For over thirty years, Universal has been hosting extremely popular Halloween Horror Nights events at their theme parks around the world. These events come along every year and last throughout the Halloween season… and they have been so successful, Universal is now planning to set up a permanent horror-themed entertainment experience. But instead of hosting this permanent experience at their parks in Orlando, Hollywood, Japan, or Singapore, they’re going to set it up in Las Vegas.
A Universal Parks & Resorts spokesperson told Deadline that this year-long, Halloween Horror Nights-inspired experience aims to bring to life Universal’s vast library of classic horror films with a variety of unique, immersive horror-centric experiences, bars and restaurants, seasonal events, and merchandise. The space will also feature a continuously-updated experience with seasonal events.
The spokesperson added that the horror experience will be “the anchor tenant” in a twenty-acre expansion of Las Vegas’ AREA15, which is described as being “an experiential next-gen mall.” The location is a few blocks off the Strip on Rancho Drive, and the horror experience will take up a 110,000 square-foot space.
Universal Parks & Resorts’ Page Thompson provided the following statement: “We are excited to give our global fanbase yet another way to get scared and have fun with fear in the heart of Las Vegas, the perfect place for this type of unique concept.“
The company’s Mark Woodbury added, “At Universal, we bring our distinct brand of storytelling to life by creating the most innovative, immersive, and exciting destinations and experiences for our fans around the world. Broadening our reach to deliver unique concepts for new audiences in new markets is incredibly exciting.“
I have never experienced a Halloween Horror Nights for myself – JoBlo videos like the one embedded at the top of this article are really the closest I’ve ever been to them – but I think it’s awesome that Universal is going to have a horror-themed experience that will be open all year long. Even if it’s not at one of their theme parks.
Are you already planning to visit this horror experience as soon as it opens in Las Vegas? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
Deadline was provided with the following images that give a hint at what the horror experience is going to be like:
