The ESO Witches Festival 2026 is back, bringing double XP, spooky quests, Plunder Skulls, Trade Bars, and exclusive Halloween rewards to The Elder Scrolls Online. Whether you're joining for the first time or returning for another year, this guide explains how to start the event, complete The Witchmother's Bargain, unlock special activities, and make the most of everything the festival offers.
Check out some of our most popular The Elder Scrolls Online services:
The Witches Festival is a limited-time Halloween celebration in The Elder Scrolls Online. During the event, players receive additional rewards for defeating eligible bosses, gain extra experience, and participate in special quests.
Unlike events that require you to concentrate on one particular zone, the Witches Festival encourages you to explore different parts of Tamriel.
You can participate while completing dungeons, exploring delves, fighting world bosses, or enjoying other eligible activities.
The festival also introduces unique encounters and collectibles that aren't normally available through regular gameplay.
The event runs from October 21, 2026, until November 4, 2026.
It officially began on October 21 at 10 AM Eastern Time.
During this period, players can enjoy:
100% bonus experience. All characters receive an automatic experience bonus while the event is active. This makes the festival especially useful for leveling characters and earning Champion Points.
Plunder Skulls. Eligible bosses provide Halloween-themed reward containers filled with materials, recipes, collectibles, and other surprises.
Dremora Plunder Skulls. These special legendary-quality containers offer opportunities to obtain additional rewards, including outfit style pages.
Trade Bars. Players can collect this event currency and spend it on exclusive collectibles and fragments through participating event merchants.
Special event quests. Two repeatable festival quests let players challenge the Crowborne Horror and Lord Hollowjack.
New and returning cosmetics. The 2026 festival features the Zhekleg outfit style alongside returning seasonal collectibles and fragments for special rewards.
You don't have to participate in every activity to benefit from the event.
Even defeating a single qualifying boss can earn valuable festival rewards, while the passive XP bonus benefits you throughout your adventures.
Starting the festival is straightforward, although first-time players must complete a short introductory quest to unlock one of its signature collectibles.
Open the in-game Crown Store and navigate to the Quest Starters section.
Look for the free quest called The Witchmother's Bargain and claim it.
Don't worry about spending Crowns. The introductory event quest is free.
Alternatively, you can travel directly to Olyve's Brewery in one of these three base-game zones:
Auridon. A convenient choice for players adventuring through Aldmeri Dominion territory.
Glenumbra. Accessible to players exploring Daggerfall Covenant areas.
Stonefalls. A suitable starting point for characters visiting Ebonheart Pact territory.
The quest introduces you to Witchmother Olyve, the mysterious character responsible for welcoming adventurers into the festivities.
Once you have accepted the quest, follow its objectives to complete the introduction.
The Witchmother's Bargain requires several ingredients before you can complete the ritual.
You will need:
Pumpkin. This ingredient can be obtained through normal gameplay or purchased from other players when available. If you already have one in your inventory, check whether it satisfies the quest objective before searching for another.
Guts. Another required ingredient that can be obtained through gameplay or trading. You may already have some from previous adventures.
Essence of Death. This special quest item is obtained by defeating a delve boss. Enter an accessible delve, locate its boss, and defeat it to obtain the required essence.
If you're missing Pumpkin or Guts, check guild traders or ask guildmates before spending a long time searching.
For Essence of Death, choose a base-game delve that you can complete comfortably.
You don't need to challenge a difficult group dungeon or world boss for this objective.
Important: If a delve is affected by an unusual event-specific invasion or other special encounter, its boss may not provide the required Essence of Death. Choose a normal, unaffected delve if the quest item doesn't appear.
Once you've collected the required ingredients, return to the quest location and speak with Witchmother Olyve.
Complete the remaining quest objectives to receive the Witchmother's Whistle.
This collectible is one of the event's most recognizable features.
You can find it in the Tools section of your Collections menu.
Activate the Witchmother's Whistle from your Collections menu.
Doing so summons the Witchmother's Cauldron.
Interact with the cauldron and drink its mysterious brew to temporarily transform your character into a skeleton.
It's a fun way to celebrate Halloween while exploring Tamriel.
The transformation is primarily cosmetic, but the whistle and cauldron are also relevant to certain Witches Festival achievements.
One important detail: the cauldron cannot be summoned in Cyrodiil.
No.
If you've completed The Witchmother's Bargain during a previous Witches Festival, you don't need to repeat the introductory quest to obtain the whistle again.
Your Witchmother's Whistle should already be available in Collections.
This means returning players can get straight into the festival activities without repeating the introduction.
No, and this is an important change from how some players remember older versions of the festival.
The 100% experience bonus is applied automatically during the 2026 event.
You don't need to activate the whistle, drink from the cauldron, or remain transformed into a skeleton to receive the XP bonus.
You can still complete the introductory quest for its collectible and achievements, but don't confuse that optional transformation with the experience bonus.
With so many activities available, it can be difficult to decide what deserves your attention.
The smartest approach is to focus on the rewards and activities that match your goals instead of trying to complete everything.
Begin with The Witchmother's Bargain so you can experience the event introduction and unlock the whistle.
Afterward, explore a nearby delve and defeat its boss.
This introduces you to the Plunder Skull reward system without requiring complicated group content.
Once you're comfortable, consider joining other players for event quests.
Pay attention to your Dremora Plunder Skulls and Trade Bars.
These provide access to some of the festival's most desirable rewards.
Check the Impresario's inventory before spending your currency so you understand which items are available.
Continue activities that provide good experience while taking advantage of the passive 100% bonus.
You don't need to abandon your usual progression just because the festival is active.
Combining normal character development with event rewards is often more enjoyable than forcing yourself to repeat one activity.
Consider exploring different boss categories and completing the special festival encounters.
This allows you to collect a wider selection of Dremora Plunder Skulls while participating in challenging group content.
The best approach is to choose a clear objective and let the festival reward you for working toward it.
Plunder Skulls are special reward containers obtained during the festival.
They are one of the biggest reasons players participate in the Witches Festival because they provide extra loot from activities that many players already enjoy.
There are two main types.
Regular Plunder Skulls are epic-quality reward containers that can appear when you defeat qualifying bosses.
Their rewards can include:
Alchemy reagents and useful materials.
Halloween-themed furnishing items.
Special furnishing recipes.
Festival provisioning recipes.
Seasonal style items.
Other event-related treasures.
These containers can be collected repeatedly throughout the event.
There is no overall daily cap on regular Plunder Skulls.
That makes them useful for players who enjoy running dungeons, participating in group activities, or repeatedly defeating eligible bosses.
However, regular overworld enemies are not the same as eligible bosses.
Simply defeating hundreds of ordinary enemies doesn't guarantee Plunder Skulls.
Dremora Plunder Skulls are the more valuable legendary-quality version of the event reward container.
You can obtain them from the first qualifying boss you defeat in each eligible boss category each day.
These rewards are limited by category and account, rather than giving a new legendary skull for every boss kill.
This distinction matters.
For example, defeating multiple delve bosses doesn't award a new Dremora Plunder Skull each time after you've already claimed that category's reward.
Further qualifying kills provide regular Plunder Skulls instead.
Dremora Plunder Skulls can contain additional rewards such as Dremora style pages, Glenmoril Wyrd items, and the new Zhekleg outfit style pages.
The event supports a wide range of boss activities.
Eligible categories include:
Delve bosses. A good option for newer players and anyone wanting a relatively accessible boss encounter.
Public dungeon bosses. Useful for players who enjoy exploring larger open dungeon areas.
World bosses. Stronger outdoor enemies that may require assistance from other players.
Group dungeon final bosses. These reward players completing eligible dungeon runs.
Trial final bosses. Suitable for organized groups participating in larger PvE encounters.
