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, scare zone and show announced so far, what tickets actually cost, and the nights that run cheapest and least crowded, so you scare smart instead of overpaying.
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.
| 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 |
No nights match those filters. Try widening them.
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 8 of them so far. Here is the lineup as it stands, with the rest revealed through the summer.
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.
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.
Stranger Things 5
Hawkins faces the end. Walk through the fifth and final season's Demogorgons, the Mind Flayer, and the last stand against Vecna.
Hellraiser
Solve the Lament Configuration and cross into the world of the first three films, from Frank Cotton's attic to the Labyrinth, with Doug Bradley returning to voice Pinhead. Announced June 30, the franchise's first HHN house.
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.
MADLANDS, Caged Cannibals
A defunct roadside zoo in a dystopian wasteland, where rival cannibal factions have turned the cages on their visitors.
Cybergoria
A post-apocalyptic future where the line between human and machine has broken down, and the upgrades have minds of their own.
INVASION, Alien Abduction
A quiet Southwestern homestead the night the sky opens up, and the extraterrestrials come down to collect.
About 2 more houses
Universal reveals the lineup a house at a time over the summer. Resident Evil rumors keep circulating, and a leaked ad in mid July described an Ozzy Osbourne house, but nothing past the list above is confirmed yet. We update this page as each one drops.
The scare zones and shows
The streets between the houses get their own themed zones, and two shows anchor the night. The reveals started in the second week of July. Here is everything announced so far, with more zone names still to drop before opening night.
Infernal Carnival of Nightmares
The anniversary's centerpiece zone, announced July 13. The icons' infernal carnival spills into the streets, a midway of freaks, fire, and the Oddverse come to collect.
Sideshow of Decay
Announced July 14. A rotting sideshow where the attractions did not survive their own acts, and the performers want you on the bill.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Universal confirmed the cotton-candy cocoon crew are landing at the event this year, announced July 16, but has not yet said whether they get a zone, a house, or something else.
Nightmare Fuel, Blood Noir
The Nightmare Fuel stunt show trades its circus for a vampire-ridden metropolis, a dark musical of pyro, aerialists, sword swallowing, and illusions, performed nightly.
Stranger Things, Return to Hawkins
A nighttime lagoon show for the series' tenth anniversary, replaying all five seasons across towering water screens with lighting and the original score. Runs on the hour from 9 in the evening to midnight.
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.
One event night, the cheapest way in on a value night
Get in around 2 in the afternoon and hit a few houses before the crowd
Skip the regular line once per house, worth it most on a peak night
A guided group with priority entry to every house in one night
A separate, lower-capacity event on August 27 and October 19
Frequent Fear and the other return-as-often-as-you-like passes, expected to go on sale in the summer
Not on sale yetThe 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 early July 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 8 houses so far, including the icon house Jack and Oddfellow, plus Sinners, Stranger Things 5, Hellraiser, H.R. Bloodengutz, MADLANDS, Cybergoria, and INVASION Alien Abduction. The event is expected to have about 10 houses in all, so a couple more are still to be revealed through the summer.
What are the scare zones at Halloween Horror Nights 2026
Universal has named the first two street zones, Infernal Carnival of Nightmares and Sideshow of Decay, and confirmed Killer Klowns From Outer Space is coming in a form it has not detailed yet. Recent years ran about five zones, so expect more reveals before opening night on August 28.
What shows are at Halloween Horror Nights 2026
Two so far. Nightmare Fuel, Blood Noir is the nightly stunt show, set in a vampire metropolis with pyro, aerialists, and illusions. Stranger Things, Return to Hawkins is a new nighttime lagoon show marking the series' tenth anniversary, replaying moments from all five seasons on water screens, on the hour from 9 in the evening to midnight.
Is there an Ozzy Osbourne house at Halloween Horror Nights 2026
Not officially. A streaming radio ad that leaked on July 17 described a haunted house built on the music of Ozzy Osbourne, and with two of the ten houses still unannounced it is a credible fit, but Universal has not confirmed it. Treat it as a strong rumor until the reveal.
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 mid July, and typically go on sale in mid summer.