Harry Potter fans planning the traditional 1st September pilgrimage to King’s Cross should take note – there will be no official Back to Hogwarts event, countdown or announcement at King’s Cross station this year.
Instead, the main London celebration is moving across town to Old Billingsgate, next to the Tower of London, where HBO Max will host a one-day fan event ahead of the new Harry Potter television series arriving this Christmas.
Back to Hogwarts at Old Billingsgate
The one-day celebration is inspired by the forthcoming HBO Original series Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and will include interactive experiences, exclusive giveaways and a preview of the new adaptation ahead of its debut at Christmas.
Admission is free, but tickets will be required.
Tickets will be released in daily batches at 11am from 24th to 28th August from here.
The event takes place on Tuesday 1st September 2026.
Information
Location: Old Billingsgate Market, 1 Old Billingsgate Walk (Riverside, 16 Lower Thames St, London EC3R 6DX).
All guests require a ticket, including young children. Guests must bring a valid form of ID that matches the registrant’s name.
Tickets are timed and only valid for the time slot displayed on them.
New tickets will be released for each slot daily at 11am from 24th August 2026 to 28th August 2026.
Guests should arrive no earlier than 40 minutes before the allotted time slot and no later than 10 minutes prior to the allotted time slot as entry will not be permitted.
Guests will need to be able to wait in queue for up to 40 minutes. No seating will be provided while in queue.
Under 18 guests must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
The experience is free of charge.
The experience is timed and will last 60 minutes with the opportunity to leave earlier. All guests must leave the experience when directed.