The fog has officially rolled into Universal Studios Hollywood.
Halloween Horror Nights kicked off its 2026 season Thursday night, unleashing eight haunted houses, six scare zones, a blood-soaked Terror Tram, and enough chainsaws to make you reconsider every decision that brought you through the front gate.
This year’s lineup combines major horror franchises, original nightmares, and an unforgettable tribute to the Prince of Darkness himself.
The Biggest Names in Horror Take Over Hollywood
The 2026 haunted-house lineup features Stranger Things 5, Sinners, Hellraiser, Evil Dead Burn, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness.
Universal’s original creations, KILLceañera: Music by SLASH and Dead, Deader, Deadest, complete the eight-house lineup.
Early opening-night reactions have been especially strong for KILLceañera, which transports guests into a quinceañera that turns into a bloody night of revenge. The house features an original score from SLASH and reportedly keeps the scares coming from beginning to end.
Sinners brings Ryan Coogler’s supernatural hit to life by dropping guests inside Club Juke. The house features familiar characters, massive sets, and newly developed glowing-eye effects that make its vampires even more unsettling in person.
Fans of Hawkins can also return to the Upside Down in a house inspired by the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. The experience recreates locations including the Wheeler house, Hawkins National Laboratory, and the terrifying world of the Abyss.
Ozzy Osbourne Gets the Ultimate Horror Tribute
One of the most talked-about experiences from opening night was Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness.
The house celebrates Ozzy’s life and legendary career through scenes inspired by his music, album artwork, and fascination with horror. Songs from Blizzard of Ozz, Diary of a Madman, Bark at the Moon, and No More Tears provide the soundtrack as guests travel through a twisted version of the rocker’s story.
The Hollywood version also features one completely insane reversal of Ozzy’s infamous bat incident. Instead of Ozzy biting the head off a bat, a giant demonic bat finally gets its revenge and bites Ozzy’s head off.
Sharon and Jack Osbourne worked with Universal’s creative team on the attraction, helping ensure the house felt like a genuine celebration of Ozzy rather than a generic haunted maze with his name slapped on it.
Art the Clown Hijacks the Terror Tram
Art the Clown is making Christmas considerably less cheerful aboard this year’s Terror Tram.
Guests are dropped onto Universal’s famous backlot and forced to navigate a horrifying holiday celebration hosted by the Terrifier villain. The experience mixes Christmas imagery with Art’s particular brand of brutality, accompanied by twisted holiday music created by Ice Nine Kills.
Walking through the backlot at night remains one of HHN Hollywood’s most unique experiences. Adding Art the Clown to that formula sounds like a wonderfully terrible idea.
Nikki Has Entered the Fog
Universal may not have had enough time to create a complete haunted house based on Obsession, but Nikki still found her way into Halloween Horror Nights.
The character appears throughout the event wearing her bloody costume and temporary tattoos from the movie’s final act. She carries a brick, performs her disturbing backward walk, and recreates moments that helped make the character a horror favorite.
There is even a One Wish Churro inspired by the film, because nothing says romance quite like supernatural obsession, murder, and theme-park carbohydrates.
The Scares Continue Outside the Houses
The horror does not stop once guests leave the mazes.
This year’s scare zones include Fortnitemares, Hackerz, El Circo de la Muerte, Blood Bog, Murder of Crowz, and Shriek of the Banshee.
Fortnitemares transforms part of the park into a living battleground featuring recognizable characters and the Battle Bus. Guests exiting KILLceañera enter El Circo de la Muerte, a twisted traveling circus inspired by the sideshow acts that toured Mexico during the 1930s.
The Death Eaters also return to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, while The Purge: Dangerous Waters once again delivers a massive combination of stunts, fire, lights, and chaos.
Come Hungry, Leave Horrified
Universal created an extensive collection of food and drinks inspired by this year’s attractions.
Ozzy’s Bar serves creations including the Bark at the Naan, Crazy Train Chickpea Curry Burrito and Prince of Darkness Cake. Art the Clown’s selections include Bloodbath Brisket Fries, Death by Cheese Stick, and a chocolate-raspberry pastry appropriately named Gut Wound.
Guests looking for some liquid courage can also find themed cocktails and alcohol-free drinks throughout the park. They may not make the monsters any less terrifying, but they could make a three-hour haunted-house line slightly easier to accept.
Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights through November 1, 2026, at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Opening night made one thing clear: Universal did not come to play this Halloween season. Between Ozzy, Nikki, Pinhead, Vecna, vampires, Deadites, and Art the Clown, there is nowhere to hide.
Good luck out there.
Sources: NBCUniversal, Entertainment Weekly, CinemaBlend
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