''A Celebration of Harry Potter'' was an annual three-day weekend event held on the last weekend of January at

Universal Studios Florida Universal Studios Florida (also known as Universal Studios or USF) is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. Primarily themed to movies, television and other aspects of the entertainment industry, the park opened to the public on June 7, 1990 ...

and

Universal Islands of Adventure Universal Islands of Adventure (also known as Islands of Adventure or IOA), originally called Universal Studios Islands of Adventure and later Universal's Islands of Adventure, is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened on May 28, 1 ...

theme parks at

Universal Orlando Resort Universal Orlando Resort, commonly known as Universal Orlando or simply Universal, formerly Universal Studios Escape, is an American theme park and entertainment resort complex based in Orlando, Florida. The resort is operated by Universal Par ...

. The event was a celebration of the fandom of the ''Harry Potter'' books, authored by

J. K. Rowling Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and Philanthropy, philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to ...

, and the ''

Wizarding World The Wizarding World (previously known as J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World) is a fantasy media franchise and shared fictional universe centred on the ''Harry Potter'' novel series by J. K. Rowling. A series of films have been in production since ...

'' franchise, including the ''Harry Potter'' film series and ''Fantastic Beasts'' film series.

Universal Parks & Resorts Universal Parks & Resorts, also known as Universal Studios Theme Parks or solely Universal Theme Parks, is the theme park unit of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. The company, headquartered in Orlando, Florida, operates Universal theme par ...

collaborated with

Warner Bros. Entertainment Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

, who owns the franchise, and Scholastic, publishers of the book series in the United States. The inaugural event took place on the weekend of January 24–26, 2014, and the final event on the weekend of January 26–28, 2018.

Event

The event featured film talent Q&A sessions, discussion panels, special demonstrations, photo-ops, expos from

Pottermore Wizarding World Digital is the digital publishing, e-commerce, entertainment and news company. It offers news, features, and articles as well as new and previously unreleased writing by J. K. Rowling regarding the Wizarding World. The site featu ...

, the ''Wizarding World'' franchise, Scholastic, graphic designer company MinaLima, and film props and costumes brought in from Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of ''Harry Potter'' in Leavesden and ''Harry Potter'': The Exhibition. Talent Q&A sessions, discussion panels and special demonstrations were held between the Universal Music Plaza Stage at Universal Studios Florida and the Toon Lagoon Amphitheater at Universal's Islands of Adventure, while photo-ops and expos were held between Universal Studios' Soundstage 33 and Soundstage 21. During the event's debut in 2014, the Diagon Alley expansion phase of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Florida, which was set to open that same year, was still under construction at the time, raising an expectation of the new area of the theme park among the celebration's attendees.

Guests in attendance

Many actors from the films have attended the celebration, some in multiple occasions, including: Matthew Lewis (2014, 2016, 2017),

James and Oliver Phelps James Andrew Eric Phelps and Oliver Martyn John Phelps (born 25 February 1986) are English actors and identical twin brothers. They are known for playing Fred and George Weasley in the ''Harry Potter (film series), Harry Potter'' film seri ...

(2014, 2015, 2018),

Evanna Lynch Evanna Patricia Lynch (born 16 August 1991) is an Irish actress and activist. She is best known for portraying Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter (film series), ''Harry Potter'' film series. Born in County Louth, Ireland, Lynch made her film de ...

(2014–2016),

Devon Murray Devon Michael Murray (born 28 October 1988) is an Irish actor, best known for playing Seamus Finnigan in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. Early life and career Devon Michael Murray was born on 28 October 1988 in County Kildare, Ireland. When ...

(2014), Mark Williams (2014),

Michael Gambon Sir Michael John Gambon (; born 19 October 1940) is an Irish-English actor. Regarded as one of Ireland and Britain's most distinguished actors, he is known for his work on stage and screen. Gambon started his acting career with Laurence Olivi ...

(2015),

Robbie Coltrane Anthony Robert McMillan (30 March 195014 October 2022), known professionally as Robbie Coltrane, was a Scottish actor and comedian. He gained worldwide recognition in the 2000s for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. He ...

(2015),

Rupert Grint Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint (; born 24 August 1988) is an English actor. Grint rose to fame for his role as Ron Weasley in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, for which he was cast at age eleven, having previously acted only in school plays an ...

(2016),

Bonnie Wright Bonnie Francesca Wright''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 17 February 1991) is an English actress, filmmaker, and environmental activist. She is best known for her role as Ginny Weasley ...

(2016, 2018),

Katie Leung Katie Leung (born 8 August 1987; ) is a Scottish actress. Initially famous for playing Cho Chang, the titular character's first love interest in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, she is also known for her roles as Caitlyn in the animated se ...

