UPDATED July 31, 2026

There is a truly iconic annual event put on by Universal Orlando Resort for fans of all things horror: Halloween Horror Nights! This year, Halloween Horror Nights (also referred to as “HHN”) will return to Universal Studios on select nights from August 28th through November 1st, 2026. 2026 marks the 35th anniversary of the event!

Immersive haunted houses, sinister scare zones, themed food and drinks, breathtaking live entertainment, and more make up this spooky seasonal soiree. The 2026 theme is the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, hosted by Halloween Horror Nights icon Jack the Clown!

But don’t be SCARED… dive into the Halloween Horror Nights details with us!

2026 Halloween Horror Nights Dates

Tickets for Halloween Horror Nights 2026 are ON SALE NOW via the Universal Orlando Resort website. Ticket prices for this very popular event vary per date and start at $87.99 per person for a single-night ticket and range up to $129.99. (Please keep in mind that Halloween Horror Nights is fairly intense and not recommended for anyone younger than 13 years old.)

The park closes for regular ticketed Universal guests at 5 PM, and the event officially runs from 6:30 PM until 2 AM (though we recommend arriving around 45 minutes before the official start time because gates tend to open early).

August 2026 Halloween Horror Nights Dates

The event kicks off on August 28th* this year.

• August 28th, 29th, and 30th

September 2026 Halloween Horror Nights Dates

September offers Halloween Horror Nights up to five nights a week:

• September 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th
• September 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th
• September 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th
• September 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th
• September 30th

October 2026 Halloween Horror Nights Dates

In October, Universal hosts HHN on Wednesday through Sunday each week. You’re safe on Mondays and Tuesdays!

• October 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th
• October 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th
• October 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th
• October 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th
• October 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st

November 2026 Halloween Horror Nights Dates

The event’s final night is November 1st, 2026.

• November 1st

Halloween Horror Nights Frequent Fear Passes

Multi-night tickets are also an option*, but they tend to sell out! These options are:

• The Rush of Fear Pass: Provides entry to the first 18 event nights: $229.99
• The Frequent Fear Pass: Access to 31 event nights, most Sundays through Thursdays, plus the first weekend: $274.99
• The Frequent Fear Plus Pass: Access to 41 event nights. In addition to the weekdays, it also includes some Friday and Saturday nights and has availability through October: $324.99
• The Ultimate Frequent Fear Pass: Grants access to EVERY night of the event EXCEPT Premium Scream Nights, which are on August 27th and October 19th, along with complimentary regular parking after 5 PM on all event nights: $449.99

PLEASE BE AWARE: This year, Universal decided not to bring back the Express Pass for the Fear Passes, which is their paid skip-the-line service,. Universal said in a statement, “As we continue to evaluate our offerings in an effort to provide the best Halloween Horror Nights experience for all Guests, we have discontinued all Fear with Express Pass products.” You can still buy an Express Pass with the single-night tickets.

Halloween Horror Nights Inclusions

2026 Halloween Horror Nights Houses

One of the main highlights of the event are TEN Haunted Houses inspired by some of the most iconic horror movies and shows of all time.

The TEN Haunted Houses for 2026 are as follows:

Ozzy Ozbourne — Prince of Darkness

A NEW house this year is dedicated to heavy metal musician and reality TV superstar Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away in 2025.

Let the madness begin! A haunted house inspired by the twisted mind of Ozzy Osbourne is coming to Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights. Scream through a decaying world where music and mayhem collide. All tickets and packages are on sale now: https://t.co/94684x1JK9 pic.twitter.com/F8UStfR4Rl

— Halloween Horror Nights (@HorrorNightsORL) July 29, 2026

Universal shares that it’s “a haunted house inspired by the twisted mind of Ozzy Osbourne,” and describes the new house where you’ll “scream through a decaying world where music and mayhem collide.”

Evil Dead Burn

A new Evil Dead Burn Haunted House is coming to Halloween Horror Nights this year!

Evil Dead Burn is the sequel to Evil Dead Rise, which came out in 2023, and is the sixth installment overall to the Evil Dead franchise. The film just came out in theaters on July 10th, and follows Alice Price (Souheila Yacoub), a young woman who moves in with her in-laws after the death of her husband. The family comes together, but comfort is far from anyone’s mind as different members slowly begin to turn into Deadites after the Book of the Dead is reopened. In this new Haunted House, you’ll need to dodge possessed Deadites that are intent on bloodshed, and you’ll encounter not just the root of evil, but the whole family tree…

Hellraiser

Universal warns: “Your pain is their pleasure. Become part of the Cenobites’ hellish rituals in this haunted house based on the original Hellraiser trilogy.”

*GULP*…

INVASION: Alien Abduction

INVASION: Alien Abduction is an original Haunted House this year!

“Make contact with horrors from worlds unknown in this haunted house, where a ship full of Grays have torn apart a remote homestead in search of fresh test subjects.”

Cybergoria

What, exactly, is taking place in Cybergoria, an original Haunted House?

“Awaken thousands of years in the future in this haunted house and brave a cold world driven by machines with a singular goal: to make you live forever, even if it kills you.” 

MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals

MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals is on its way… with an appetite.

Universal shares, “In this haunted house, a defunct zoo is now the deadly domain of warring cannibal factions that have taken their animal instincts to extremes. They’re territorial. They’re hungry. And you’re lunch.” 

H.R. Bloddengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular

H.R. Bloddengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular is an ORIGINAL Horror Nights House making its debut this year!

