Halloween Horror Nights 2026: Dates, Haunted Houses and Everything to Know

Halloween Horror Nights returns to Universal Orlando this fall for its 35th anniversary, bringing 10 haunted houses, four scare zones, live entertainment and more to Universal Studios Florida.

Halloween Horror Nights 35 runs on select nights from Aug. 28 through Nov. 1, 2026, making this year’s event one of the longest in the event’s history. The 2026 event is themed around the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, with Halloween Horror Nights icons Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow serving as the twisted ringmasters.

The event is separately ticketed, and regular Universal Studios Florida admission does not include Halloween Horror Nights.

The 10 Haunted Houses

This year’s lineup includes five houses based on popular horror properties and five original concepts.

1. Stranger Things 5: Guests enter Hawkins as the Upside Down takes over the town in a house based on the fifth and final season of the Netflix series.
2. Sinners: Based on the Oscar-winning 2025 horror film, this house takes guests to 1930s Mississippi and Club Juke, where a celebration turns into a fight for survival against vampires.
3. Hellraiser: The original Hellraiser trilogy comes to life as guests enter the Lament Configuration and encounter Pinhead and the Cenobites.
4. Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness: This house takes guests into the world of the heavy metal legend, featuring environments inspired by Osbourne’s music, album artwork, and career.
5. Evil Dead Burn: Based on Evil Dead Burn, guests enter the Price family’s vacation home and encounter the Deadites and other horrors from the film.
6. Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control: The two Halloween Horror Nights icons join forces in this original house, taking guests into the twisted Oddverse as chaos and control collide.
7. H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular!: H.R. Bloodengutz returns for a Halloween-themed scare-athon packed with monsters, gore, and classic Halloween Horror Nights-style horror.
8. MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals: Guests enter a dystopian wasteland where survivors seeking refuge inside a defunct zoo discover that something much more dangerous has taken over.
9. Cybergoria: Set thousands of years in the future, this house features machines determined to make humanity live forever even if it means destroying what remains of the human body.
10. INVASION: Alien Abduction: An alien invasion has taken over a Southwestern homestead, leaving guests to navigate the wreckage while trying to escape creatures from beyond Earth.

In addition to the haunted houses, Halloween Horror Nights features four scare zones: Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, Sideshow of Decay, FORTNITEMARES and Downtown Clowntown.

Two live shows are also part of this year’s event. Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins is a new lagoon show celebrating the Netflix series, while Nightmare Fuel: Blood Noir combines music, stunts and a vampire-filled storyline.

What to Know Before You Go

Halloween Horror Nights is designed for mature audiences and is not recommended for children under 13. The event features intense horror, violence, gore and frightening characters. Costumes and costume masks are not permitted.

Halloween Horror Nights takes place at Universal Studios Florida and is a separately ticketed event. Universal also offers upgrades including Express access, R.I.P. Tours and Behind the Screams: Unmasking the Horror tours.

For the 35th anniversary, Universal is bringing together returning icons, major horror franchises and original concepts for 10 new haunted houses across select nights from August through November.

For tickets and information, visit HERE.

Ava McDonnell

Ava McDonnell is the Editorial Manager & Digital Content Creator for Central Florida Lifestyle Magazine. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with English BA in 2026. She also has experience in editing using AP Style and SEO guidelines. Originally from Clermont and now in Tampa, Ava loves all things local. Ava has always had a passion for learning about people's lives and sharing accurate stories with the world. She is dedicated to getting the job done right while making content interesting for readers. Aside from writing, you can find her indulging in the great outdoors with the people she loves. Whether it is hiking, taking photographs, or trying new activities, she is up for almost anything.

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