(2016),

Tom Felton Thomas Andrew Felton (born 22 September 1987) is an English actor best known for playing Draco Malfoy in the film adaptations of the ''Harry Potter'' fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling. Born in Surrey, Felton began appearing in commercials and ...

(2017),

Jason Isaacs Jason Isaacs (born 6 June 1963) is an English actor. Isaac's film roles include Col. Tavington in '' The Patriot'' (2000), Michael D. Steele in '' Black Hawk Down'' (2001), Lucius Malfoy in the ''Harry Potter'' film series (2002–2011), C ...

(2017),

Warwick Davis Warwick Ashley Davis (born 3 February 1970) is an English actor. He played the title character in ''Willow'' (1988) and the ''Leprechaun'' film series (1993–2003), several characters in the ''Star Wars'' film series (1983–2019), most nota ...

(2017),

Stanislav Ianevski Stanislav Ianevski (; born Stanislav Rumenov Yanevski, bg, Станислав Руменов Яневски; on 16 May 1985), is a Bulgarian actor best known for playing Viktor Krum in the 2005 fantasy film '' Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' ...

(2018) and

Natalia Tena Natalia Gastiain Tena (born 1 November 1984) is a British actress and musician. She is known for playing Nymphadora Tonks in the ''Harry Potter'' film series (2007-2011), and the wildling Osha in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011-2013 ...

(2018). Other attendees have included

Kazu Kibuishi Kazuhiro "Kazu" Kibuishi (born April 8, 1978) is a Japanese-born American graphic novel author and illustrator. He is best known for being the creator and editor of the comic anthology ''Flight'' and for creating the webcomic ''Copper''. He is al ...

, illustrator of the 15th anniversary editions of the ''Harry Potter'' book series in the US; graphic designer company MinaLima, led by partners Eduardo Lima and Miraphora Mina, who are the graphic designers of all ''Harry Potter'' and ''Fantastic Beasts'' films; Paul Harris, choreographer of the wand combat scenes of the fifth ''Harry Potter'' film;

Brian Selznick Brian Selznick (born July 14, 1966) is an American illustrator and author best known as the writer of ''The Invention of Hugo Cabret'' (2007), '' Wonderstruck'' (2011), ''The Marvels'' (2015) and ''Kaleidoscope'' (2021). He won the 2008 Caldecot ...

, illustrator of the 20th anniversary editions of the ''Harry Potter'' book series in the US; and

Jany Temime Jany Temime is a French costume designer. She is best known for her work on the final six films in the Harry Potter (film series), ''Harry Potter'' film series, each of which garnered her Saturn Award nominations. She won the Costume Designers ...

, costume designer of the ''Harry Potter'' films, from the

third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (d ...

to the final film.

Tributes

After the passing of

Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of the Royal Shakespe ...

in 2016 and

John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned over five decades. Hurt was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors. Director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in t ...

in 2017, who played

Severus Snape Severus Snape is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. He is an exceptionally skilled wizard whose sarcastic, controlled exterior conceals deep emotions and anguish. A Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft ...

and Garrick Ollivander in the films, respectively, attendees paid tribute to both actors. After Rickman's passing, attendees gathered in front of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, outside the London area of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, to raise their wands in his memory. This act was portrayed in the sixth ''Harry Potter'' film, after the death of

Albus Dumbledore Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. For most of the series, he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts. As part of his backstory, it is revealed that he is ...

, and has been repeated on informal occasions at the passing of many actors of the ''Harry Potter'' films. One attendee placed a single

lily ''Lilium'' () is a genus of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in mu ...

in front of the potions classroom door of the queue of

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a motion-based dark ride located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-themed areas of Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida; Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California; Universal St ...

, not only as a symbol of Rickman's passing, but also his character's love for

Lily Potter The Order of the Phoenix is a secret organisation in the ''Harry Potter'' series of fiction books written by J. K. Rowling. Founded by Albus Dumbledore to fight Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, the Order lends its name to the ...

. After Hurt's passing, attendees gathered in front of Ollivander's Wand Shop at both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade and paid tribute to the actor with their wands in the air as well.

Cancellation

In September 2018, Universal announced ''A Celebration of Harry Potter'' would not take place in 2019 as focus shifted towards the construction of

Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is a multiple-launch steel motorbike roller coaster located at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade section of Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure theme park. The attraction op ...

, which at the time was not yet officially named and opened on June 13, 2019. After no announcement was made for a 2020 edition for a second year in a row, ''A Celebration of Harry Potter'' was ultimately cancelled while Universal never made an official announcement regarding its future.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Celebration of Harry Potter, A

Event

Guests in attendance

Tributes

Cancellation

See also

References