Arena final bosses. Relevant to players completing arena content.
Invasion bosses. Certain world-event encounters, including qualifying incursion activities, count toward festival rewards.
Tho'at Replicanum in the Infinite Archive. This encounter provides another eligible reward category.
The festival's two special bosses also offer their own Dremora Plunder Skull rewards through their associated quests.
Together, players can obtain up to 10 legendary Dremora Plunder Skulls per day, provided they complete all qualifying categories and both special event quests.
This limit was confirmed by the ESO team after an early announcement contained incorrect wording.
You don't need to collect all 10 to enjoy the event. Focus on the activities you can complete comfortably.
Trade Bars are another important part of the 2026 Witches Festival.
They allow you to purchase certain collectibles and reward fragments from event merchants.
During the Witches Festival, defeating your first qualifying boss of the day awards 300 Trade Bars.
This is a daily account-level reward, not an additional 300 Trade Bars for every character you switch to.
Be sure to loot the defeated boss and collect the reward.
If you're only interested in obtaining your available Trade Bars, you don't need to clear every boss category.
A single qualifying boss encounter can be enough.
The Impresario is one of the main merchants accepting Trade Bars during the event.
Her inventory contains seasonal cosmetics and collectible fragments.
Instead of purchasing everything immediately, inspect the available rewards and decide which ones interest you.
Some collectibles are assembled from multiple fragments, while certain outfit style pages can be purchased individually.
One common mistake is spending event currency without realizing that a desired collectible needs several separate components.
Always check the full requirements before committing your Trade Bars.
Apart from the introductory quest, the Witches Festival offers two important repeatable quests.
Both lead to special boss encounters and additional rewards.
These quests can be completed once per day per character, although the normal account-wide limits on boss-category Dremora Skulls still apply.
Plucking the Crow is a special quest associated with the Crowborne Horror.
Speak to Witchmother Taerma, who can be found at Olyve's Brewery and participating Impresario locations.
The quest involves collecting 30 Cursed Feathers.
These feathers are obtained through Plunder Skulls, meaning you can work toward the objective while defeating eligible bosses throughout Tamriel.
After collecting enough feathers, return to the event location and follow the quest objectives to prepare an effigy and perform the required ritual.
This eventually opens the way to the Crowborne Horror, a special boss encountered in Evergloam.
Although experienced players may be able to handle difficult content with specialized builds, the encounter is intended for group participation.
Bringing other players makes the fight more manageable.
Completing the quest rewards a special Dremora Plunder Skull associated with the Crowborne Horror.
The Lord of Fear is the second special festival quest.
You can begin it by speaking with Priest Maxien Roudille at Olyve's Brewery.
The quest leads toward an encounter with Lord Hollowjack, one of the festival's most memorable enemies.
Players undertaking the introduction may need to rescue haunted people in Grahtwood, Deshaan, and Stormhaven before proceeding.
After completing the quest once on a character, subsequent attempts can skip much of the introductory work and move toward confronting the boss.
Lord Hollowjack is designed for larger groups, so joining other adventurers is recommended.
Completing the associated quest awards a special Dremora Plunder Skull.
The encounter is also connected to unique achievements and housing collectibles.
Both quests are worth experiencing if you enjoy group PvE.
Plucking the Crow fits players who want to combine normal boss hunting with progress toward a special encounter.
The Lord of Fear is particularly interesting for players looking for a bigger group challenge.
Neither quest is required to receive the festival's passive double XP bonus.
If group content isn't your preference, you can still enjoy the Witches Festival through delves, regular bosses, and other eligible activities.
The 2026 Witches Festival contains a mixture of newly introduced rewards and collectibles returning from previous events.
That gives new players opportunities to collect older items while giving experienced adventurers something new to pursue.
One of the main additions for 2026 is the Zhekleg outfit style.
These armor outfit style pages can appear in Dremora Plunder Skulls.
