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Coming spring 2025: Universal Studios Hollywood will launch “Fan Fest Nights,” an immersive, interactive, after-hours science fiction and fantasy answer to Halloween Horror Nights celebrating Back to the Future, Star Trek, and Dungeons & Dragons.
According to a Universal press release, the event—which will require a separate ticket—aims to “bring the most compelling worlds of sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, and anime to life from the creators of its highly acclaimed Halloween Horror Nights event. Featuring a slate of all-new, thrilling and unique fan favorite experiences, the inaugural Universal Fan Fest Nights 2025” will be “a limited-time, after-hours experience, exclusive to Universal Studios Hollywood, that will showcase a dynamic line-up of captivating, immersive in-world experiences along with engaging celebratory activations throughout the theme park, from live entertainment to cosplay, inviting guests to embrace their favorite characters and share their enthusiasm with like-minded fans.” So what might that entail, you ask? Honestly, your guess it as good as ours.
On the Star Trek front, the park is only said to offer an “experience inspired by the Star Trek universe, one of television’s most enduring franchises, which is known for its groundbreaking storytelling that addresses social, political and cultural issues as well as entertaining millions of fans. Star Trek’s optimistic view of the future and reflection on what it means to be human has inspired generations of dreamers and doers.” Does this mean the park plans to present its patrons with a gauntlet of life or death ethical dilemmas as they make first contact with newly warp-capable species? Or, just like, themed cocktails?
With additional Back to the Future and Dungeons & Dragons-inspired activities, “this breakthrough program will continue to elevate the guest experience in an all-new way,” but unfortunately, further details on what to expect from the park have not been provided. However, the press release notes “fans can look forward to an enticing menu of themed foods and new merchandise, including collectibles, apparel, drinkware, accessories and more, to show off their fandom during Universal Fan Fest Nights and beyond.” So there will be cocktails.
If Halloween Horror Nights is accepted as the template, then you can likely expect stage shows and actors dressed as familiar characters—but since that event is mostly known for its themed haunted houses, we sincerely hope Universal replicates the experience with Star Trek, Back to the Future, and Dungeons & Dragons. Imagine a Star Trek haunted house based on the TOS episode “Catspaw,” or TNG‘s “Sub Rosa,” where the Enterprise fills with fog and becomes a gothic romance novel, to Picard’s chagrin? Dungeons & Dragons could easily provide similar entertainment, with a live-action role playing event in which your party must traverse a gloomy forest of hobgoblins and owlbears. A scary Back to the Future exhibit would have to be the most cerebral of all, with each path you take erasing different historical figures from existence, or maybe even derailing human beings as Earth’s dominant life form. The mind reels.
If you want to learn more—including being notified when tickets go on sale—you can sign up on Universal’s website here.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
