The second edition of Universal Studios Hollywood’s Fan Fest Nights will feature some of the same properties seen in its inaugural year, but with some new experiences.
The anime series “One Piece” was only represented with a meet-and-greet and themed food at Fan Fest Nights 2025 (see our review of that event here). For 2026, its presence will be expanded with “One Piece: Grand Pirate Show,” a live performance inside the WaterWorld venue in the park’s Upper Lot. Universal said of the show in a Thursday press release, “With action, comedy and chaos taking center stage, guests will be transported to the very heart of the world of One Piece – enveloped in friendship, freedom and mayhem.”
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will also be featured again at Fan Fest Nights, but this time with an exclusive walk-through attraction. Universal said the experience will see guests will head into the Forbidden Forest searching for a lost Hippogriff and be guided by a Hogwarts professor.
Super Nintendo World’s contribution to the event will again be focused on Yoshi. While last year’s offering was limited to a scavenger hunt and meet-and-greets with Yoshi, Universal is saying the 2026 event will be an “all-new adventure” without providing other details.
Before Thursday, the only experience that had been announced for Fan Fest Nights was a new Universal Backlot attraction mashing together Scooby-Doo and Universal’s classic movie monsters. Universal described the new offering in greater detail in its press release, stating:
This all-new, immersive walk-through adventure is designed to give guests the sensation of stepping into a live-action mystery with the Scooby-Doo gang and the Universal Monsters. Guests will travel to the destination via Studio Tour tram where they have a chance to walk along a movie studio backlot with Scooby-Doo himself and his pals Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy. The exciting escapade will challenge them to solve a mystery involving the most legendary Universal Monsters in cinematic history, including Frankenstein, Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein and Wolf Man, as they navigate portions of Universal’s world-famous outdoor film sets, from the cobblestone streets of Little Europe to the iconic Court of Miracles, the original filming locations for historic Universal horror films Frankenstein (1931) and The Wolf Man (1941).
Alongside these new experiences, Universal confirmed that the Dungeons & Dragons-themed attraction, Secrets of Waterdeep, will return from the event’s first year. That walk-through includes a large puppet of the D&D creature Xanathar that was created by the Jim Henson Creature Shop.
Universal added that there will be “more to be announced soon,” leaving open the possibility that more properties will be included in Fan Fest Nights. There were late additions to last year’s event, as Universal announced a “Wicked” character greeting about two months before the event’s opening night.
The 2026 edition of Fan Fest Nights is currently scheduled to run for just 12 nights at Universal Studios Hollywood: April 23-25, May 1-3, 7-9, and 14-16. Like Halloween Horror Nights, Fan Fest Nights is a separately-ticketed event that is not included with regular daytime admission to the park.