Halloween Horror Nights 2026: HHN 35 news, reveals and what’s changing this year for its 35th anniversary
Halloween Horror Nights 2026 is beginning to take shape at Universal Orlando Resort, with the first major details now revealed for the event’s milestone 35th year. And for 2026 the team is bringing back two of the event’s most well-known characters — Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow — as this year’s icons at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando.
Halloween Horror Nights, the world’s largest Halloween event, is a separately ticketed event at Universal Studios Florida featuring haunted houses, scare zones, and live entertainment. This year’s event runs Aug. 28 – Nov. 1, 2026.
Halloween Horror Nights 2026 details so far
Halloween Horror Nights 2026 is beginning to take shape at Universal Orlando Resort as the event prepares for its 35th anniversary. The “Infernal Carnival of Nightmares” theme will bring back icons Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow, along with the first announced haunted house, Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control. With dates set for Aug. 28 through Nov. 1 and updates like earlier Scream Early entry and two Premium Scream Nights, more reveals are expected in the months ahead.
2026 theme “Infernal Carnival of Nightmares,” led by returning icons Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow
Jack, a sadistic carnival performer introduced in 2000, and Oddfellow, a mysterious showman who can travel between dimensions, have long existed as rival figures within Halloween Horror Nights lore. This year, for the first time, the two characters are aligned — shaping the story and experiences guests will encounter throughout the event.
“The overall theme is going to be taking you within the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, and it’s within that new vision between Jack and Oddfellow where all of our content is going to reside this year,” the creative team said during an exclusive panel at MegaCon Orlando.
First haunted house: Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control
The first original haunted house announced for Halloween Horror Nights 2026 is called ‘Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control.’ It tells the origin story of the two characters’ rivalry from Oddfellow’s perspective.
“As we go through the haunted house, we are going to hear the narration of Oddfellow telling us the story, the origin story of Jack from his perspective,” the team said. “Jack goes through this carnival on this killing spree, and of course, a lot of you know that history. It brought the police to that place, and then, in desperation, Oddfellow had to seal him inside the box.”
The panel revealed a new detail about the box. Oddfellow has always traveled between dimensions through portals — a concept the creative team calls “the Oddverse.” The box he used to seal Jack inside? It was one of those portals.
“Let’s stop right there because there’s a new little twist, something that we discovered,” the team said. “The box was one of those portals.”
Emphasis on original stories
The announcements came during a panel called “Behind the Screams: Crafting 35 Years of Fear at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights” at MegaCon in Orlando. The panelists were Mike Aiello, senior director of entertainment creative development at Universal Orlando Resort; Lora Sauls, assistant director of entertainment creative development and show direction; and Charles Gray, senior show director of entertainment creative development.
Sauls and Aiello spent much of the panel talking about how original storytelling has shaped the event over 35 years.
” … I think our initial creators of Halloween Horror Nights really set us up to make sure we’re telling new, original stories every year,” Sauls said. “That we’re not just rehashing what we’ve done, but telling brand new, original content stories every year, which is what makes Halloween Horror Nights, especially here in Orlando, so special. We get to tell new stories and have new creative ideas every year.”
Aiello said licensed IP (Intellectual Properties – horror franchises from movies and television) have become part of the event over the years, but original characters and stories remain the foundation.
“Even in those early years, the event was built on original content,” Aiello said. “Yes, IP has come into the realm, but maintaining that thread throughout the 35 years, in that we really care about the types of stories and the characters that we can meet and engage and interact with within the 35 years of this event.”
Jack the Clown in Las Vegas
Jack the Clown also has a permanent home at Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas, a year-round horror experience that opened in August 2025 near the Las Vegas Strip. Jack and his sidekick Chance headline a themed area called Jack’s Alley and a live stage show called “Jack & Chance: Stay or Slay.”
What’s new for Halloween Horror Nights 2026
- 35th anniversary event celebrating the legacy of Halloween Horror Nights
- Theme: Infernal Carnival of Nightmares
- Icons: Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow appearing together for the first time
- First haunted house announced: Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control
- Event dates: Select nights Aug. 28 – Nov. 1, 2026
- Earlier daytime access: Scream Early entry now begins at 2 p.m.
- Premium Scream Night expands: Two dates (Aug. 27 and Oct. 19) instead of one
- 10 all-new haunted houses planned, with more announcements coming soon
Merchandise and tickets
Select tickets, vacation packages and event upgrades for Halloween Horror Nights 2026 are now on sale, including single-night admission, Express Passes, R.I.P. Tours and the Behind the Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour.
Guests can also add Scream Early access starting at 2 p.m. before the event, and purchase tickets for the limited-capacity Premium Scream Night, which returns for two dates this year.
Halloween Horror Nights 2026 merchandise featuring Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow is on sale now at select locations in Universal Studios Florida and online at shopUniversal.com. Prices range from $35 for t-shirts to $75 for a hockey jersey. The collection also includes hoodies ($60) and sherpa blankets (from $43).
For more information, visit UniversalOrlando.com/HHN.
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