Horror forever
www.parkworld-online.com
Welcome to the horror show
Halloween may still be horror’s biggest stage, but the industry’s appetite for scares no longer ends on October 31st. Tom Anstey reports.
F
or theme parks, getting the adrenaline pumping is a multi-billion-dollar business. Of course, you have your traditional thrill rides
and rollercoasters, which are the bread and butter of any operation, but there’s one time of year that reigns supreme for revenue – Halloween. To understand exactly how much the season
is worth, when you take everything into account (costumes, sweets, events etc), the Halloween market in the US alone is worth an estimated US$13.1bn annually. According to the National Retail Federation, around 73% of Americans participate in Halloween celebrations each year, making it one of the world’s largest seasonal consumer events outside of Christmas. For the attractions industry, the numbers are
equally striking. Across the US, haunted attractions welcomed
an estimated 28.5 million visitors during the 2023 Halloween season, generating roughly US$413m in ticket revenue and contributing more than
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US$1.2bn in wider economic impact through hotels, restaurants and tourism spending. For parks, Halloween events consistently
generate profit margins of 25% or higher, largely due to premium-priced tickets and captive audiences. Attendance shifts are also dramatic, with October in the US accounting for up to 20% of annual attendance. In the UK, attractions like the Merlin-operated Thorpe Park generates 46% of its annual profit from its Halloween events, drawing huge crowds that regularly exceed the peak summer month of August. Over the course of the last 35 years, what was
once viewed as a niche seasonal offering has evolved into a major entertainment category in its own right. Thinking about the staggering numbers behind ‘spooky season’, it’s probably not a surprise that more and more operators are seeking to tap into that revenue generation year-round, asking the obvious question: why should horror only exist for a few weeks each year?
Horror goes mainstream No company has shaped the modern horror attractions market more than Universal. In 1991 it launched its three-night event ‘Fright
Nights’ at Universal Orlando Resort. Starting with a single haunted house, the event has evolved into the phenomenon that is Halloween Horror Nights, which today spans dozens of nights, multiple parks, blockbuster intellectual properties and millions of visitors worldwide. In Orlando alone, the event attracts well over 1.5 million guests annually, with attendance reaching up to 35,000 visitors per night. Such is its value in terms of revenue generation,
industry estimates suggest Universal spends upwards of US$100m annually producing its horror events globally. That investment has transformed horror from a niche subculture into mainstream experiential entertainment. So, what’s the secret to the success? Well, it’s relatively simple. The formula combines major IPs,
SUMMER 2026
Jack and Chance at Universal Horror Unleashed
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