• By MuggleNet Editorial Staff
• 17 Aug, 2026
• Latest

The mystery surrounding HBO’s big Back to Hogwarts event has finally cleared up. If you are going to be in London on September 1, you may want to set an alarm for next week.

HBO Max has revealed the location and ticket details for its first Back to Hogwarts celebration built around the upcoming Harry Potter television series. The free event, officially called Back to Hogwarts: The HBO Max Platform 9¾ Fan Experience, will take over Old Billingsgate in London on Tuesday, September 1. The Eventbrite listing currently puts the experience between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Tickets will not all appear at once. Instead, HBO says batches will be released at 11 a.m. BST each day from August 24 through August 28, giving prospective attendees five chances to get through the barrier.

And we finally have a better idea of what is waiting on the other side.

The New Harry Potter Series Is The Star of the Experience

When HBO first announced its London plans in July, it promised a one-day celebration inspired by the forthcoming series but kept the location and most of the specifics secret. The official Harry Potter site called it a “first-of-its-kind” Back to Hogwarts celebration and teased interactive activities and giveaways.

Now HBO is promising magical surprises, photo opportunities, giveaways, gaming experiences, and activities drawing from across the Harry Potter universe.

The part that immediately caught our attention, though, is the announcement’s promise of a “glimpse into the HBO Original series Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone“.

What exactly constitutes a “glimpse” remains wonderfully (or frustratingly) vague. HBO has not said whether attendees should expect new footage, costumes, props, recreations from the production, or something entirely different. So, before we all collectively decide that this means Trailer No. 2: no, another trailer has not been announced. Yet.

But we certainly wouldn’t object.

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Back to Hogwarts Has a New London Home, At Least for a Day

Old Billingsgate sits on the north bank of the Thames in the City of London. The building was once home to the historic Billingsgate fish market before being converted into an events venue. Its former market floor is now a large event hall used for exhibitions and other major gatherings.

In other words, HBO has considerably more room to create its own version of Platform 9¾ than it would have in the middle of an operating railway station.

One thing that is important to note: King’s Cross will once again not host an official Back to Hogwarts event this year. The official Harry Potter site is specifically asking people not to travel there expecting a countdown, announcement, or departure-board appearance on September 1.

The traditional King’s Cross gathering had grown enormously by its final years. Thousands of people reportedly attended the last full celebration there in 2023, creating difficulties for the station and ordinary rail passengers. The official countdown was dropped beginning in 2024.

It Is Only One Part of a Very Busy September 1

Even without King’s Cross, London will have plenty going on.

The annual Back to Hogwarts Showcase will stream on the official Harry Potter YouTube and TikTok channels on September 1, with announcements and surprises expected from around the franchise. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London will also mark 11 a.m. with a special announcement and additional broadcasts at its Platform 9¾ throughout the day.

This year additionally coincides with the 25th anniversary of the first Harry Potter film, with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone returning to cinemas around the world during the Back to Hogwarts period.

Still, HBO’s Old Billingsgate event may be the one to watch most closely. Back to Hogwarts has traditionally been about returning to a version of the Wizarding World we already know. This time, some attendees will apparently get their first peek at the version we are about to meet.

Back to Hogwarts: The HBO Max Platform 9¾ Fan Experience takes place at Old Billingsgate in London on September 1. Admission is free, with ticket batches scheduled to be released daily at 11 a.m. BST from August 24 through August 28 while availability lasts.

Photograph by Aidan Monaghan/HBO