Every August, Midsummer Scream, the world’s largest halloween and horror convention descends on the Long Beach convention center with amazing vendors, costumed characters, really cool shows, haunted houses and presentation by the biggest haunt events in Southern California. This years theme is celebrating one of my favorite things – Horror Musicals! We’re talking Sweeney Todd, Phantom of the Opera, Little Shop of Horrors, and even a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Repo:The Genetic Opera, Darren Lynn Bousman’s venerable cult classic starring Anthony Head, Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvino, Sarah Brightman, Paris Hilton, and Bill Moseley. Darren Lynn Bousman and Bill Moseley are confirmed as special guests, with more cast and crew to be announced.
“This year’s theme is for all of the theatre kids that are a huge part of the haunt and horror community,” said David Markland, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Midsummer Scream. “We will be honoring horror musicals of all kinds with a variety of panels, presentations, and performances all weekend.” Markland continued, “But if musicals aren’t your thing, we won’t have any less for horror fans looking to satisfy their thirst for slashers, scares, and gore.”
Additional special celebrity guests coming to Midsummer Scream include Matthew Lillard (Scream, Five Nights at Freddy’s), Barry Bostwick (Rocky Horror Picture Show), Jasmin Savoy Brown (Scream 5, 6, and 7, Yellowjackets), and many more to be announced.
The Hall of Shadows will be open all three days, featuring more than a dozen haunted attractions and displays set within a massive, darkened area of the convention center. This fog-filled “scream park” is included with all passes to Midsummer Scream, with many of the attractions featuring priority queues for VIP/Gold Bat passholders. Haunters this year include Eulogy Collective, Fear Farm, Straite to Hale Productions, H&L’s Realm of Horror, The Dreich Society, CalHauntS, The Haunt With No Name… Yet, Decayed Brigade, and many more.
Throughout the weekend, Midsummer Scream will present a robust schedule of world-class panel presentations featuring Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, Knott’s Scary Farm, Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group (Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, Delusion, Magic of the Jack O’Lanterns, and Festival Fright Nights at Winchester Mystery House), Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest, and more Halloween events.
This event runs August 7-9, 2026 and tickets are on sale now at MidsummerScream.org
