Strictly Come Dancing’s Halloween special has a complete musical line-up, with 11 couples preparing for Saturday 31 October. The selections range from familiar supernatural favourites to songs whose connection with the theme may depend more on their staging. For viewers planning their evening, the useful information is who is dancing, which style they have and what music will accompany it.
This is a preview of announced routines, not a report of performances or results. Cosmopolitan’s 30 October list and Entertainment Focus’s updated Week 6 guide agree on the pairings below. The table is arranged alphabetically by celebrity; it is not a confirmed running order.
The full Halloween Week line-up
| Couple | Dance | Music |
|---|---|---|
| Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu | Jive | I’m in Love With a Monster — Fifth Harmony |
| Cach Mercer and Maddie Ingoldsby | Argentine Tango | Pas de Deux — Michael Abels |
| Dani Dyer and Nikita Kuzmin | Viennese Waltz | My Favourite Things — Rodgers and Hammerstein |
| Delta Goodrem and Kai Widdrington | Viennese Waltz | Unchained Melody — The Righteous Brothers |
| Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley | Samba | Coconut — Harry Nilsson |
| Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu | Salsa | Filthy/Gorgeous — Scissor Sisters |
| John Nellis and Katya Jones | Tango | Dance — Slayyyter |
| Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola | Charleston | Crazy Stupid Love — Cheryl featuring Tinie Tempah |
| Lawrence Robb and Jowita Przystał | Tango | Ghostbusters — Ray Parker Jr. |
| Tabby Stoecker and Mark Karmalita | Quickstep | Black Magic — Little Mix |
| Will Best and Dianne Buswell | Couple’s Choice | Nu Flow — Big Brovaz |
When to watch the Halloween special
The BBC’s current series information gives a 6.30pm UK start on Saturday 31 October on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Its Halloween information identifies the same 11 remaining couples and explains that song and dance announcements have been made through Strictly: It Takes Two. The broadcaster’s listing is the primary reference for the start time.
Because this is advance information, the titles should be read as planned selections. A playlist does not establish the final television arrangement, the precise staging or how successfully a couple will perform. Those details become part of the programme when it airs.
Analysis: the repeated dance styles are worth noticing
There are two Viennese Waltzes and two Tangos, but they come with different musical starting points. That offers viewers a chance to compare how separate partnerships interpret the same broad style without expecting identical performances. The contrast may be in mood, pace of storytelling or the way the choreography responds to the arrangement.
The selection also puts different kinds of Halloween association alongside one another. Ghostbusters and Black Magic signal the theme directly through their titles. Other choices leave more room for costume, setting and presentation to establish the connection. It would be premature to describe a specific character, outfit or horror-film reference unless the production has actually revealed it.
What to watch beyond the song title
A useful approach is to listen for the relationship between the music and the movement. Does the routine make a change in the arrangement feel significant? Does a theatrical pause help the dance develop, or simply stop it? Those questions work across the varied styles in the list without pretending that one standard applies identically to every dance.
The two Tangos can be watched with that comparison in mind, while Will and Dianne’s Couple’s Choice supplies a different kind of choreographic proposition. The announcement identifies its music, but it does not provide enough detail to assign a particular story or predict its reception.
Keep the playlist separate from predictions
The BBC has already explained the special results format for Halloween Week. That context raises the stakes, but it cannot tell us which of these routines will succeed. No score, finishing position or elimination follows automatically from a song selection.
For Saturday, the list is best used as a viewing companion: find the couples you want to follow, note the styles that repeat and see how the performances turn those musical choices into something individual. The results will come from the programme itself.