The fog is returning to Universal Orlando Resort, and Halloween Horror Nights 2026 is shaping up to be one of the event’s most ambitious years yet.
Halloween Horror Nights 35 will take place on select nights from August 28 through November 1, 2026, at Universal Studios Florida. This year’s event will feature 10 haunted houses, four scare zones, two live shows, themed food and drinks, merchandise, and select Universal Studios attractions operating throughout the night.
The 2026 lineup combines major horror franchises, music legends, returning Halloween Horror Nights characters and several completely original stories. Whether you love supernatural horror, science fiction, killer clowns or elaborate original concepts, there should be plenty waiting for you in the fog.
Here is everything that has been announced for Halloween Horror Nights Orlando in 2026.
Halloween Horror Nights 2026 Haunted Houses
Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control
Two of Halloween Horror Nights’ most recognizable icons are coming together in a house created especially for the event’s 35th anniversary.
Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow have a complicated and deadly history. Guests will discover more about the origins of their rivalry before entering the Oddverse, a twisted dimension where Jack’s chaos collides with Oddfellow’s desire for control.
For longtime Halloween Horror Nights fans, this could become one of the most important houses of the year. It connects the event’s history with a new story while putting two fan-favorite characters at the center of the action.
Hellraiser
Pinhead and the Cenobites are finally making their Halloween Horror Nights debut.
Based on the original Hellraiser trilogy, this house will transport guests into a nightmarish realm filled with the Cenobites’ rituals and disturbing visions of pain and pleasure.
The franchise’s elaborate creature designs and surreal imagery make it an especially intriguing choice for a haunted house. It will likely be one of the darker and more intense experiences in the 2026 lineup.
Sinners
The hit horror film Sinners is being transformed into a haunted house filled with blues music, vampires and bloodshed.
The story takes guests to 1930s Mississippi and the opening night of the Smokestack Twins’ juke joint. The celebration quickly becomes a nightmare when Remmick and his group of vampires arrive.
The movie’s period setting, music and supernatural story should give Universal’s creative team plenty of opportunities to build a visually distinctive house. Expect the atmosphere of a lively juke joint to gradually descend into a vampire-filled bloodbath.
Stranger Things 5
Halloween Horror Nights is returning to Hawkins for one final adventure.
This haunted house is based on the fifth and final season of Netflix’s Stranger Things. Guests will encounter the Upside Down as it spreads through Hawkins and come face-to-face with Demogorgons, the Mind Flayer and Vecna.
Previous Stranger Things houses have recreated some of the series’ most recognizable locations and monsters. This year’s version promises to bring the story toward its final confrontation while placing guests directly in the battle for Hawkins.
Evil Dead Burn
The Book of the Dead has been opened once again.
This house is inspired by Evil Dead Burn, the newest movie in the long-running Evil Dead franchise. An evil force has invaded a family home, transforming its occupants into possessed Deadites determined to claim their next victims.
The Evil Dead franchise is known for combining extreme gore, supernatural possession and chaotic action. Guests should be prepared for an aggressive, fast-moving experience filled with gruesome transformations and plenty of Deadites.
Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness
Halloween Horror Nights is paying tribute to heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne with an original haunted house inspired by his music and unmistakable stage persona.
Guests will enter a deteriorating, nightmarish kingdom where music and horror collide. Rather than recreating one movie or story, the house will draw inspiration from Ozzy’s lyrics, imagery and decades-long reputation as the Prince of Darkness.
Music-based houses often feel very different from traditional haunted houses because the soundtrack becomes part of the experience. This one could be loud, theatrical, surreal and completely unpredictable.
H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular!
H.R. Bloodengutz is returning to the airwaves with a new Halloween television special.
Set inside fictional station WKNB, the house will present a collection of Halloween stories hosted by the event’s sinister television personality. Guests will move through a variety of horror-filled scenes featuring monsters, gore and classic seasonal frights.
The anthology format should allow each section of the house to introduce a different setting and style of horror. It also marks the return of a character who first appeared at Halloween Horror Nights in 2011.
MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals
Civilization has collapsed, and a former zoo has become a refuge for the survivors.
Unfortunately, the animals are no longer the biggest threat.
Inside MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals, rival groups of cannibals have taken over the abandoned zoo. Each faction has embraced its most primitive instincts, turning the property into a violent dystopian battleground.
The unusual zoo setting could make this one of the most creative original houses of the year, with animal enclosures, ruined exhibits and cannibal clans replacing the creatures that once lived there.
Cybergoria
Technology was supposed to make humanity immortal. Instead, it stripped away what made people human.
In Cybergoria, people entered a machine-controlled cryogenic sleep with the promise that they would awaken in a new and improved world. Their cybernetic caretakers had other plans, removing their flesh and transforming them into something mechanical.
This original house combines science fiction, artificial intelligence and body horror. Its cold, industrial setting should provide a sharp contrast to the warmer, more organic environments found in many of the other houses.