Universal shares that “Your favorite maitre d’macabre returns to WKNB with a special Halloween scare-athon! Tune into this haunted house complete with ghouls, gore, and all the frights that keep you coming back for more.”

Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control

A brand-new, original haunted house will debut at this year’s event. In Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control, the long‑standing conflict between Jack and Oddfellow comes to life for the first time as guests journey into the unsettling origins of their undying rivalry. As chaos and control collide, the two Icons battle for dominance until they ultimately discover that the only way to obtain the power they seek is not to fight each other, but to join forces instead…

Sinners

We’re headed to a juke joint this spooky season, because Universal has announced that Sinners will be coming to HHN! Guests who are planning on going to the special ticketed event will get to immerse themselves in writer/director/producer Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster supernatural horror masterpiece in an all-new haunted house!

The Halloween Horror Nights house will transport guests back in time to the popular Club Juke, where they will encounter red-eyed vampires Remmick, Bert, and Joan, who appear with their insatiable hunger. You’ll need to evade the vampires at every turn! Fans will encounter some of their favorite characters from the film, including Sammie, Mary, Annie, Pearline, and Cornbread. You’ll be caught in a deadly struggle between the twins, Smoke and Stack, and the bloodthirsty vampires. Can you survive the night until the sun rises?

Stranger Things 5

Stranger Things has a long history with HHN, so it’s only fitting that Stranger Things comes to Halloween Horror Nights one more time to celebrate its fifth and final season at the Stranger Things 5 House!

Universal has revealed that this House will “showcase the most gripping moments from the final season in an authentic, visceral experience that places guests at the center of the ultimate battle to save Hawkins.” It has also been confirmed that the House will include many locations from the final season, including the Wheeler House, Hawkins National Laboratory, the MAC-Z military base, the Upside Down, and the Abyss. And guests will come face to face with characters from the show, Demogorgons, and Vecna himself.

Scare Zones

In addition to the 10 haunted houses, Halloween Horror Nights also has scare zones, where you’ll face scare actors “on the prowl.” You’ll find streets of Universal Studios Florida transformed into spooky areas with creatures and monsters sure to frighten you.

One 2026 scare zone will reflect this year’s theme: Infernal Carnival of Nightmares. 

Sideshow of Decay has also been announced as a scare zone, and Universal shares: “Cindy’s time has come. With Dr. Oddfellow’s dark sorcery, she opened a portal in the carnival’s junkyard — using it to resurrect decayed nightmares from the past that are back to haunt you.”

Speaking of klowns… Are you ready to make a scare stop in Downtown Clowntown? “The city that never sleeps becomes a waking nightmare when it’s overrun by Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Art the Clown and other clownsfolk who can’t wait to tear you limb from limb.”

FORTNITEMARES is making its scare zone debut: “Trudge through this scare zone and brace for the Storm, because there’s no telling what horrors it’ll bring with it.”

That said… guests that are hesitant to attend Halloween Horror Nights due to the jump scares and intense frights, there may be an option for you. Though it has not yet been confirmed for 2026, the Deathly Afraid necklace made its debut at Halloween Horror Nights 2025.

Wearing this $20 light-up medallion necklace allows guests to participate and walk through the Scare Zones without worrying about the Scare Actors zeroing in on them with a big jump scare. We’ll keep you posted if this option returns for 2026!

Live Entertainment and Shows

Halloween Horror Nights is also presents live shows and performances that are exclusive to the event!

In 2026, these will include Nightmare Fuel: Blood Noir (Mainstage) — “Embark on a dark musical journey and resist temptation as death-defying stunts lure you deeper into a vampire-ridden metropolis.”

Universal has also revealed the new Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins (Lagoon) — “The music. The monsters. The memories. In this show, tune in to a special WSQK broadcast and relive your favorite moments from five seasons of Stranger Things.”

Universal Studios Park Attractions

A select number of rides and attractions remain open for the event. 

Halloween Horror Nights Extras

In addition to the standard single-night tickets, Universal offers several other ticket types and extra-ticket experiences available for purchase on the Universal Orlando website, including:

• Premium Scream Night: Offered on August 27th and October 19th, this exclusive event offers shorter wait times, including all-you-can-eat food and beverage, and free parking beginning at $399 per person.
• R.I.P. Tour: An add-on to an already purchased ticket, this option begins at $469 per person and features a once-per-house Priority VIP Entrance, Unlimited Universal Express access, a Tour Reception, a VIP credential, and valet parking.
• Behind the Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour: This daytime tour option, which does not include or require Halloween Horror Nights admission, includes a 3-house lights-on tour, exclusive photography access, a commemorative pin, and a buffet-style lunch. Dates are available beginning August 21st, and tickets start at $99.99 per person.
• Scream Early Ticket Add-On: Beginning at $70, this add-on offers access to “at least three haunted houses starting at 2:00 PM, plus time to enjoy the iconic attractions you love, continuing through regular scheduled daytime park closing.”
• Express Pass Add-On: Beginning at $199.99 per person, this ticket add-on allows guests to skip the regular lines ONE time at all 10 HHN houses, as well as select attractions during the event.

Halloween Horror Nights serves up themed food and drinks! Select dining spots are open along with booths for the event, serving guests treats and eats that will be themed to the featured haunted houses. Specialty drinks are concocted just for the event as well.

Of course, there is exclusive merchandise available! Show off that you made it through the night with shirts, hats, popcorn buckets, and more.

(If you head to Universal’s website, there is an option to start shopping now, too!)