Get your wands ready, because Hollywood is casting a spell on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Beginning June 23, all muggles attending Universal Studios Hollywood will be able to enjoy a dazzling nighttime lights show at Hogwarts castle.
Sounds magical, right?!
Just imagine this: You’re having an evening stroll through Hogsmeade village, butterbeer in hand, when suddenly Hogwarts starts shining brightly, beckoning you toward its halls. A grand spectacle using state-of-the-art light display and special effects projection showcasing the four houses of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin lights up the castle. The familiar and welcoming sounds of Academy Award-winning composer John Williams’ original score plays, recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra.
Luckily, you don’t have to peer into the Mirror of Erised to see the show! Just buy a ticket and stay until dark, when it will run multiple times each night throughout the summer.
It took a year to develop the show, which was inspired by the park’s grand opening ceremony in April 2016. Guests will not only recognize house symbols, like a badger for Hufflepuff and snakes for Slytherin, but the projection mapping technology makes it seem like you’re seeing inside the castle, showing dormitories and even moving staircases. Don’t you just love magic?!
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter brings J.K. Rowling’s beloved book series to life with recreations of fictional locations and shops, including the Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes, and Ollivander’s Wand Shop, where witches and wizards (and muggles) can find their chosen wand. It’s literally a magical place every Harry Potter fan should experience. As Rowling has said, “Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”
Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle begins at Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Hollywood on June 23, 2017 through September. A Christmas lights show is already in the works for later this year.