A staple of Universal Orlando’s calendar since 2014, the Celebration of Harry Potter will not be held next year, the park announced Friday.
As late as Wednesday, a Universal spokesperson told Orlando Rising there were “no new details to share about the event,” with rumors swirling in Universal and Potter fan communities that it wouldn’t be returning.
In its official statement, Universal said it’s “working on exciting new experiences for guests to continue to celebrate The Wizarding World next year.”
“These include the all-new thrill ride coming to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade and additional fan experiences that have yet to be announced,” Universal said. “While our focus on these fan experiences means we will not be hosting A Celebration of Harry Potter in 2019, we and other Universal theme parks will always be looking for opportunities to host special Wizarding World experiences.”
The last edition of the event was held in January. Activities each year typically included a Harry Potter expo, special shows like teaching “wand combat skills” and Q&A panels with actors from the film series, with Oliver and James Phelps (George and Fred Weasley) appearing at three of the five events.
Dates for the event were typically announced in August. Universal instead announced a series of smaller Potter events, called “Back to Hogwarts,” for September, fueling speculation the larger celebration would not be held.
There have other additions to Universal Orlando for Potter fans in the past year, such as seasonal Christmas events around Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley and a Potter-themed section of the new “Cinematic Celebration” nighttime show in Universal Studios Florida.
As Universal mentioned, the big addition to Islands of Adventure in 2019 will be a new Potter ride. The rollercoaster is currently being built on the site of the former Dragon Challenge, though Universal has yet to announce a specific opening date or name for the attraction.