The Full HHN 35 Lineup at a Glance

Halloween Horror Nights 35 is Universal Orlando’s biggest haunt event of the year, and 2026’s edition wraps every house, scare zone, and show inside a single dark framework: the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, or I.C.O.N. This is the twisted carnival dreamed up by returning icons Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow, whose rivalry anchors the whole event. Eight of the ten Orlando houses are confirmed as of July 2026, with the final two expected to drop before opening night on August 28.

Here is the confirmed Orlando house list before we rank it:

• Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control — original icon house
• Stranger Things 5 — licensed IP (Netflix)
• Hellraiser — licensed IP (first-ever HHN Hellraiser house)
• Sinners — licensed IP (2025 vampire film)
• Madlands: Caged Cannibals — original concept
• H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular — original / returning host
• Cybergoria — original concept
• INVASION: Alien Abduction — original concept
• Two houses TBA

Universal Studios Hollywood runs its own HHN lineup on the West Coast with some shared and some exclusive mazes. For this ranking we focus on the Orlando build, which is the larger, ten-house event.

Original Concept Houses Ranked

Original houses are where Universal’s creative team shows off, and they are usually where the event’s most memorable scares live. Here is how we rank the 2026 originals from a haunt-authority perspective, weighing originality, set design potential, and scare density.

1. Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control

The flagship icon house journeys into the origins of Jack and Dr. Oddfellow’s undying rivalry, then unleashes both of them on guests at once. Icon houses tend to be the emotional center of any HHN, and with two legacy characters sharing the spotlight, this is the must-do house of the event. Expect dense theming, elaborate clown-carnival sets, and the highest scare-actor count on the lot.

2. Cybergoria

A cold sci-fi nightmare in which humanity’s cybernetic caretakers strip away human flesh in pursuit of forced immortality. The premise gives designers room for chrome corridors, surgical horror, and body-horror reveals that stand apart from the usual slasher fare. Originality points are high here.

3. Madlands: Caged Cannibals

A defunct zoo overrun by warring cannibal factions who have taken their animal instincts to feral extremes. Territorial, hungry, and hunting you — this one leans into raw, grimy shock value and should reward guests who like their haunts aggressive.

4. H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular

The macabre maître d’ returns to WKNB with a curated scare-athon of Halloween favorites — ghouls, gore, and retro-broadcast theming. It is more of a fan-service anthology house than a single-narrative maze, which is why it lands slightly lower, but nostalgia fans will love it.

5. INVASION: Alien Abduction

Details remain thin as of publication, but the alien-abduction premise promises strobe-heavy, otherworldly sequences. We will move it up the ranking once Universal releases full details.

Licensed IP Houses Ranked

Licensed houses are the crowd magnets — they draw the longest lines because guests want to walk through worlds they already love. Payoff depends on how well the source material translates to a walkthrough.

1. Stranger Things 5

The final season gets a brand-new maze that drops guests into Hawkins — the Wheeler house, Hawkins National Laboratory, the MAC-Z military base, the Upside Down, and the Abyss — while Demogorgons and Vecna hunt at every turn. Universal’s previous Stranger Things houses have been event highlights, and season 5 gives the design team fresh, high-stakes material. This is the top licensed draw of HHN 35.

2. Hellraiser

For the first time ever, Hellraiser gets an officially licensed HHN house, drawing from the first three films. Pinhead and the Cenobites are tailor-made for a haunt — chains, hooks, and the puzzle-box mythology should produce some of the event’s most striking imagery. A landmark house for franchise fans.

3. Sinners

Set in 1930s Mississippi, the Smokestack Twins’ juke joint turns bloody when Remmick’s vampires crash the party. Adapting the 2025 vampire hit into a maze gives designers a rich period setting and a strong villain. A fresh IP that could surprise people who go in with low expectations.

Which Houses Are Worth the Wait?

If you only have one night, our recommended touring order is simple: hit the licensed houses that draw the biggest lines first — Stranger Things 5 and Hellraiser at rope drop — then work through the originals, saving Jack & Oddfellow for a late-night second lap when lines thin near closing. Original houses like Cybergoria and Madlands tend to hold shorter waits, so they make ideal mid-evening filler.

An Express Pass is worth the upcharge on peak Friday and Saturday nights in mid-to-late October, when standby waits can exceed 90 minutes per house. On earlier weeknights in September, a standard ticket plus an early arrival will usually get you through all ten houses without it.

HHN 35 Dates, Tickets & What to Expect

Beyond the houses, here is the practical planning info for a 2026 visit. HHN 35 runs on select nights from August 28 through November 1 — it is not open every single night, so check the event calendar before booking travel. General admission tickets start lower on September weeknights and climb toward peak October Saturdays; multi-night, Frequent Fear, and Express passes are all sold, and buying online in advance is the norm. Beyond the ten houses, expect several outdoor scare zones themed to the Infernal Carnival, live shows, and the event’s signature food and specialty-drink menus. Doors typically open in the evening after the daytime theme park winds down, and the event runs late into the night.

Orlando vs. Hollywood: Key Differences

Universal Studios Hollywood runs its own Halloween Horror Nights with a smaller maze count and its own exclusive lineup, plus the Terror Tram experience unique to the West Coast. Some IP mazes appear at both coasts, but each event builds distinct houses, so a house on this Orlando list is not guaranteed in Hollywood. If you are choosing between them, Orlando offers more houses per night; Hollywood offers the Terror Tram and a more compact footprint. If you are pairing HHN with other Central Florida haunts on the same trip, the Orlando area has a strong independent haunt scene worth building into your itinerary.

Planning your Orlando haunt trip? Browse more Central Florida haunted attractions for the same weekend in the Haunt Harvester Florida directory and find your scares near the parks.