UPDATED! Universal Fan Fest Nights 2026 Guide: Quick tips and experiences
Universal Studios Hollywood Fan Fest Nights event is back for a second year in 2026, with new experiences themed to Scooby-Doo, Harry Potter, One Piece, Sailor Moon, and more. Our quick tips and overview will help you make the most of your time and money.
Running for 12 select nights from April 23 to May 16, 2026, Fan Fest Nights is a separately ticketed after-hours event celebrating fandoms across sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, and anime. All in-world experiences are included with an event ticket.
Food, beverages, and merchandise require separate purchases. Select theme park rides also remain open during the event. This year’s lineup features five new experiences and one returning favorite.
Essential tips for Universal Fan Fest Hollywood: we attended opening night
One of our contributors, Melanie Gable, attended the opening night of Universal Fan Fest Hollywood and is sharing her insider tips for making the most of the event.
Arrive early and prioritize the biggest experiences
I recommend arriving early to maximize your time at the event. Some attractions closed well before the official 1:30 a.m. end time. ‘Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge’ ended before 11:00 p.m. during my visit, and Super Nintendo World closed shortly after midnight. Head to your must-do rides and character meet-and-greets first.
Even Express Pass won’t guarantee everything
I had Universal Studios Express Pass and still couldn’t do everything offered. It’s worth making a game plan before you arrive so you don’t lose time deciding what to do next.
Pick five to six top priorities and accomplish those first. Then you may have time for two to three other items that are less of a priority. Our guide below covers the key highlights of the event.
Eat early and stay hydrated
I suggest eating dinner earlier in the evening and bringing unopened water bottles to stay hydrated. Many restaurants and snack stands closed earlier than when Fan Fest ended. Thankfully, I was able to track down a late-night coffee at Lard Lad Donuts in Springfield before heading home.
Dress for cooler night temperatures
It became much cooler after sundown than expected. Wearing layers is the best move so you stay comfortable throughout the night. If shopping is part of your plan, this could be an easy excuse to snag a Universal Studios hoodie.
Character performers were a highlight
One of the best parts of opening night was interacting with the performers. Universal’s actors were excellent with impressions and improvisation—this is Hollywood after al!
My standout experiences included interacting with awesome performers in ‘Jurassic World: A Journey Through the Eras,’ ‘Scooby-Doo Meets The Universal Monsters: Mystery on the Backlot’ and ‘Forbidden Forest: Search for the Hippogriff.’
Photo by Melanie Gable
New Experiences for Universal Fan Fest Nights 2026
Scooby-Doo Meets The Universal Monsters: Mystery on the Backlot
Guests will ride the Studio Tour tram to Universal’s famous backlot, where they’ll walk through a live-action mystery alongside Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma. The adventure takes guests through real outdoor film sets — including Little Europe’s cobblestone streets and the Court of Miracles, original filming locations for “Frankenstein” (1931) and “The Wolf Man” (1941) — as they help the gang solve a mystery involving Frankenstein, Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein, and Wolf Man.
Last year’s Fan Fest Nights featured a Back to the Future experience on the backlot, widely considered the highlight of the event. The Scooby-Doo experience takes over that same space with a new story.
On March 24, 2026, Universal announced additional details about the experience:
“In this clever adventure, guests will set off on location via the Studio Tour, cast as “extras” in a fictitious monster movie until a mysterious villain, known as The Phantom Director, hijacks the production by unleashing The Universal Monsters – Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein and Wolf Man – throwing it into chaos and bringing the filming to a halt.
Equipped with a Mystery Manual at their disposal, guests will join forces with Scooby-Doo and his pals Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy in an attempt to uncover the Phantom Director’s identity. Guests will explore Universal’s world-famous outdoor film sets at their leisure, including the cobblestone streets of Little Europe and the infamous Court of Miracles, renowned as original filming locations for such historic Universal horror films as Frankenstein (1931) and The Wolf Man (1941). As they uncover a series of clues, it will lead them to solve the mystery, identify the villain and restart production.
Entertaining photo ops with the Mystery Inc. team, Universal Monsters and the Mystery Machine will enhance the experience with memorable, social-friendly content.
One Piece: Grand Pirate Show
One Piece was one of the most popular parts of last year’s Fan Fest Nights, where it appeared as a character meet-and-greet.
For 2026, the franchise has been upgraded to 20-minute live stunt show at the WaterWorld venue. Adapted from a Universal Studios Japan production, the show features fan-favorite One Piece characters in a performance built around action, comedy, and chaos.
