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Rope Drop News · Universal Orlando · Planning Guide

Halloween Horror Nights

HHN 35

Universal Orlando's haunt turns 35 this year, running 48 nights August 28 through November 1, 2026. Here is every haunted house confirmed so far, what tickets actually cost, and the nights that run cheapest and least crowded, so you scare smart instead of overpaying.

Dates Aug 28 to Nov 1
Where Universal Studios Florida
Tickets from about $88 a night
Houses 7 of about 10
The short version. Tickets are on sale now. The cheapest, calmest nights are the September weeknights, and prices and crowds climb steadily to a peak over the last two weeks of October and on Halloween itself. Universal prices every night separately, so pick your night first, then buy. Sort the Fear Forecast below to find your night.
Best value night Sun, Aug 30 Lowest price, lightest crowd
Quietest night Wed, Sep 2 Shortest house lines
Opening night Fri, Aug 28 The earliest start in HHN history
Halloween night Sat, Oct 31 The busiest, priciest night of all

The Fear Forecast

Every announced night, with our read on the price tier and how crowded it runs. Sort by price or crowds to find your night, then lock in the date before you buy.

Month
48 of 48 nights
Night Expected price Crowds
Fri, Aug 28 Opening night Peak Heavy
Sat, Aug 29 Peak Heavy
Sun, Aug 30 Best value Value Light
Wed, Sep 2 Value Light
Thu, Sep 3 Value Light
Fri, Sep 4 Peak Heavy
Sat, Sep 5 Peak Heavy
Sun, Sep 6 Value Light
Wed, Sep 9 Value Light
Thu, Sep 10 Value Light
Fri, Sep 11 Peak Heavy
Sat, Sep 12 Peak Heavy
Sun, Sep 13 Value Light
Wed, Sep 16 Value Light
Thu, Sep 17 Value Light
Fri, Sep 18 Peak Heavy
Sat, Sep 19 Peak Heavy
Sun, Sep 20 Value Light
Wed, Sep 23 Value Light
Thu, Sep 24 Value Light
Fri, Sep 25 Peak Heavy
Sat, Sep 26 Peak Heavy
Sun, Sep 27 Value Light
Wed, Sep 30 Value Light
Thu, Oct 1 Value Light
Fri, Oct 2 Peak Heavy
Sat, Oct 3 Peak Heavy
Sun, Oct 4 Value Moderate
Wed, Oct 7 Value Light
Thu, Oct 8 Value Light
Fri, Oct 9 Peak Heavy
Sat, Oct 10 Peak Heavy
Sun, Oct 11 Regular Moderate
Wed, Oct 14 Regular Moderate
Thu, Oct 15 Regular Moderate
Fri, Oct 16 Peak Heavy
Sat, Oct 17 Peak Heavy
Sun, Oct 18 Peak Heavy
Wed, Oct 21 Peak Heavy
Thu, Oct 22 Peak Heavy
Fri, Oct 23 Peak Heavy
Sat, Oct 24 Peak Heavy
Sun, Oct 25 Peak Heavy
Wed, Oct 28 Peak Heavy
Thu, Oct 29 Peak Heavy
Fri, Oct 30 Peak Heavy
Sat, Oct 31 Halloween night Peak Heavy
Sun, Nov 1 Final night Regular Moderate

Price tier and crowd level are our projection from the night of the week and the time of season, not Universal figures. Universal sets each night's price dynamically and adds nights through the summer, so confirm your exact date and price on the official ticket calendar before you buy.

Two nights that are not on this list

Universal also runs Premium Scream Night on August 27 and October 19, a separate, lower-capacity evening with a steeper price, reported around $400 a person. It is a different ticket from the regular event nights above, aimed at people who want the shortest possible lines.

The haunted houses

Universal says to expect about 10 houses this year and has confirmed 7 of them so far. Here is the lineup as it stands, with the rest revealed through the summer.

Icon house Confirmed

Jack and Oddfellow, Chaos and Control

The anniversary centerpiece teams up Jack the Clown, the face of HHN, with Dr. Oddfellow for the first time, their chaos and their control combining into one nightmare across the Oddverse.

Based on the film Confirmed

Sinners

Step into Club Juke, the 1930s Mississippi juke joint from the 2025 hit, the night Remmick's vampires turn the music and the blood loose.

Based on the series Confirmed

Stranger Things

Hawkins faces the end. Walk through the fifth and final season's Demogorgons, the Mind Flayer, and the last stand against Vecna.

Returning host Confirmed

H.R. Bloodengutz Presents a Halloween Fright-Tacular

The schlock-horror TV host is back at station WKNB for an anthology of classic-horror segments gone wrong.

Original Confirmed

MADLANDS, Caged Cannibals

A defunct roadside zoo in a dystopian wasteland, where rival cannibal factions have turned the cages on their visitors.

Original Confirmed

Cybergoria

A post-apocalyptic future where the line between human and machine has broken down, and the upgrades have minds of their own.

Original Confirmed

INVASION, Alien Abduction

A quiet Southwestern homestead the night the sky opens up, and the extraterrestrials come down to collect.

Still to come

About 3 more houses

Universal reveals the lineup a house at a time over the summer. Rumored names like Resident Evil are circulating, but nothing past the list above is confirmed yet. We update this page as each one drops.

Tickets, and how not to overpay

There is no single Halloween Horror Nights ticket. There is a stack of them, and the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive way to see the same houses is enormous. Here is what each one is for.

