Dark rumours are circulating that The City Market at Mary’s Lane has been possessed by nightmarish characters.
The Nightmare Realm, which was awarded as the most entertaining Halloween experience in Ireland last year, is moving to the famous 130-year-old Victorian red brick building in inner Dublin city this October. The freaky and fun event will be twice the size with a new show and lots of surprises, so you’re in for a scare festival experience like never before.
Get ready for spine-tingling Urban Horror at its best with shocks and scares, dazzling special effects, immersive scenery, live actors, and FIVE terrifying new mazes, including The Haunted Orphanage, The Sewers, Cannibals Playground, Attack of the Clowns, and Death Row. The return of the Museum of Horrors will give horror fans the chance to fully immerse themselves into infamous scenes from films they love in a completely new way.
Adding to the ‘deadly’ buzz is the new addition of Halloween Town, a fun horror-village festival zone with a food court and dance stage, giving visitors the freedom to explore the haunts one by one and to ‘chill out’ in between.
At this year’s Nightmare Realm Urban Horror, you’ll be faced with your worst fears, with everything from demonic clowns to chainsaw-wielding maniacs, creepy children, sick games, flesh eaters, and rat-infested cells.
With animatronics, special effects, secret rooms and surprises along the way, it’s full-on fear factor. Plus, it’s not scripted and the passages change, so if you visit again, you won’t get exactly the same experience twice!
The event will also feature Ireland’s first 3D binaural experience, where you can settle down and get comfortable in the dark, using only sound and your imagination to encounter The Nightmare Realm’s take on the classic Irish ghost story – the Legend of The Banshee.
Commenting on this years’ experience, Creative Director and Founder Karl O Connor said, “The Nightmare Realm has been a life-long passion and I can’t wait for this exciting new phase in such an incredible old Victorian building. I started the Realm in 2009 when Halloween wasn’t really a big deal in Ireland, and it’s been like a freight train since, expanding, developing and challenging everyone involved. We pride ourselves on being original and entertaining.”
The nightmare realm employs almost 100 actors, prosthetic and make-up artists, set creators, sound and light engineers, and support staff to create mind-altering experiences that keep people screaming for more.
Many celebrities have visited the event over the years including Brooklyn Beckham, Little Mix, Hollywood star from hit Netflix fantasy series Sweet Tooth, Christian Convery and Chloe Moretz.
The Nightmare Realm opens on the 7th October and runs for 20 nights until the 2nd of November. Tickets, which are priced from €22 to €36 (depending on the ticket type and day) are now on sale at thenightmarerealm.ie. There’s also an early bird offer with 15% off on off-peak days all October using the discount code SPOOKY15. Be warned, peak times sell out quickly. Best rates are available online and booking fees apply. Due to the frightening nature of the attractions, the age recommendation is 13+. The event is wheelchair accessible but not suitable for a mobility scooter.
The City Market, at Mary’s Lane , Dublin 7 (also known as the Fruit and Vegetable Market) has been closed since 2019. Dublin City Council supports this temporary use of the building while it puts measures in place for refurbishment. Richard Shakespeare Assistant City Manager said, “The provision of such a unique attraction to this area of the city and the resulting footfall and animation of the area is most welcome”. It is just a one-minute walk from the Fourcourts Luas stop a two-minute walk from Henry Street.