INVASION: Alien Abduction
Visitors from another planet have arrived, but they definitely are not interested in a friendly introduction.
INVASION: Alien Abduction drops guests into the wreckage of a Southwestern homestead during an extraterrestrial attack. The house will feature Gray aliens, dangerous tentacles and disturbing experiments from creatures traveling through the darkest reaches of space.
Alien stories have appeared throughout Halloween Horror Nights history, but the combination of a rural homestead, crashed wreckage and close-contact encounters could give this house its own eerie identity.
Halloween Horror Nights 2026 Scare Zones
The scares will not stop when you leave the haunted houses. Four scare zones have been announced throughout Universal Studios Florida.
Infernal Carnival of Nightmares
Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow invite guests into a sinister carnival created from decades of Halloween Horror Nights nightmares. This zone appears to be closely connected to the anniversary storyline and the Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control haunted house.
Sideshow of Decay
Cindy, another established Halloween Horror Nights character, has opened a portal inside a carnival junkyard. With help from Dr. Oddfellow’s dark magic, she has resurrected decaying nightmares from the event’s past.
FORTNITEMARES
The annual Halloween event from Fortnite is entering the real world.
Guests will encounter frightening enemies and unsettling surprises while attempting to escape the approaching Storm. This is the first Halloween Horror Nights scare zone inspired by Fortnite.
Downtown Clowntown
A terrifying collection of clowns has taken over the city.
The zone will feature characters from Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Art the Clown and additional murderous clowns. Anyone with a fear of clowns may want to take the scenic route—although avoiding a scare zone during Halloween Horror Nights is rarely as easy as it sounds.
Live Entertainment at Halloween Horror Nights 2026
Two major shows have been announced for this year’s event.
Nightmare Fuel: Blood Noir
The popular Nightmare Fuel series returns with a new production set in a vampire-filled metropolis.
The show will combine music, elaborate choreography and dangerous stunts as performers tempt audiences deeper into the city’s dark underworld. Previous versions of Nightmare Fuel have included aerial performances, fire effects and high-energy dance numbers, making the show a useful break from haunted-house lines without sacrificing the intensity of the evening.
Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins
A second Stranger Things experience is coming to the Universal Studios lagoon.
Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins will revisit memorable scenes, music and monsters from all five seasons of the series. The story will be presented through a special broadcast from Hawkins radio station WSQK, with projections appearing across the lagoon.
Halloween Horror Nights 2026 Dates and Info
Halloween Horror Nights 35 will be held on select nights from:
August 28 through November 1, 2026
The event takes place at Universal Studios Florida and requires a separate Halloween Horror Nights ticket. It is not included with standard daytime park admission. Universal advises that the event may be too intense for young children and does not recommend it for children under 13. Costumes and costume masks are not permitted during regular Halloween Horror Nights evenings.
Premium Scream Night Returns in 2026
Universal will also offer two limited-capacity Premium Scream Nights on:
- August 27, 2026
- October 19, 2026
Premium Scream Night includes shorter haunted-house waits than a standard event night, select all-you-care-to-enjoy food and nonalcoholic drinks, free self-parking and a souvenir credential. It is also the only Halloween Horror Nights experience during which guests may wear approved costumes, although costume masks remain prohibited.
Optional Halloween Horror Nights Upgrades
Several upgrades are available for guests who want to experience more during their visit.
The Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass provides one-time Express access at all 10 haunted houses and participating attractions. The R.I.P. Tour includes a guide and priority entry to haunted houses based on the tour itinerary.
Guests can also purchase a Scream Early Ticket for afternoon access to Universal Studios Florida or book a Behind the Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour to see selected haunted houses with the lights on. Event admission is not required for the daytime Unmasking the Horror Tour.
Halloween Horror Nights 2026 Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Halloween Horror Nights held in Orlando?
Halloween Horror Nights takes place at Universal Studios Florida at Universal Orlando Resort.
Is Halloween Horror Nights included with regular park admission?
No. Halloween Horror Nights is a separately ticketed nighttime event. A standard daytime theme park ticket does not include admission.
How many haunted houses will there be in 2026?
Halloween Horror Nights Orlando will feature 10 haunted houses in 2026.
Are there scare zones at Halloween Horror Nights?
Yes. Four scare zones have been announced: Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, Sideshow of Decay, FORTNITEMARES and Downtown Clowntown.
Will rides be open during Halloween Horror Nights?
Yes. Universal has confirmed that select Universal Studios Florida rides and attractions will operate, although the complete attraction lineup may vary.
Is Halloween Horror Nights suitable for children?
Universal states that the event may be too intense for young children and does not recommend it for children younger than 13.
Can guests wear costumes?
Costumes and costume masks are not permitted during standard Halloween Horror Nights events. Approved costumes may be worn during Premium Scream Night, but costume masks are still prohibited.
