Universal Orlando has announced a theme for this year's Halloween Horror Nights, with Universal Studios Florida set to become an 'Infernal Carnival of Nightmares'.
For its 35th anniversary, Halloween Horror Nights is returning on select nights from 28 August through 1 November.
The eerie event in 2026 will feature the return of legendary original characters, Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow, who will serve as the ringmasters.
As above, Universal Studios Florida will be transformed into a "decrepit, fear‑fueled carnival" with a new slate of haunted houses, scare zones and entertainment experiences.
Halloween Horror Nights 35 will be the first time that Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow join forces.
In an original haunted house, called Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control, guests will travel into the "unsettling origins of the two adversaries' undying rivalry".
Icons for Halloween Horror Nights 35
"As chaos and control collide, the two icons battle for dominance until they ultimately discover that the only way to obtain the power they seek is not to fight each other – but to join forces instead," Universal Orlando said.
To celebrate the reveal of this year's theme, some items from the Halloween Horror Nights 2026 merchandise collection featuring Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow are on sale now.
The first tickets for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando will go on sale soon, and more information about this year's experiences will be shared in the coming months.
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida begins on 28 August, continuing the recent trend of the event starting earlier each year. Last year it started on 29 August, and the year before on 30 August.
Images courtesy of Universal
