UniversalParksBlog News for September 20th, 2026

When we last spoke, Halloween Horror Nights 2026 had just begun.

Now, we’re a couple of weeks into the event, and that’s not all!

HHN has started at Universal Studios Hollywood, too!

So, in this week’s UniversalParksBlog News, we’ll discuss the other offerings at this year’s event.

Infernal Carnival of Nightmares

This Scare Zone celebrates the eternal feud between an agent of chaos and a master of control.

For a long time now, Universal has developed a feud between Jack the Clown and Oddfellow.

In this Scare Zone, each character stands over the entrance to a “carnival.”

Well, Oddfellow sometimes sits, but you get the point. They’re direct participants here.

Each one ominously welcomes park guests to the area, taunting them and each other.

They’re really the only highlights of this area, which makes it less exciting than the rest.

From a storytelling perspective, you’ll definitely want to explore this section, though.

Should you stand in front of the entrance long enough, they’ll assuredly address you directly.

For some, these interactions will be among the most memorable at HHN 2026.

For others, they’ll either be unsettling or disappointing, depending on the quality of your Scareactor.

Everyone has a bad day or even moment, but most guests are coming away impressed with this year’s cast.

Downtown Clownmas

I mentally add “population you” to this title, as that’s the implication here.

You’re a normie walking through one of the creepiest places on the planet.

These clowns are intentionally unsettling, with some wielding weapons.

Any of them that sees you is likely to accost you, presuming they’re not otherwise engaged.

Art the Clown stars here, as he’s dressed up as Santa and holds court.

You…definitely shouldn’t sit on his lap. Alas, Some Scareactors must do just that.

Art offers them his throne and then chooses the best way to torment them.

My favorite part of this experience is his genuinely unsettling gremlin clown assistant.

Those poor Scareactors take a beating on this one before a heroic one attempts a rescue.

There’s also a new addition here, Chance the Clown, who is VERY Harley Quinn.

She hosts a torture show as well, and let’s just say that she lacks sympathy.

The interactive elements here make this Scare Zone a fun place to hang out.

You’ll have a lot of fun and keep finding stuff to do for at least 15 minutes.

Throughout the Scare Zone, you’ll also bump into countless other clowns.

My favorites are the ones anchoring the carnival competitions. They’re deeply unsettling.

Oh, and there’s a puppet show that fully spells out the relationship between Jack and Oddfellow.

For HHN enthusiasts, that one’s an absolute must.

Sideshow of Decay

I’ll level with you that this one doesn’t do much for me.

Sideshow of Decay basically shows a bunch of creepy horror movie rejects.

All of them obviously demonstrate various forms of decay, although the ballerinas didn’t really get the memo.

They’ve got sharp teeth instead, so I guess their dentist was really good.

A few zombies (?) will wordlessly approach and menace you, and some of them are armed.

Generally speaking, this one’s pretty generic, though. That’s just my opinion.

You may love it. This Scare Zone does have a bright spot: Mel’s Die-In returns.

I still love this area, but it’s a small part of the overall area.

Fortnitemares

Finally, we have the biggest collaboration of the year, at least in terms of Scare Zones.

HHN has teamed up with Fortnite, creating creepy modifications of familiar characters.

Fortnite is actually more than nine years old now, which makes this one brilliant.

Many of the diehard players from the early days have since aged into HHN.

So, the timing here is perfect, and the experience itself will delight.

Many of the most popular cosmetics from the game appear here in bastardized forms.

Oh, and the Fortnite Battle Bus will cause you to grab your phone and snap pics.

I love that Universal decorated it with tons of pumpkins and some tombstones.

Also, the Fornite Supply Llama appears, and it’s a perfect touch.

While you’re in the area, you should check out some of the weapons that the characters wield.

A few of them are comically oversized and sure to bring a smile to your face.

With Disney being a co-owner of Epic Games, Fortnite’s creator, it’s a miracle this collab even happened.

So, you should savor every second of it if you live for Battle Royales.

Terror Tram Starring Art the Clown

At this point, Art the Clown matters nearly as much as Jack.

Now, he’s driving the bus at Hollywood’s HHN, and it goes about like you’d expect.

Art wields a chainsaw in comical fashion, although you may not find it funny.

He has also given chainsaws to other clowns, making them oddly well-prepared for the zombie apocalypse.

You visit the Christmas Tree Farm, where you’ll find the world’s worst Yuletide celebration.

Seriously, I don’t think the movie Violent Night had this many holiday murders.

Poor Santa Claus even suffers a brutal fate. Art is definitely on the naughty list.

Overall, the walkthrough part of the experience will delight you, as long as you’re not easily unsettled.

The whole thing is so over-the-top that it’s hard for me to take anything seriously, which helps.

I mean, at one point, Art fires surface-to-air artillery. It’s utterly ridiculous in the best possible way.

KILLceañera

I’m pretty sure that’s not a word, but here we are. It’s the world’s most violent birthday gathering.

This is a spiritual successor to Monstruos and once again themed to Latin mythology.

Slash from Guns N’ Roses once again provides the music, including haunting piano music.

The creepiest monsters are what I can only describe as…humanoid bird people?

I don’t want to think about how that happened, but their beaks are freaky.

This one’s all about the vibes in a good way. It’s splashy, visually engaging, and oddly smooth.

Finally, I don’t want to give anything away, but the band is spectacular.

 

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