with tickets starting from £32 (plus a £1.50 booking fee).
The event also features live music, extreme fright acts, flash mob dances, fairground rides, street food stalls and a licensed bar, with fire breathers and walkabout actors.
Click here for more information about dates, attractions and ticket options.
