Universal Studios Hollywood is launching a new event from the creators of its popular Halloween Horror Nights — this one devoted to a variety of fandoms.
According to a press release, “Universal Fan Fest Nights will be a limited-time, after-hours experience, exclusive to Universal Studios Hollywood that will showcase a dynamic line-up of captivating, immersive in-world experiences along with engaging celebratory activations throughout the theme park, from live entertainment to cosplay, inviting guests to embrace their favorite characters and share their enthusiasm with like-minded fans.”
Although there are more properties to be announced the first three involved are Star Trek, Back to the Future, and Dungeons & Dragons.
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The announcement is a bit light on details at this point but it also says that you can expect “an enticing menu of themed foods and new merchandise, including collectibles, apparel, drinkware, accessories and more, to show off their fandom during Universal Fan Fest Nights and beyond.”
The initial properties are interesting because only one of them, Back to the Future, is a Universal film. The other two are Paramount franchises — and all three have been very unrepresented in theme parks, especially in recent years. While Back to the Future: The Ride was one of Universal Studios’ flagship attractions for many years, it closed quite a few years ago to make way for a ride based on The Simpsons. And while Star Trek used to have a whole themed experience at the Las Vegas Hilton, that’s been defunct since 2008. (I’m not familiar with any Dungeons & Dragons attractions, past or present.)
The first Universal Fan Fest Nights will take place in the spring of 2025. If you’re interested in more information, you can sign up to receive updates at Universal’s official website.
