Event Recap: Universal FanFest Nights 2026 Preview at Universal Studios Hollywood with Food, Characters, More

This morning Laughing Place was invited to the AMC Universal Cinema at Universal CityWalk LA for a preview of the after-hours ticketed event Universal Fan Fest Nights 2026, which launches just a few weeks from now at Universal Studios Hollywood. Besides the food and merchandise previews that we've covered elsewhere on the site, below you'll find a breakdown of what I experienced.

I arrived at CityWalk LA around 10:15 AM to check in, and found a line of my fellow members of the media waiting outside the AMC Universal Cinema. Earlier when I passed through the parking checkpoint, I was handed a flyer promoting Universal Fan Fest Nights.

As we entered the Universal Cinema building attendees were handed Universal Fan Fest Nights ball caps. A very nice gift for this fun event!

Inside the theater's auditorium, a Universal Fan Fest Nights slide was projected on the screen. We weren't permitted to take any photos or video of the presentation that followed, but what follows are the major beats.

First we were given a synopsis of Universal Fan Fest Nights' Scooby-Doo Meets the Universal Monsters: Mystery On the Backlot experience, which will take place in the Little Europe section of the Universal Studios backlot, for which we saw a detailed map layout. We were also shown concept art and a first look at the Mystery Inc. Manual, which is a guide to the exploratory experience. Guests will interact with the Scooby gang and the Universal Monsters, with the goal of solving the mystery from one of four suspects. The Wolf Man will be a brand-new meet-and-greet character, and there will be a big finale moment resolving the mystery and catching / unmasking the villain.

Next we learned more about the One Piece: Grand Pirate Show in Universal Studios Hollywood's Waterworld venue, and an announcement was made that Buggy will be a brand-new live character for the show. We saw images and were given a brief description of the show's plot. The returning One Piece: Grand Pirate Gathering will be moved to the Waterworld area of the park while the nearby Hollywood & Dine restaurant will become Sanji's Galley and a themed bar will be located right across the path as well.

Next it was time to hear about Forbidden Forest: Search for the Hippogriff in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We got a first look at the Hippogriff creature puppet in photos and video, which got a big reaction from the crowd as it was quite impressive. I think this will be a big hit with Potter fans among the guests.

The Universal representative also touched briefly on Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, though I believe most of the details for that experience had been previously announced.

The Dungeons & Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep experience will be enhanced with new puzzles, with the First Roll Tavern also returning.

In Super Nintendo World, guests will have the opportunity to meet a grand total of five differently colored Yoshis, and you'll have to help these adorable friends solve a puzzle as well, with a Yoshi-themed hat as the prize.

After being shown an overview map of this year's Universal Fan Fest Nights and learning about the returning Dining Pass, we were led to the Universal Cinema's second level, where a reception was set up with displays of the food and merchandise for the event. Those without my pesky food allergies also had the opportunity to try some of the food, desserts, and drinks, and I hear they were quite tasty!

A Universal Fan Fest Nights photo spot was set up against one of the walls, and that's where the Scooby-Doo gang hung out for most of the reception, when they weren't roaming and interacting with guests.

I also spotted at least three of the Universal Monsters during this morning's preview: Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, and the Bride of Frankenstein. I'm definitely looking forward to the kickoff of Universal Fan Fest Nights 2026 to interact with these characters some more, and help the Scooby gang solve a mystery on the Universal backlot!

Universal FanFest Nights 2026 takes place on select nights from Thursday, April 23 through Saturday, May 16 at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California. For additional information, be sure to visit Universal's official website.