They provide a new cosmetic appearance for players interested in character customization.
If you don't receive the page you want, bound Zhekleg armor style pages are also available from the Impresario for 500 Trade Bars each.
Because unbound pages can also come from reward containers, checking player guild traders may provide another way to complete your collection.
If you enjoy creating unique character outfits, this is one of the festival's most interesting additions.
The 2026 festival also introduces the first fragment toward the upcoming Grotto of Desires house.
The fragment is called Floating Desires Petal.
It is available from the Impresario for 1,000 Trade Bars.
However, purchasing this fragment does not immediately unlock the entire house.
It is one component of a larger collectible.
Players interested in the house should understand that additional required fragments are part of the broader collectible release.
The event also features returning outfit styles and collectible fragments.
Examples include:
Crowborn Hunter outfit style pages.
Grave Dancer outfit style pages.
Roseblood Bat pet fragments.
Roseblood Wings Recall customized action fragments.
Thorn's Bite Withersteed mount fragments.
Some of these items require collecting multiple components before they can be completed.
Whether you want to customize your character, decorate a home, or expand your collectible collection, the event offers several worthwhile goals.
Check out some of our most popular The Elder Scrolls Online services:
One of the biggest advantages of the Witches Festival is its passive 100% experience bonus.
This bonus is applied automatically while the event is active, making ordinary progression more rewarding.
The easiest way to benefit is to concentrate on activities that already contribute to your character's development.
If you've been considering creating another character, the Witches Festival provides an excellent opportunity.
You can complete quests, defeat enemies, and participate in level-appropriate activities while earning additional experience.
This is especially helpful if you want to experiment with a different class or playstyle.
Rather than rushing into difficult content, focus on building familiarity with your abilities while progressing through the game.
Players who have reached the Champion Point system can also benefit from the additional experience.
Continue completing content that provides useful XP while collecting festival rewards from eligible bosses.
This makes the event attractive even if you aren't interested in starting another character.
Try choosing activities that provide several benefits at once.
For example, a dungeon run might contribute toward character experience, gear collection, Undaunted-related progression, and Witches Festival rewards.
A delve might help you collect its Skyshard, defeat its boss, explore the surrounding area, and earn a Plunder Skull.
Combining objectives helps you make progress without turning the festival into repetitive grinding.
The most useful XP strategy is one you can enjoy consistently, not necessarily the activity with the highest theoretical experience rate.
Yes. You can experience a large portion of the event without joining an organized group.
This is one reason the Witches Festival is appealing to casual and returning players.
Delves are among the easiest places to begin.
Most base-game delves can be explored without a full group, and their bosses provide opportunities to earn event rewards.
You can also continue normal questing and exploration while benefiting from the passive experience bonus.
Public dungeons are another possibility, although their enemies can be more demanding depending on your character and build.
If you're inexperienced, begin with the content you can complete safely.
Some encounters are more challenging and are best approached with other players.
These include:
World bosses that overwhelm your character.
Group dungeon encounters requiring coordination.
Trial encounters designed for organized groups.
Crowborne Horror and Lord Hollowjack event fights.
Even if you're comfortable with solo content, there is no disadvantage to seeking help.
Use your guild, zone chat, or available group-finding options to connect with other players.
During the festival, many adventurers are working toward similar objectives, making it a natural opportunity to participate in group content.
The event is about more than collecting Plunder Skulls.
Players interested in achievements and seasonal cosmetics can also pursue special festival objectives.
Witches Festival Writs are special event-related crafting tasks.
They can be obtained through eligible event rewards and used to work toward associated accomplishments.
Before accepting a writ, inspect its requirements.
Make sure your character has the appropriate crafting capabilities and access to the necessary materials.
Some writs may be easier to complete than others depending on your crafting progression and available supplies.
Completing festival writs also contributes toward certain seasonal achievements.
For example, completing 13 Witches Festival Writs is associated with the Witch's Infernal Hat reward.
