You Are Cordially Invited to the First-Ever “Harry Potter: Wizards Unite” Fan Festival

by · June 30, 2019

The majority of fans may have only just got their hands on the game, but Niantic and WB Games, in collaboration with the City of Indianapolis, have already announced the first Harry Potter: Wizards Unite fan festival! The festival will take place over Labor Day weekend, August 31–September 1, and will be held in the picturesque White River State Park in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Following previous events hosted for Pokémon GO, another of Niantic’s games with a strikingly similar setup, it’s likely that ticket holders can expect to look forward to a packed weekend of special events and exclusive rewards and perhaps even get sneak peeks or learn new secrets about the game! Going by the description of the event, it is clear that all attendees will have access to a number of interactive adventures that will merge the in-game experience with its real-world setting. Many players will have largely played the game by themselves until the festival, so this will present an incredible opportunity for them to meet other players as they fight to solve the Calamity that threatens to expose the magical world.

Bill Kilday, Vice President of Marketing and Live Events, spoke of his excitement at bringing this opportunity to players of the game.

Real-world events are part of Niantic’s DNA, bringing players from all walks of life together in the name of adventure, exploration and creating lasting friendships. The incredible White River State Park is surrounded by the rich culture and history of Indianapolis and will be the perfect location for our inaugural Harry Potter: Wizards Unite event.

Leonard Hoops, President and CEO of Visit Indy, is particularly looking forward to presenting the beauty of the area to those who are visiting for the event.

We’re delighted to welcome thousands of wizards and witches playing Harry Potter: Wizards Unite to Indy over Labor Day weekend. Our long history of hosting gamers from around the world and delivering large-scale events makes Indy the perfect place to launch this first-of-its-kind event, an event [that] will also put Indy’s culture and local businesses on full display in front of a global audience.

If this event does well, then it’s entirely possible that Niantic will take the festival on the road so that more fans across the world will have the chance to play alongside one another. In the meantime though, players will get to explore Indianapolis and White River State Park as they discover artifacts and encounter various fantastic beasts.

Fans will need to enter into a forthcoming lottery to win the chance to buy tickets, with further information to be announced soon. However, fans can already start preparing for the weekend since Niantic has procured access to special hotel rates.

Are you tempted to buy a ticket? What activities do you hope the festival puts on?

Press Release

First Real-[W]orld Harry Potter: Wizards Unite Fan Festival Brings the Magic to Indianapolis on Labor Day Weekend 2019

Niantic and WB Games Invite Witches and Wizards around the World to Indianapolis for a Weekend of Adventure, Exploration and Community

San Francisco & Indianapolis—June 27, 2019—Niantic, Inc. and WB Games, in collaboration with the City of Indianapolis, announced the first[-]ever real-world event for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, the hit augmented reality (AR) mobile game played by millions of wizards and witches around the world, will be coming to Indianapolis from August 31 - September 1. The Harry Potter: Wizards Unite Fan Festival will take place at the White River State Park where players will be able to engage in a variety of interactive experiences bridging the in-game experience with the real world.

“Real-world events are part of Niantic’s DNA, bringing players from all walks of life together in the name of adventure, exploration and creating lasting friendships,” said Bill Kilday, Vice President of marketing and live events, Niantic. “The incredible White River State Park is surrounded by the rich culture and history of Indianapolis and will be the perfect location for our inaugural Harry Potter: Wizards Unite event.”

The first-ever real-world event for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite will welcome players to Indianapolis to investigate the chaotic magical activity that is leaking into the Muggle world and work together to solve the mystery of this Calamity. Players will explore Indianapolis and the beautiful White River State Park to discover mysterious artifacts, cast spells, and encounter fantastic beasts alongside their friends and other players.

“We’re delighted to welcome thousands of wizards and witches playing Harry Potter: Wizards Unite to Indy over Labor Day weekend," said Leonard Hoops, President, [sic] and CEO of Visit Indy. "Our long history of hosting gamers from around the world and delivering large-scale events makes Indy the perfect place to launch this first-of-its-kind event, an event [that] will also put Indy’s culture and local businesses on full display in front of a global audience.”

Over the last eight years, Niantic has been developing and producing real-world events as key elements of their real-world mobile games portfolio, which includes Ingress and Pokémon GO. From community[-]driven meetups to large-scale produced events welcoming tens of thousands of players in a weekend, Niantic has hosted millions of players at events that have taken place across hundreds of cities and locations around the world.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is co-published and co-developed by Niantic, Inc. and WB Games under the Portkey Games label. The innovative AR game is built on the Niantic Real World Platform and created using the game design and content creation expertise of WB Games San Francisco. As new recruits of the Statute of Secrecy Task Force, players will investigate the chaotic magical activity that is leaking into the Muggle world and work together to solve the mystery of this Calamity. Players will be able to explore their real-world neighborhoods and cities to discover mysterious artifacts, cast spells, and encounter fantastic beasts and iconic characters along the way.

More information about the first-ever Harry Potter: Wizards Unite event and how fans can enter the lottery for a chance to buy tickets will be announced in the coming weeks. For more details, please visit www.harrypotterwizardsunite.com/fanfestival.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is rolling out globally and can be downloaded by players in the launch regions for free on the App Store for iPhone, Google Play for Android devices and the Samsung Galaxy Apps Store for Samsung devices.

To stay up to date on Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, please visit www.harrypotterwizardsunite.com to receive the latest information about the game, and follow the game on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.