Wicked Manors 2026: Tickets, Costumes, and Halloween in Wilton Manors

This year’s theme is “Masquerade of Mayhem.” The Pride Center at Equality Park produces the Halloween fundraiser with the City of Wilton Manors. It has been an annual event since 2007.

The organizer’s website and city calendar list October 31, 2026, from 6 to 11 p.m. The linked ticket listing currently says 5 to 11 p.m. Confirm the opening time before making a tightly timed arrival plan.

The ticketed festival runs along Wilton Drive from Northeast 21st Court to North Dixie Highway at Five Points. The organizer’s About page lists a Main Stage and a North Stage. This is a street party, and you can have a great night without entering a club. We often spend much of the evening walking the Drive, looking at costumes, and dancing outside.

It is a big night in a small city. In 2024, Local 10 reported an expected crowd of around 30,000 people. If you want a quiet Halloween outing with an easy exit from a crowd, this is a hard sell. If you love the moment when someone rounds the corner in a costume more clever than anything you could have imagined, you’re in the right place.

The official ticket page lists three tiers. Prices include processing fees and were checked September 30, 2026. General admission covers street entry for one guest age 12 or older: $14.52 through September 30, then $17.71 beginning October 1. It is the straightforward choice if you mainly want the festival itself.

Premium is for guests 21 or older. It adds five official Wicked drink tickets, excluding gratuity, to street entry. The total is $39.01 through September 30 and $46.47 beginning October 1. Those tickets are for official festival drinks, not a promise of drinks at private bars.

VIP is also 21 or older. It costs $134.86 through September 30 and $145.51 beginning October 1. It includes street entry and an air-conditioned lounge at the Shoppes of Wilton Manors, 2282 Wilton Drive, with light bites, seating, a DJ, and a full open bar from 6 to 11 p.m. We have tried VIP through friends’ work; being able to cool off inside was its most useful feature for us.

The event runs rain or shine, and tickets are nonrefundable. Check the live prices before you buy.

Photo: Mark Krasner.

People go all out. We have seen costumes that were extremely elaborate, sexy, ridiculous, or all three. One of our favorites was the year Béatus and I dressed as botched plastic surgery patients. You do not need a costume that took months to make, but dressing up helps you feel part of the night.

The 2026 ticket listing advertises a children’s and family costume contest at 6:30 p.m. and adult contests at 8:30 p.m., with theme, group, and sexiest-costume categories. Check the latest schedule before heading for a contest.

There is plenty to enjoy without a club stop. We often spend the evening people-watching and moving between the stage areas. The street can get packed, though, and a line at an entrance or bar can eat into the night. We have waited in long queues even around our usual early-evening arrival window. We don’t know a reliably line-free time to promise you.

We’ve seen families earlier in past years. Plan an early visit with children: the ticket terms ask minors to leave by 8 p.m., while the posted code of conduct says everyone under 21 must leave then. Follow the stricter posted rule and confirm the current age policy before bringing anyone under 21.

Photo: Mark Krasner.

Go as far with the costume as you like, then make sure you can walk in it. The festival covers several blocks, and standing is part of the night. Comfortable shoes are a sensible choice. If your outfit is revealing, check the actual rule: the official Q&A prohibits nudity.

Bring a photo ID, your ticket, and a small bag. Organizers say bags are searched, and guests pass through metal detectors. A clear bag can be no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches; a nonclear bag can be no larger than 5 by 7 inches. Outside alcohol and weapons are prohibited. Check the full Q&A before carrying a costume prop that could be mistaken for a weapon.

The official policy welcomes ADA service animals but does not allow pets or emotional support animals.

Driving straight toward Wilton Drive on Halloween is a frustrating way to begin. The organizer’s Getting Here page says Wilton Drive closes from Northeast 20th Street to Five Points at 9 a.m. October 31 and reopens at 4 a.m. November 1. This closure extends beyond the ticketed festival footprint. Check your route before you leave, even if you have dinner plans nearby.

The Pride Center at Equality Park, 2040 North Dixie Highway, lists event parking at $26.31 per vehicle including fees. City parking is listed at Richardson Park, 1937 Wilton Drive, and City Hall, 2020 Wilton Drive, where ADA parking is available. City spaces are limited and use a cashless app or QR code. Check the official parking page before choosing a lot.

Rideshare may spare you the search for parking, but allow for a walk between your car or ride and the festival. The road closures affect pickup as well as arrival.

The ticket listing shows entrances at Northeast 21st Court and Wilton Drive by City Hall; Northeast 23rd Street and Northeast Sixth Avenue; Northeast 26th Street and Wilton Drive at Five Points; and Wilton Drive and Northeast Seventh Avenue. Check those gate maps against any later transportation updates rather than assuming your usual route onto the Drive will be open.

Photo: Mark Krasner.

We usually arrive hungry because street food has been part of past Wicked Manors nights. Past editions have had Venezuelan food, burgers, and tacos. If you need a sure dinner plan, eat before entry or check the Wilton Manors restaurant guide for nearby options. Verify Halloween hours directly with the restaurant.

Official entry points and festival street bars are cashless, according to the event Q&A. Bring a card or a charged phone. Private bars and restaurants set their own payment rules.

The Drive’s bars can be a second part of the night. In past years, we have gone to The Manor and sometimes found it easier to get a drink there than at a street bar. The Manor has also admitted guests without a separate cover in past years. Check The Manor’s current listings and 2026 Halloween policy before counting on that; a festival ticket does not promise entry to a private club. Our gay bars guide can help you get oriented to the neighborhood.

We like getting to the area early enough to see costumes before the night is at its busiest. We usually aim for roughly 5 to 7 p.m., while there is still some light and the heat has eased. With this year’s opening time listed differently across official pages, check the latest entry information first. Allow time for traffic, security, and a possible line, then take the first lap without a rigid schedule. You will spot costumes you would miss if you hurried from one bar to the next.

As of September 30, organizers had not confirmed the 2026 performer and vendor lists, rideshare points, or restroom map. Check the official event site and Getting Here page before you leave. Those updates may shape where you enter, eat, and meet your ride afterward.

For us, the best part is still the crowd’s imagination. Some years the volume of people is the drawback. Go for the street spectacle, give yourself an exit plan, and treat any club stop as an extra. For another night on the Drive, browse Wilton Manors events.