The WaterWorld amphitheater will be reimagined as Midori Island, the mysterious outpost from the world of One Piece, and the live show will invite guests into the adventure as the Straw Hat Crew—Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Chopper—search for rare Pop Greens, a powerful resource on the island.
But, as always, things quickly goes awry when the Marines storm the island, blasting open the gates and igniting pyrotechnic and high-energy battle sequences. Comedy relief will be in the form of rival pirate Buggy, who crashes the scene to claim the Pop Greens as his own.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Forbidden Forest: A Search for the Hippogriff
A new walk-through experience will take guests into the Forbidden Forest to search for a lost Hippogriff. A Hogwarts professor guides guests through the forest, where they’ll encounter magical creatures and face obstacles that require spell-casting skills.
This is a different experience from the Wizarding World additions at last year’s event, which included roaming creature puppets and a projection show on Hogwarts Castle.
Super Nintendo World — Colorful Yoshi Celebration
This new experience invites guests to explore the Mushroom Kingdom and meet colorful new Yoshis found throughout the land.
Last year, Super Nintendo World hosted a scavenger hunt that ended with a meet-and-greet with pink or blue Yoshi.
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon – The Miracle: Moon Palace Chapter Deluxe
Revealed on March 12, 2026, this all-original Japanese CG anime short film will be shown inside DreamWorks Theatre. The Japanese-language film is subtitled in English and follows Super Sailor Moon as she battles an enemy targeting the Legendary Silver Crystal at the Moon Palace.
The experience originally debuted at Universal Studios Japan as part of its Cool Japan event and is making its U.S. debut at Fan Fest Nights. This replaces the Jujutsu Kaisen film shown during Fan Fest Nights 2025.
Returning Experience
Dungeons & Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep
Back by popular demand, this walk-through experience sends guests on an adventure through the city of Waterdeep.
Guests join the Harpers to stop the beholder Xanathar from carrying out an evil plot. The experience features an Xanathar creature created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Universal says enhancements have been made for the 2026 return.
Rides Open During the Event
The following attractions will be available during Fan Fest Nights:
- Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- Flight of the Hippogriff
- Jurassic World — The Ride
- Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
- Transformers: The Ride — 3D
- Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride
- The Simpsons Ride
Universal Fan Fest Nights 2026 Tickets
Fan Fest Nights 2026 takes place on April 23-25, May 1-3, May 7-9, and May 14-16.
Tickets are on sale now. All in-world experiences and activations are included with every ticket type. Details for each ticket type are subject to change.
- General Admission — General Admission ticket to Universal Fan Fest Nights. Does not include daytime theme park admission or early event access.
- Universal Express — Admission to Universal Fan Fest Nights, including one-time (per day) express access to each in-world experience, ride, and attraction. Does not include daytime theme park admission or early event access.
- Universal Express Unlimited — Admission to Universal Fan Fest Nights, including unlimited express access (per day) to each in-world experience, ride, and attraction. Does not include daytime theme park admission or early event access.
- After 2 p.m. Day/Night — Daytime General Admission to the theme park after 2 p.m. and same-day evening General Admission to Universal Fan Fest Nights.
- After 2 p.m. Day/Night Universal Express — Daytime admission to the theme park after 2 p.m. and same day evening admission to Universal Fan Fest Nights, including one-time (per day) express access to each ride, attraction, and seated show during the day, plus one-time (per day) express access to each in-world experience, ride and attraction during the event.
- 2-Night General Admission — 2-Night General Admission access to Universal Fan Fest Nights. Does not include daytime theme park admission or early event access.
- Ultimate Fandom Pass — General Admission pass to enjoy for up to all event nights of Universal Fan Fest Nights (based on your selected first visit date during purchase). No blockout dates on return visits. All visits must be completed by May 16, 2026. Does not include daytime theme park admission or early event access.
- Early Access Ticket — Early access, beginning at 6 p.m. (subject to change), to select Universal Fan Fest Nights in-world experiences before event opening. A Universal Fan Fest Nights admission ticket for the same date must be purchased separately.
- Universal Fan Fest Nights VIP Tour — Enjoy VIP treatment of the event, including a shared, expertly guided walking tour of the in-world experiences, rides, and attractions, as well as a gourmet dinner (alcoholic beverages excluded) in the private VIP dining room and complimentary valet parking.
- Pass Member Special Pricing — Pass Members can take advantage of special online Pass Member pricing on General Admission tickets to Universal Fan Fest Nights when visiting on select event nights.
Click here for full details and to purchase tickets.
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