Completing 28 is associated with the Witch title.
These are useful goals for collectors who enjoy earning rewards through crafting rather than concentrating exclusively on boss fights.
The Witchmother's Whistle is connected to festival achievements such as Cauldron Conjurer and Sacking Skeletons.
If you're interested in completing the event achievement collection, don't ignore the whistle simply because the experience bonus no longer depends on it.
Housing enthusiasts may also be interested in the Exorcised Coven Cottage.
This seasonal house is associated with the Witches Festival and is located in Glenumbra.
Players can purchase it for 250,000 gold during the event after obtaining the required An Unsparing Harvest achievement.
It's a particularly interesting option for players who enjoy Halloween-themed housing.
Because it requires both a significant amount of gold and specific achievement progress, check your eligibility before making it a major festival goal.
A little preparation can prevent unnecessary frustration, especially if this is your first time participating.
The Witchmother's Whistle is no longer required to activate the festival's experience bonus.
The bonus is passive.
Use the whistle for its transformation and related achievements, not because you think you're losing experience without it.
Plunder Skulls are associated with qualifying bosses.
Ordinary monsters don't provide the same event reward containers simply because the festival is active.
Choose content with eligible boss encounters if you're trying to collect event loot.
Regular Plunder Skulls can be farmed repeatedly.
Dremora Plunder Skulls have category-based limits.
Defeating the same boss type repeatedly won't continuously provide legendary-quality containers.
Understand the difference before choosing which activities to repeat.
Defeating an eligible boss isn't the end of the process.
Make sure you collect your available loot, including event rewards.
This is especially important when pursuing your Trade Bars from the first qualifying boss encounter.
Some cosmetics can be purchased directly, while others require multiple collectible fragments.
Don't assume a single fragment completes a mount, pet, or house.
Check the complete collectible requirements before buying.
The special festival encounters are intended for group participation.
Entering without understanding your character's capabilities can lead to unnecessary frustration.
Bring a suitable build, use food and consumables appropriate to your character, and join a group when needed.
Returning players may already own the Witchmother's Whistle, some outfit styles, or other seasonal collectibles.
Check your Collections menu before investing time or currency in something you've previously unlocked.
It's easy to feel pressured to complete every possible activity.
But ESO provides different ways to enjoy the event.
If you prefer questing, keep questing. If you enjoy dungeons, use those for your event rewards. If you love cosmetics, focus on your collection.
A festival should make your normal adventures more exciting, not force you into gameplay you don't enjoy.
If you want to get more value from the event, a few simple habits can make a noticeable difference.
Plunder Skulls can provide several different reward types, including materials, recipes, furnishings, and style items.
Clear unnecessary inventory clutter before participating in longer activities.
This makes it easier to collect rewards without constantly interrupting your gameplay.
Don't leave every reward container unopened indefinitely.
Opening them lets you see which collectibles and materials you've obtained.
It also helps with event quest objectives that require items found inside the containers, such as the feathers used for Plucking the Crow.
Some event rewards can be traded, while others are bound.
This matters if you're hoping to sell duplicate items or purchase missing pieces from other players.
Inspect item descriptions before assuming that every outfit style page can be traded.
If you're already completing dungeons for gear, continue doing so.
If you're exploring zones for Skyshards and achievements, consider including accessible delve bosses.
The additional rewards can make familiar activities feel much more worthwhile.
Joining a group can open access to encounters that are difficult to tackle alone.
You may also discover new guilds or players who enjoy the same activities.
The Witches Festival is an excellent opportunity to experience more of ESO's cooperative content.
Not every player needs every collectible.
Someone who loves housing might prefer a house fragment or seasonal furnishings.
A fashion-focused player might prioritize Zhekleg pages.
A newer character might benefit most from simply using the experience bonus.
Check out some of our most popular The Elder Scrolls Online services:
There's no single correct way to participate.
The Witches Festival began on October 21, 2026, at 10 AM Eastern Time.
The event ends on November 4, 2026.
Make sure you complete any limited-time activities and inspect event merchant inventories before the festival closes.
Open the Crown Store, navigate to Quest Starters, and claim the free quest called The Witchmother's Bargain.
You can also travel to Olyve's Brewery in Auridon, Glenumbra, or Stonefalls to begin the quest.
Yes. The festival is available to ESO players without requiring a separate event purchase.
You can participate through base-game activities, although certain optional content requires access to its associated area or DLC.
No.
If you've completed the introductory quest during a previous Witches Festival, you don't need to repeat it to obtain the Witchmother's Whistle again.
The event applies a passive 100% bonus to experience gains.
You don't need to consume a special festival item or activate the Witchmother's Whistle to receive this bonus.
Defeat qualifying bosses during the Witches Festival.
Eligible activities include delves, public dungeons, world bosses, group dungeons, trials, arenas, certain invasions, and the relevant Infinite Archive encounter.
Players can obtain up to 10 legendary Dremora Plunder Skulls per day through the eligible boss categories and the two special festival quests.
Each boss category has its own account-level limit.
Defeat your first eligible boss of the day and collect the reward.
During the festival, this provides 300 Trade Bars.
You can spend Trade Bars at participating event merchants, including the Impresario, who offers seasonal cosmetics and collectible fragments.
Notable additions include the Zhekleg armor outfit style and the Floating Desires Petal, the first fragment associated with the Grotto of Desires house.
The encounter is designed for small-group participation.
Experienced players may experiment with solo attempts, but joining other players is the recommended approach.
Pick up The Lord of Fear from Priest Maxien Roudille at Olyve's Brewery and complete its objectives to access the boss encounter.
Absolutely.
The passive double XP bonus is useful for developing characters, and accessible content such as delves provides a simple way to begin collecting festival rewards.
New players can enjoy the event without participating in every difficult boss encounter.
The ESO Witches Festival 2026 gives players a fantastic opportunity to explore Tamriel while collecting additional rewards, earning bonus experience, and experiencing unique Halloween activities.
Getting started is simple: claim The Witchmother's Bargain, gather the required ingredients, and complete the introductory quest to unlock your Witchmother's Whistle.
From there, the festival becomes an opportunity to pursue whatever interests you most.
You can defeat eligible bosses for Plunder Skulls, collect Trade Bars for seasonal rewards, challenge the Crowborne Horror and Lord Hollowjack, or simply enjoy the passive double XP while progressing through your favorite content.
The biggest takeaway is that you don't need to complete everything to make the festival worthwhile.
Choose rewards that matter to you, understand how the boss categories work, and take advantage of the event bonuses while they're available.
If you're looking for additional help with your ESO adventures, you can also explore BoostRoom for gaming services designed to support your progression.
Whether you're hunting rare cosmetics, leveling another character, or entering the festival for the very first time, there's plenty of spooky fun waiting across Tamriel.
Happy hunting, and enjoy the Witches Festival!
More Reads
Farm the complete ESO Abecean Sea Privateer Style through Legendary Deep Plunder Boxes, Trade Bar purchases, and High Seas Golden Pursuits progression covering the matching weapon and armor appearances.
Read more
Farm the ESO Suncleft Grotto Ornaug mount by targeting all three required High Seas fragments through Deep Plunder Boxes, undersea bosses, and Flight of the Albatross achievement progression.
Read more
Farm ESO High Seas Trade Bars through the event’s qualifying daily reward, earn the 300 Trade Bars attached to the Legendary Deep Plunder Box, and build account-wide currency for event vendors and Gold Coast Bazaar rewards.
Read more
Farm ESO High Seas Deep Plunder Boxes through eligible event quest completions and target Legendary and Epic boxes for Trade Bars, Privateer weapon styles, mount progress, Antiquity rewards, treasure maps, furnishings, and crafting loot.
Read more
