10 Spooky Horror Podcasts to Listen to This Halloween

These thrilling podcasts are not for the faint of heart...

If you've seen every slasher and paranormal horror movie ever made and are hungry for more, now is the time to dip your toes in the thrilling world of horror fiction podcasts.

There's something for every persuasion: ghosts, witches, werewolves, haunted houses, plus a plethora of terrifying non-fiction podcasts for when made-up stories just aren't scary enough.

Here are ten spooky horror podcasts to listen to at Halloween (or when you just need a good scare).

1. The Black Tapes

Join journalist Alex Reagan as she investigates Dr. Richard Strand, a lifelong skeptic who aims to debunk paranormal claims. As Alex uncovers Strand’s mysterious history and his archive of unsolved cases – the "black tapes" – she encounters a maze of occult symbols, unsettling audio, and unexplainable events. Each episode unravels another layer of intrigue, blending skepticism with spine-chilling experiences that will make you wonder: could it all be real?

2. The Battersea Poltergeist

In 1956, a seemingly ordinary house at 63 Wycliffe Road in Battersea, South London, became the centre of a terrifying poltergeist phenomenon. The family was plagued by loud bangs day and night, followed by objects inexplicably flying across rooms. Spontaneous fires erupted, and, eerily, messages began appearing on the walls. The Battersea Poltergeist melds drama and documentary as Danny Robins revisits this chilling paranormal cold case through his contemporary investigation.

3. Haunted Places

Do you want to explore haunted houses without stepping out of your room? Every Thursday, join Greg Polcyn as he guides listeners through a new haunted location, uncovering its haunting history filled with tragedy and darkness. Discover the lives – and deaths – of those who once inhabited these eerie places. Plus, check out the bonus series, Urban Legends, where folklore comes alive with chilling stories of albino alligators lurking in sewers, swarms of writhing rats, and a cursed painting of a weeping child that will keep you awake at night.

4. Welcome to Night Vale

This addictive fiction podcast has developed a cult following since launching in 2012. The series offers community updates from the fictional desert town of Night Vale. You'll hear local weather, news, and announcements from the Sherif's Secret Police about mysterious lights in the night sky and mysterious figures with unknowable powers. In Night Vale, paranormal and supernatural occurrences are commonplace, making it even scarier for listeners. Throughout the show's almost 200 episodes, guest stars have included Retta (Good Girls, Parks and Recreation), Mara Wilson (Matilda), Wil Wheaton (The Big Bang Theory, Star Trek: The Next Generation) and more.

5. Alice Isn't Dead

The premise of this spooky fiction podcast is that you're listening to the audio diaries of a truck driver who is searching for her wife, Alice, who she had presumed was dead but discovers may be alive. Throughout the limited series, you hear about all of the narrator's mysterious encounters and paranormal encounters – serial murders who don't seem totally human, small towns where time works differently, and a conspiracy that may be connected to Alice's disappearance.

6. Lore

This award-winning horror podcast focusses on true stories, arguably making it that much scarier than any fiction podcast. Each episode focusses on a different scary story from history: vampires, witches, ghosts, possessions, sea monsters and more. Airing twice weekly and hosted by Aaron Mahnke (who launched 13 Days of Halloween this year), Lore is a must-listen if you love learning about folklore and mythology history.

7. The NoSleep Podcast

It's hard to say what's scarier: reading Reddit's spooky 'NoSleep' subreddit or listening to The NoSleep Podcast. This anthology fiction podcast is based on the popular online forum, created and produced by Redditors themselves. Since launching in 2011, the podcast has released hundreds of episodes, attracted high profile guest actors such as Elijah Wood, and gone on national tours across the US and the UK.

8. Limetown

Limetown follows the reporting of fictional radio journalist Lia Haddock, who investigates the disappearance of some 300 people at a neuroscience research facility in rural Tennessee. It's kind of a cross between Serial and The X-Files, and has even been adapted for TV by Facebook Watch with Jessica Biel in the lead role.

9. The Last Podcast on the Left

This is a horror podcast for true horror fans. The Last Podcast on the Left covers all manner of real-life spooky happenings, promising to "laugh into the abyss that is the dark side of humanity" – serial killers, conspiracy theories, UFO sightings, ghosts and more.

10. 13 Days of Halloween

This fiction podcast comes from the creator of Lore, the popular non-fiction horror podcast that you can read about below. 13 Days of Halloween is set in the mysterious Hawthorne Manor, with each episode telling a different scary story about one of the boarding house residents. This spooky podcast is narrated by a man known only as the Caretaker, voiced by actor Keegan-Michael Key, and is full of ghost stories that will get you into the Halloween spirit no matter what month it is.