Halloween Horror Nights will be here before you know it — and this year, some familiar faces are returning too. Universal Orlando announced the first details for this year’s horrific event, marking the beloved party’s thirty-fifth anniversary, and we now know who’ll be bringing the screams as this year’s icons.
For 2026, Halloween Horror Nights will transform Universal Studios Florida into the “Infernal Carnival of Nightmares,” a fear-fueled festival run by two legendary characters from HHN history: Jack the Clown, who’s appeared in numerous houses, scare zones, and more since his debut in 2000, and Doctor Oddfellow, a returning icon who first appeared as the icon of Halloween Horror Nights 32. The two nemeses — a clown who ran away to the circus and the circus’s sadistic ringmaster — will serve as duel icons for the special anniversary event.
But they wouldn’t be icons if they didn’t have their own house, and Universal certainly isn’t skimping on that. The first haunted house announced for this year’s event is Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control, which sends guests into the dark depths of the carnival to discover the origins of the icons’ undying rivalry. “As chaos and control collide,” the description says, “the two Icons battle for dominance until they ultimately discover that the only way to obtain the power they seek is not to fight each other – but to join forces instead.”
The first HHN merch for this year is also available now, with fans able to snag Jack & Oddfellow t-shirts (and a cute Jack plushie!) at select retail shops in Universal Studios or online. We’re still a good while away from this year’s Horror Nights, which begin on August 28, so more house announcements and merch drops will certainly be coming soon.
For more information on Halloween Horror Nights and to pick up some iconic (get it?) merch, you can check out Universal Orlando’s website.
