“Harry Potter” Exhibit Roundup: Studio Tour in 2024, Forbidden Forest in Melbourne, and Auckland Refuses Fantastic Beasts
We’re coming to the end of an incredible year for wizarding world experiences, from Harry Potter: The Exhibition opening in several cities worldwide to the announcement of the all-new, immersive Harry Potter: Visions of Magic. Don’t be too sad, though – there’s plenty already announced for next year!
Studio Tour London Events for 2024
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London has already announced the outline of its schedule for 2024, with three major events all returning from previous years. To kick off the year, Magical Mischief will run from January 20 to April 16. This is the third year the event, which celebrates the trickery needed to pull off the magical shenanigans of the films, has been featured on the calendar. Fans can try their hand at making a Howler, explore the commotion of a pranked Great Hall, and check out a wide variety of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes products.
Next up on the schedule is the Studio’s Halloween event, Dark Arts. Death Eaters will be parading through the tour between September 13 and November 10, 2024. The Great Hall will be decked out with pumpkins and other spooky decorations, and the Dark Mark will be projected throughout the experience. Visitors can also take part in wand combat lessons taught by Paul Harris, wand choreographer for four of the Harry Potter films.
Hogwarts in the Snow will also return. The Christmas-themed event is currently running until January 14, 2024, and appears on next year’s calendar from November 16, 2024, to January 19, 2025. There are no details about what next year’s event entails, but given this year’s incredible decorations and snow-covered shop fronts, we’re sure the festivity will be dialed up to the maximum.
Melbourne’s Forbidden Forest Experience
Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience has been traversing the US this year, but 2024 will see the interactive woodland trail go global again. It was announced last month that the experience will head to Singapore in February, and now we know its next stop will be in Melbourne, Australia. Fans will be able to explore the depths of the Forbidden Forest beginning April 6 at the Briars in Mount Martha, casting spells and coming face to face with magical creatures, drinks, and food from across the wizarding world. Tickets go on general sale on Wednesday, December 20, but there is a waitlist you can join to access an earlier release.
Auckland Museum Cancels Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature
While Melbourne will gain a wizarding world experience next year, it has also recently lost one, with Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature closing in the city in October. This traveling museum exhibit explores conservationism through the lens of the wizarding world. And according to a report from the Spinoff, the exhibit was meant to make its way to the Auckland Museum in New Zealand in March 2024, but the museum quietly turned down the opportunity to host after an anti-trans activist toured the country and caused protests. The museum reportedly feared that comments made by J.K. Rowling on transgender rights could cause a similar reaction if the exhibit were to open. The decision leaves the future of the exhibit uncertain, as there now isn’t any upcoming location booked.
Harry Potter: The Exhibition Updates
There are several updates about Harry Potter: The Exhibition. The innovative experience is now open in Barcelona and Macao. In Barcelona, the exhibition opened on November 17 at Port Vell, and Spanish fans will be able to visit and enjoy the experience until April 7, 2024. Chinese fans in Macao, meanwhile, will have a shorter window to experience the magic. The exhibit opened on December 15 at the Londoner and will run only until February 29, 2024. After Macao, we have a whole new location to announce. The exhibition will head to the Kleine Olympiahalle in Munich, Germany, on May 10, 2024, and will run until September 5.
Harry Potter: Visions of Magic Debuts in Germany
The brand-new art experience Harry Potter: Visions of Magic is making its first tour stop in Cologne, Germany. It opened on December 8 at the Odysseum. Admission prices are €26.90 for adults and €20.90 for children, and it’s estimated to take 60 to 90 minutes to tour the 3,000-square-meter exhibit.
That’s everything we know about wizarding world experiences next year. Have you already visited these experiences when they were at a location near you, or is next year the first time you’ll be able to check them out?
