Details Released as Harry Potter's Forbidden Forest Comes to Life During Universal Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood

A special, immersive, interactive, walk-through experience is coming to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter as part of Universal Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood later this month.

What's Happening:

• For the first time ever, guests can venture into the Forbidden Forest in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood.
• In "Forbidden Forest: Search for the Hippogriff," exclusive to the event at Universal Studios Hollywood, guests will journey into the Forbidden Forest, complete with dense trees, mossy boulders — and yes, an abundance of magical creatures. Curiosities hide behind every corner of the Forbidden Forest; even without a magical creature in sight, every inch feels completely alive. 

• Guests will be guided through the forest in groups, with a Hogwarts professor at the lead. They'll begin by winding their way through the forest under the premise of meeting a professor for a nighttime lesson. But when the guests find them, everything changes. 
• The professor discovers something alarming: A Hippogriff is lost. With their fearless professor, guests will face magical creatures, challenging spells, and tests of courage to help aid the lost Hippogriff.
• For those familiar with the Forbidden Forest, you know what kinds of creatures might lie in its dense thickets under the moonlight: eight-legged creepy-crawlies, magical plants who seem to have minds of their own, and so much more. Some are friendly and some are… less-than-friendly. While specifics are still scarce, guests have never seen these creatures in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood before.

• Guests are also encouraged to bring their own wands and wear their house robes to the event, as the immersive experience is designed for guests to actively interact with. Throughout the journey, guests will be asked to perform spells as they encounter magical creatures and discover clues to aid in finding the lost Hippogriff. For guests who don't have a wand, Ollivander's is also available in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
• While the wand is encouraged, it is by no means a requirement to experience "Forbidden Forest: Search for the Hippogriff" during Universal Fan Fest Nights.
• This marks an all-new immersive walkthrough experience in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, exclusive to Universal Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood.
• Universal Fan Fest Nights will be held at Universal Studios Hollywood on select nights, starting on April 23 through May 16, 2026.
• This marks the second year for the event, and is slated to include experiences featuring Scooby-Doo and the Universal Monsters, One Piece, Sailor Moon, Dungeons & Dragons, and Super Nintendo World.
• Along with the reveal of the details of this Forbidden Forest experience, we also got to see some of the new merchandise coming to this year's event.

First Time In The Forest:

• This news is sure to rile the feathers of some Universal Orlando die-hards, who are watching this event take place from afar at the Hollywood park, similar to the special offerings that took place during Universal Fan Fest Nights last year.
• While they may already be perturbed that a special event that could easily take over parts of the Florida destination is not an option right now, an elaborate walk-through experience themed to the Forbidden Forest may push it to another level.
• However, Florida has something that does not exist in Hollywood at all, allowing them to head into the depths of the Forbidden Forest each and every day - Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
• The impressive multi-launch coaster takes guests into the Forbidden Forest for a lesson with Hagrid, before you set out on an adventure to find his missing Blast-Ended Skrewts.
• Along the way, you encounter a number of magical creatures (similar to what sounds like might happen in the Hollywood event experience, though at a higher rate of speed), including Fluffy, the three-headed dog, Cornish Pixies, Centaurs, and more.
• While we don't know for sure what creatures you'll discover in the Universal Fan Fest Nights experience, it already sounds similar, though as a walk-through interactive experience as opposed to a high-speed roller coaster.