This week's new events

Samhuinn, Edinburgh While most of the UK is donning their Scream, Dracula or Andrew Lansley masks, many of those in Edinburgh will be marking the Celtic New Year in the Samhuinn procession. The torchlit festival features dance, drums, storytellers and costumed marchers, providing a spectacle that is more Day Of The Dead than Rocky Horror Show. The Royal Mile takes you back in time and really gets you into the spirit of the occasion, as pagans, performers and revellers wave off summer with fire and acrobatics. The festivities continue with drumming, DJs and live music at an afterparty at the Bongo Club. Begins Castle Hill, Mon, see beltane.org Iain Aitch Dialogue Festival, London So many literary festivals, so little thought. Far, far too much Duncan Bannatyne and Ann Widdecombe. So we wept salt tears when we heard about Dialogue, a tightly curated comedy and conversation-oriented four-nighter. Look out for a live tweet-off at a Technobabble Night also featuring Richard Herring and The Guide's Josie Long, Debate Night with Robin Ince and Literary Death Match, plus appearances from John Cooper Clarke and Francesca Martinez. Now we're – er – talking. Various venues, W10/W11, dialogue.firstdirect.com Stuart Goodwin Wunderbar Festival, Newcastle upon Tyne High jinks meets highbrow at a festival delivering installations, performances and games that focus on breaking down the artist-audience boundary in playful, interactive fashion. Live out your directing dreams with Segueway, brave drum choirs and burger-cooking classes with a Jamie Oliver-esque experiment in child-led schooling, or roll the night away at Desk Chair Disco. For those after something more cerebral, Market Forces' popcorn-fuelled exploration of capitalism and Monica Ross's sign-language interpretation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights offer ample opportunities for chin-stroking. Various venues, Mon to 7 Nov, wunderbarfestival.co.uk Colette Bernhardt Out & about Tar Barrels , Ottery St Mary, Saturday & 5 November The annual carnival procession kicks off his centuries-old tradition, followerd by the fiery finale next weekend. Various venues Dundee Science Festival , Saturday to 13 November Highlights include a spoof lecture in zombie science, plus dancing robots and a talk about "the science behind hair". Various venues Halloween Lantern Carnival , Liverpool, Sunday Light, frights and much more at this free event with over 150 performers. Sefton Park Aldeburgh Poetry Festival , Friday to 6 November Roger McGough and Pulitzer-winning former US poet laureate Robert Hass are the big draws. Various venues Folkestone Book Festival , Friday to 12 November Radio 4 legend Nicholas Parsons is the highlight of day one, with Johnny Ball, Barry Cryer, Mitch Benn and Tristram Hunt following next weekend. Various venues