By Charly SHELTON

I go to Halloween Horror Nights every year and there are always standouts. One or two houses that justify the wait, a great scare zone, some impressive effects and at least one thing I immediately want to go through again.

This year, the problem is picking a favorite.

Halloween Horror Nights 2026 is one of the strongest events Universal Studios Hollywood has put on in years. That’s nothing against the last several seasons – there have been some fantastic houses – but this year almost everything works. The properties are great, the production value is off the charts and Universal is playing with some genuinely interesting new effects rather than simply finding new places for someone who has a chainsaw to jump out.

For me, the battle for best house comes down to Sinners and Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness. Sinners brings the film’s 1930s Mississippi juke joint to life with fantastic atmosphere and some great vampire scares, while Ozzy is something completely different. It’s part haunted house, part rock-and-roll fever dream and part tribute to the late Prince of Darkness, moving through imagery and music from his solo career. And somehow, those aren’t runaway winners because the rest of the lineup is so good.

KILLceañera: Music by Slash revisits some familiar Latin American monsters from previous years, something Universal rarely does, but puts them into a completely new setting with an original score by Slash. Even Killer Klowns from Outer Space, which has appeared at Horror Nights several times, is still a fun, goofy house. I’ve just seen the Klowns enough times that, surrounded by so many shiny new toys, they don’t hold quite the same allure.

The biggest surprise may be Fortnitemares. It isn’t necessarily Universal’s scariest scare zone, but it may be one of its best. The elaborate costumes and characters from the video game are impressive but what sells it is the performers. Everyone seems to be having an absolute blast, which makes it a place worth hanging around rather than simply walking through on the way to another house.

And then there’s the food. Universal’s theme park food has historically been hit or miss for me, with a few great dishes among plenty of standard theme park fare. This year’s Horror Nights menu is a substantial step up. I tried something from every property represented at the event and, with the notable exception of the Sinners restaurant, almost everything ranged from good to excellent.

The standout was the crazy train coconut curry chickpea burrito from the Ozzy-themed food and bar location. It may genuinely be the best thing I’ve eaten at Universal Studios Hollywood. Curry and pineapple bring spice, sweetness and bright acidity together in a combination that sounds strange on paper but works beautifully on a tortilla. Other pairings throughout the menu – black licorice and root beer, amaro and espresso – show the same willingness to get weird with flavors while still making actual good food, rather than settling for something Instagrammable with a clever name.

Not everything is flawless. Evil Dead Burn, in particular, relies heavily on familiarity with the new movie and may leave anyone who hasn’t seen it wondering exactly what is happening. But even the weaker points are surrounded by so much good material that they hardly diminish the event.

There is simply too much here to rush through. Universal Express is absolutely worth considering, not just to see every house but to leave enough time to actually enjoy the event – hang around Fortnitemares, interact with the Death Eaters in Hogsmeade and, ideally, get back a second or third time into Sinners or Ozzy.

This is a year to see every house even if the wait is long. There are a lot of options for Halloween events around LA and Southern California at large, but the conversation always comes back to Halloween Horror Nights or Knott’s Scary Farm because those are the big two and Halloween fans usually hit at least one if not both every single season. CV Weekly has been invited to cover both, so I’ll reserve judgment as to which one is better this year until the issue of Sept. 24 when we will have a full write up on the Knott’s Scary Farm event as well. 

But having seen HHN already, I can say that Knott’s has a daunting challenge for the title of Best Haunt 2026.

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood starts nightly at 7 p.m. through Nov. 1. Note: The event may be too intense for young children and is not recommended for children under the age of 13. Costumes subject to costume policy; no costume masks allowed. Admission prices start at $77 per person.