Single night ticket about $88

One event night, the cheapest way in on a value night

Scream Early Admission about $70 add-on

Get in around 2 in the afternoon and hit a few houses before the crowd

Universal Express about $170

Skip the regular line once per house, worth it most on a peak night

R.I.P. guided tour about $400

A guided group with priority entry to every house in one night

Premium Scream Night about $400

A separate, lower-capacity event on August 27 and October 19

Multi night passes not yet priced

Frequent Fear and the other return-as-often-as-you-like passes, expected to go on sale in the summer

Not on sale yet

The move for most people is simple. Pick a value night, buy a single night ticket, and skip the Express pass, because on a quiet September Wednesday the standby lines are short enough that you will get through the houses without it. Save the Express money for food, or for a peak night when the lines are genuinely brutal.

If you can only go on a busy weekend or in late October, that math flips. A Universal Express pass turns a night where you might see four houses into one where you see all of them. And if you plan to come back more than twice across the season, wait for the multi night Frequent Fear passes, which had not been priced yet as of late June and usually pay for themselves by the third visit.

Prices above are the reported ranges circulating before the season, shown for comparison, not a quote. Universal prices every night individually. Parking is separate, and a daytime park ticket does not include the event.

Halloween Horror Nights or Mickey's Not So Scary

If you are weighing the two big Orlando Halloween parties, they are not really competing for the same night out. Halloween Horror Nights is graphic, intense, and built to frighten. Universal strongly advises against bringing children under 13, there are no costumes for guests, and the houses earn every scream.

Disney's Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom is the opposite end of the spectrum, a family trick or treat night with a parade, fireworks, and costumes for all ages. If your group has young kids, that is the one. If you want real fear, HHN wins easily. For the full rundown of how the hard ticket parties work, see our explainer on how Disney's Halloween parties work, and on the West Coast there is Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure.

One more thing worth clearing up, because the parks are easy to mix up. Halloween Horror Nights runs inside Universal Studios Florida, not at the brand new Epic Universe park. Epic Universe has its own holiday plans, but the haunt lives at the original studios park.

First timer survival tips

  • Go early in the season. A September weeknight has the same houses as a late October Saturday for less money and a fraction of the wait.
  • Arrive before the gates. Line up before the official start and hit the most popular house first, while everyone else is still finding their bearings.
  • Stay and Scream. If you have a daytime park ticket, you can stay into the event from inside the park with a wristband, which beats leaving and coming back.
  • Save the icon house for last. The anniversary Jack and Oddfellow house will draw the longest line all night, so circle back to it late.
  • Eat before 7. The food lines balloon once the houses open, so grab dinner early or wait until the back half of the night.
  • Know what you are walking into. The scare actors will get close, the houses are dark and loud, and that is the entire point. If that is not your thing, this is not your event.

Common questions

When is Halloween Horror Nights 2026

Halloween Horror Nights 35 runs on 48 select nights at Universal Orlando, August 28 through November 1, 2026. The earliest nights are in late August, and demand climbs through October to Halloween night. Universal also runs two separate Premium Scream Nights on August 27 and October 19.

How much are 2026 Halloween Horror Nights tickets

Single night tickets are on sale now, with reported prices from about $88 on a value night up to about $130 on a peak night before tax. A Universal Express add-on runs from about $170, Scream Early Admission is about $70, and R.I.P. guided tours start around $400. Universal prices every night individually, so check the official calendar for your exact date.

Which Halloween Horror Nights are cheapest and least crowded

The September weeknights, especially Wednesdays and Thursdays, are the calmest and the cheapest of the season. Fridays, Saturdays, the last two weeks of October, and Halloween night itself are the busiest and priciest. Use the Fear Forecast above to sort the calendar by price or crowds.

What haunted houses are at Halloween Horror Nights 2026

Universal has confirmed 7 houses so far, including the icon house Jack and Oddfellow, plus Sinners, Stranger Things, H.R. Bloodengutz, MADLANDS, Cybergoria, and INVASION Alien Abduction. The event is expected to have about 10 houses in all, so a few more are still to be revealed through the summer.

Is Resident Evil coming to Halloween Horror Nights 2026

Resident Evil is a popular rumor for 2026, but Universal has not confirmed it for Orlando or Hollywood. Treat any unannounced house as speculation until Universal makes it official.

How long are the houses and where is the event

Halloween Horror Nights takes place inside Universal Studios Florida, not Islands of Adventure or Epic Universe. It is a separately ticketed after-hours event, so a daytime park ticket does not include it. Official 2026 nightly hours have not been published, but the event has historically run from about 6:30 in the evening until 1 or 2 in the morning.

Is Halloween Horror Nights worth it

If you like real, intense scares, it is one of the best haunt events anywhere, with detailed houses and a thick atmosphere. The trick to enjoying it is the night you pick. A September weeknight gives you shorter house lines for far less money than a late-October Saturday, where you may want a Universal Express pass to get through everything.

Is Halloween Horror Nights ok for kids

Universal strongly advises that children under 13 not attend. The houses are graphic and built to frighten, there are no costumes allowed for guests, and the whole event is aimed at teens and adults. Families with younger kids are a better fit for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom.

When did 2026 Halloween Horror Nights tickets go on sale

Single night tickets and the Express, Scream Early, and R.I.P. add-ons went on sale in the spring and are available now. The multi night Frequent Fear style passes had not been priced yet as of late June, and typically go on sale over the summer.

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