Tesco is giving away free pre-carved pumpkins at 10 selected UK stores between October 22 and 31, offering shoppers a Halloween-ready pumpkin without the carving effort. The giveaway follows research showing that just over a third (36%) of Brits would appreciate help with pumpkin design.
Free Pre-Carved Pumpkins at Selected Stores
Each store will have the pumpkins available for one afternoon only, with two designs to choose from: the Eclipse and the classic Halloween jack o' lantern. The pumpkins are carved by Tesco's own pumpkin artists in residence.
The full list of participating stores includes Tesco Risca Extra on Thursday, October 22; Tesco Cheltenham Superstore on Friday, October 23; Tesco New Oscott Extra on Saturday, October 24; Tesco Nottingham Top Valley Extra on Sunday, October 25; Tesco Sheffield Extra on Monday, October 26; Tesco Stockport Extra on Tuesday, October 27; Tesco York Tadcaster Road Extra on Wednesday, October 28; Tesco Middlesbrough Coulby Newham on Thursday, October 29; Tesco Newcastle Upon Tyne Extra on Friday, October 30; and Tesco Edinburgh Corstorphine Extra on Saturday, October 31.
Why Tesco Is Offering the Giveaway
Tesco's research found that more than a quarter (28%) of Brits felt pressure to carve a pumpkin good enough to display proudly on their doorstep, while a third (33%) want their decorations to look as good as their neighbours'. Lack of carving skills (26%), the mess pumpkin carving creates (19%), and not feeling creative enough (19%) are putting a dampener on Halloween plans.
Additionally, more than three-quarters of parents (78%) agreed they loved seeing their children's creativity come to life, but more than a third (37%) admitted they would rather have a more polished pumpkin on their doorstep.
2026 Cultural Moments as Pumpkin Art
Tesco is also transforming some of the year's biggest cultural moments into pumpkin art with professional carvers. The four limited-edition designs, which took over 50 hours to sketch, are inspired by moments Brits couldn't stop talking about, based on new Tesco research.
The designs include The Eclipse (38% of Brits captivated), the Bayeux Tapestry (37%, with 58% agreeing it is of great historical importance), Artemis II (31%, with a fifth admitting they still dream of becoming an astronaut), and the summer's biggest football tournament (62%, with 53% saying the communal viewing experience made it memorable).
For shoppers who prefer to carve their own pumpkins, Tesco has a range available this Halloween, from mini munchkin pumpkins to classic large pumpkins starting at just 55p. The supermarket also offers costumes, decorations, sweets, and party food for Halloween celebrations.
