Universal Studios Hollywood used its Midsummer Scream panel in Long Beach to close out the 2026 Halloween Horror Nights lineup, confirming eight haunted houses, six scare zones, a Terror Tram starring Art the Clown, and a brand new daytime behind-the-scenes tour. The event runs select nights from September 3 through November 1, 2026.

The panel, led by creative director and executive producer John Murdy, filled in the last big gaps: a second original house scored by Guns N' Roses guitarist SLASH, the full scare zone slate, and the reveal that the Terrifier villain is hijacking the backlot tram for a holiday of his own.

The Full 2026 Halloween Horror Nights Lineup at a Glance

Here is everything confirmed for Universal Studios Hollywood this year.

Haunted houses:

• KILLceañera: Music by SLASH (original)
• Dead, Deader, Deadest (original)
• Sinners
• Stranger Things
• Hellraiser
• Evil Dead Burn
• Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness
• Killer Klowns From Outer Space

Terror Tram:

• Terror Tram starring Art the Clown

Scare zones:

• Hackerz
• Fortnitemares
• El Circo de la Muerte
• Blood Bog
• Murder of Crowz
• Shriek of the Banshee

Shows and extras:

• The Purge: Dangerous Waters stunt show
• Unmasking the Horror Tour daytime add-on
• Roaming character encounters with Art the Clown, Freaky Nikki, and Death Eaters in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Art the Clown Takes Over the Terror Tram

The headline reveal: Art the Clown from the Terrifier franchise is hijacking the Studio Tour backlot for the 2026 Terror Tram. Instead of a straight slasher setup, Universal is leaning into a twisted holiday angle, with Art staging his own Christmas celebration across the backlot.

According to MouseInfo, the pre-show is styled like a children's picture book titled "Every Day is Artmas!" and the setup involves Art and the Pale Girl taking shots at Santa. Guests will also get an optional meet-and-greet with Art near the Hollywood sign.

The soundtrack comes from Ice Nine Kills, who recorded what Universal describes as a dark twist on classic Christmas songs. Frontman Spencer Charnas confirmed the band's involvement during the panel.

Art will not stay on the tram, either. He is set to roam the park throughout the night.

KILLceañera: Music by SLASH

The second original house of the year is KILLceañera: Music by SLASH, built around a quinceañera that turns into a revenge bloodbath. The story follows Lola, whose coming-of-age party goes catastrophically wrong, with guests finding her on the balcony of her burned-out childhood home.

The big swing here is the music. Grammy-winning guitarist SLASH composed an original score for the house, including Spanish guitar work and an exclusive song called "15 Candles." According to Laughing Place, Murdy and SLASH wrote the track together specifically for the maze.

Murdy said the team did extensive research to get the cultural details of the quinceañera right, from the dress to the ceremony itself, before turning it into a horror set piece.

Dead, Deader, Deadest

Announced ahead of the convention on July 23, Dead, Deader, Deadest was the first original house confirmed for 2026. It drops guests inside the Deville Family Funeral Home, an abandoned mortuary where, in Universal's words, guests will "uncover the dark secrets" of a place "where reanimated corpses have risen from their graves."

Expect embalming rooms, viewing parlors, and a lot of bodies that should not be moving.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space Returns

The cult 1988 Chiodo Brothers comedy horror is back for its third run at Hollywood, following versions in 2019 and 2022. The house returns guests to the fictional town of Crescent Cove and, per Universal, dares them to "try not to become the cotton candy-covered snack of some seriously unfriendly visitors from worlds unknown."

According to Inside Universal, the property is also showing up in Orlando this year as part of a Downtown Clowntown scare zone.

The Licensed Houses: Sinners, Stranger Things, Hellraiser, Evil Dead Burn, and Ozzy Osbourne

Five previously announced houses round out the maze lineup:

• Sinners: Based on the Academy Award-winning Warner Bros. film, set in 1930s Mississippi with vampires closing in.
• Stranger Things: Drawn from the final season of the Netflix series, with Demogorgons and the Mind Flayer.
• Hellraiser: Inspired by the first three films, featuring Pinhead and the Cenobites.
• Evil Dead Burn: Based on the sixth film in the franchise, with Deadites in full possession mode.
• Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness: A house built around the metal icon's legacy and imagery.

The Ozzy house is the year's other music-driven maze, pairing with KILLceañera and the Ice Nine Kills Terror Tram score to give 2026 an unusually loud soundtrack.

All Six Scare Zones Revealed

Universal saved the full scare zone slate for the panel. Five of the six are new, with only one returning:

• Hackerz (new): Chainsaw-wielding killers loose in the streets.
• Fortnitemares (new): Based on the annual in-game Halloween event from Fortnite, with the Storm spreading chaos.
• El Circo de la Muerte (new): Inspired by the traveling circuses and sideshow acts that crossed Mexico in the 1930s.
• Blood Bog (new): Moss-covered swamp creatures rising out of bogs and bayous.
• Shriek of the Banshee (new): A carnival barker and a talking skeleton working a wagon show.
• Murder of Crowz (returning): The crow family, dad, mom, and baby, back to nest.

Freaky Nikki and Other Roaming Characters

Nikki from the film Obsession makes her Halloween Horror Nights debut this year as a roaming character. Universal describes her as cursed by One Wish Willow, leaving her dangerously attached and jealous. Guests may run into her on the darkened streets rather than inside a maze.

Death Eaters also return to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter during the earlier part of the evening.

The Purge: Dangerous Waters Returns

The stunt show The Purge: Dangerous Waters is back at the WaterWorld venue, bringing the fire-and-stunt spectacle to the event's live entertainment slot for another season.

New: Unmasking the Horror Daytime Tour

For the first time, Universal is selling a daytime, lights-on walkthrough add-on called the Unmasking the Horror Tour. It is a guided behind-the-scenes look at how the mazes are built, and this year it covers two houses:

• Sinners
• KILLceañera: Music by SLASH

Photography is allowed in designated areas, which is a notable change from the usual no-photos-in-the-maze reality of event nights. According to MouseInfo, pricing details were not released alongside the announcement, and the tour is sold through Universal's official site.

Dates and Tickets

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood runs select nights from Thursday, September 3 through Sunday, November 1, 2026, with the event starting at 7 p.m. Universal is selling general admission, 2 p.m. day and night tickets, Frequent Fear and Ultimate Fear passes, Universal Express and Express Unlimited, R.I.P. Tours, and early access tickets. Tickets are on sale now.

What We Know So Far

With the Midsummer Scream panel done, the Hollywood lineup is essentially complete: eight houses, a Terror Tram, six scare zones, one stunt show, and a new daytime tour. What is still outstanding is the fine detail, including specific pricing for the Unmasking the Horror Tour and the usual reveals about merchandise, food and drink, and this year's event-exclusive photo ops.

We will update this post as Universal releases more information ahead of opening night on September 3.