UPDATED June 28, 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 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 five Haunted Houses confirmed so far for 2026 are as follows:

MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals

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

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Univeral 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?

Read MORE about the SINNERS Haunted House coming to Halloween Horror Nights HERE!

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.

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!

Universal Studios Park Attractions

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

Live Entertainment

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

In 2025, these included Nightmare Fuel: Circus of Decay: “This once-vibrant circus has festered into an unending nightmare. It’s a sinister spectacle of pyro, aerialists and illusions.”

Universal is also hosting a LAGOON SHOW for this year’s event: Haunt-O-Phonic: A Ghoulish Journey! “A ghost story is rising from its watery grave to haunt the Universal Studios lagoon, featuring towering water screens and eerie music.” 

Halloween Horror Nights Extras

In addition to the standard single-night tickets, Universal offers several other ticket types and extra-ticket experiences for the 2026 event, 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 $399 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.
• 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 $169.99 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!)

2025 Halloween Horror Nights Add-ons — Stay tuned for 2026 Add-ons!

If you’re interested in a more elevated experience, you can also now purchase Halloween Horror Nights Express Passes online, as well as book your R.I.P. Tour, where you can visit the event with a VIP guide.

The Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass lets you “Get to the fear faster” by skipping the regular lines once at each haunted house (plus participating rides). Like the tickets, Express Pass is available for purchase via the Universal Orlando Resort website, and prices start at $139.99.

The Halloween Horror Nights R.I.P. Tour is a guided VIP tour that also includes perks like Priority VIP Entry to Haunted Houses, a Pre-tour Reception & Commemorative R.I.P. Tour Credential, Valet Parking, and Reserved Seating at a select show. Like the tickets, the R.I.P. Tour is available for purchase via the Universal Orlando Resort website, and prices start at $369.99.

The Halloween Horror Nights Behind-the-Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour is a daytime VIP guided tour featuring a LIGHTS-ON look at the event’s haunted houses! 3- and 6-hour tours are available, and the tour includes Exclusive Photography Access, and an Exclusive Commemorative Pin. The 6-hour tour includes a lunch buffet. Like the tickets, the Behind-the-Screams Tour is available for purchase via the Universal Orlando Resort website, and prices start at $84.99.

The Halloween Horror Nights
Scream Early Ticket allows you to get “Start your thrills early by adding Universal Studios Florida after 3 pm admission to your Halloween Horror Nights event admission for the same day.” Like the tickets, the Scream Early Ticket is available for purchase via the Universal Orlando Resort website, and prices start at $55.00.

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

• The Rush of Fear Pass: Provides entry to the first 18 event nights.
• The Frequent Fear Pass: Access to 30 event nights, every Sunday through Thursday, plus the first weekend.
• The Frequent Fear Plus Pass: Includes entry every Sunday through Friday, plus the first and last Saturday.
• The Ultimate Frequent Fear Pass: Grants access to EVERY night of the event, along with complimentary regular parking after 5 PM on all event nights.