IMPORTANT - Back to Hogwarts location moved! Avoid King’s Cross this September 2026!

[Dumbledore]

Okay, this is going to catch a few Harry Potter fans out…

This year’s free event is by the Tower of London!

If you normally head to King’s Cross on 1 September for the annual Back to Hogwarts celebrations, there’s been a change this year.
There will be no official Harry Potter event, countdown or announcement at King’s Cross Station on 1 September 2026.
So if you were planning on standing around Platform 9¾ waiting for something magical to happen… probably save yourself the journey.
Instead, the official London celebration is moving to Old Billingsgate, right by the Thames and Tower Bridge.

 

And it sounds like they're going pretty big with it. The event is being called the HBO Max Platform 9¾ Fan Experience, and it takes place on Tuesday 1 September. Entry is free, although you need a ticket to get in.

 

There'll be photo opportunities, activities, giveaways and various Harry Potter experiences, including appearances from Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. There's also a rather nice bit of timing involved this year. 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, so there's a lot more Potter nostalgia floating around than usual.

What the 25th anniversary actually marks

“25 Years of Magic” is a film anniversary, not a book one. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone reached cinemas in 2001; the book came out in 1997, which would make this the 29th year. All eight films are being re-released in cinemas between 27 August and 3 September, with 12 minutes of unseen behind-the-scenes footage attached to the first one, though at the time of writing the confirmed dates cover the US and Canada, so check your local listing before booking.

 

The original film came out in 2001. Think about that for a second… Some people who watched Harry Potter at the cinema as children are now taking their own children to see the films. That's slightly terrifying. There are also celebrations planned around Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is marking ten years since it first opened in London's West End. And there is another big Harry Potter moment happening on 1 September.

The official Harry Potter channels are promising a Back to Hogwarts Showcase, with new announcements and surprises from across the Wizarding World. That's probably the bit I'd be keeping an eye on… because if they're promising “unmissable announcements”, there had better be something worth staying up for.

 

 

So, basically… King's Cross is out. Old Billingsgate is in. And Hogwarts season is officially back.

 

Need to know

• Where: Old Billingsgate, 1 Old Billingsgate Walk, 16 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6DX
• When: Tuesday 1 September 2026, 11am to 7pm, in one-hour timed slots
• Price: Free, but ticketed with advance registration
• Tickets: Released in batches at 11am daily until Friday 28 August, via Eventbrite
• Nearest stations: Monument and Tower Hill, with London Bridge and Fenchurch Street both walkable
• More: harrypotter.com

 

I actually quite like the change. King’s Cross has become so associated with Harry Potter that moving the main event somewhere else could make the whole thing feel a bit more like a proper fan festival rather than thousands of people trying to squeeze around one railway station.

 

 

Although I do feel slightly sorry for anyone who turns up at King's Cross anyway. Imagine arriving in full Hogwarts robes, wand in hand, only to discover you've got the wrong venue.

 

We've all made worse mistakes.

Would you rather have the big Back to Hogwarts event at King’s Cross like previous years, or do you think moving it to a proper event space is a good idea?