Record demand: Vancouver’s Harry Potter forest ticket sales top all previous cities | Urbanized

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Record demand: Vancouver's Harry Potter forest ticket sales top all previous cities | Urbanized

The spell of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter remains as strong as ever.

Nearly 15 years after the premiere of the last movie of one of the most successful film franchises of all time — based on a book series often credited with getting hundreds of millions of young readers excited about books — the magic of Harry Potter continues to captivate fans around the world.

Anticipation is building for the forthcoming Harry Potter live-action television series from HBO, which promises to be a 10-year-long, faithful, detailed adaptation of the best-selling book series ever. The HBO series aims to introduce the Wizarding World to a new generation of fans while rekindling nostalgia for those who grew up with it. Acclaimed actor John Lithgow will play the role of Albus Dumbledore, marking a high-profile casting for the big-budget production, with filming already well underway.

Next year will also mark the 10th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — the highly acclaimed, award-winning stage play production set many years after the tumultuous events of the final book.

Apart from a brief pause during the height of the pandemic, the London production — the original stage play — has been running since its 2016 debut, becoming a fixture of the West End and one of its most enduring and in-demand shows.

The stage play’s success has extended far beyond London, with additional productions staged around the world. At the 2,300-seat Ed Mirvish Theatre in downtown Toronto, the production ran for 444 performances over more than a year, concluding in July 2023 — making it the longest-running stage play in Canadian history. In Melbourne, the production also wrapped that same month after 1,300 performances, becoming the longest-running stage play in Australia. Currently, a touring version of the stage play is making its way across U.S. cities.

At the same time, Wizarding World attractions and rides, found at full-scale lands at Universal Studios theme parks around the world, continue to draw millions of visitors each year and remain the most popular and highly-rated experiences at Universal theme parks.

And this is no exception at Epic Universe. Universal Studios has shown its confidence in the future of the franchise with its major investment at the newly opened Epic Universe theme park, where the massive Ministry of Magic land has already emerged as the standout favourite among visitors at this particular theme park.

Also in London, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour of The Making of Harry Potter — located at the very studios where the films were shot over a decade — is a vast immersive studio tour experience and indoor theme park that allows guests to walk through real sets, props, and special-effects spaces. It opened a year after the last movie appeared in theatres, and continues to rank as one of the U.K.’s most visited attractions, welcoming millions of fans each year who are eager to step behind the scenes of the iconic films.

A replica Harry Potter studio tour theme park opened in Tokyo in 2023, and another is planned for Shanghai.

“We have never had another event with as much interest as Vancouver”

If this all feels like over-explaining, consider it a refresher for any Vancouverites living off-grid in a rainforest cabin who have misplaced their connection to global pop culture.

Simply put, despite the controversy caused by the Vancouver Park Board’s elected commissioners last month and the differing viewpoints about J.K. Rowling that ignited local public debate and international furor, the fascination has not waned.

Those conversations by a few local muggles may have been loud, but as it turns out, the magic is louder, much louder. Through every debate, fans never let go of the magic. No matter the headlines, the excitement has not faltered — if anything, the attention may have only greatly amplified awareness of the event’s arrival and boosted ticket demand.

And tonight, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, that enchantment becomes real in Vancouver, as Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience officially opens its gates deep inside Stanley Park, kicking off a months-long run that immerses local fans and tourists of all ages into the Wizarding World.

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience in Stanley Park, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan)

Entering the 1.3-km-long Harry Potter Forbidden Forest illuminated trail in Stanley Park.https://t.co/N8YnyTyaIq pic.twitter.com/XfYPiez77g

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) November 7, 2025

While it is certainly not a Universal Studios theme-park land or the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, it is the closest Vancouver has ever come to a world-class themed park attraction — and one inspired by one of the most popular franchises on the planet.

This is no ordinary walk in the park.

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience is an outdoor, immersive, high-tech nighttime trail where guests walk through a forest filled with magical creature moments, spell-casting stations, and highly interactive surprises directly inspired by the Wizarding World. With special lighting, themed environments, and ample memorable photo opportunities, it offers fans of all ages a chance to step into the magic.

The Forbidden Forest is a notable setting in the Harry Potter series.

Located on the edge of the Hogwarts castle grounds, the forest is home to a wide range of magical creatures. Though Hogwarts students are generally told to stay away, the forest becomes an important backdrop throughout the stories, where characters face challenges, uncover mysteries, and encounter the wonders and dangers of the Wizarding World.

In an interview with Daily Hive Urbanized during the media preview on Thursday, Annie-Lou St-Amant, the regional manager of the Canadian division of Fever Originals, said the Vancouver stop — the first time the touring attraction has ever visited Canada — has broken records for interest.

“We have seen the number of people signing up on the waitlist. As well, the pre-sales of tickets have been the biggest success we have had across all the markets we have been in, and so I think this speaks to how many Harry Potter fans there are in Canada and how many people are actually really excited about coming to take an active part in this Wizarding World,” said St-Amant.

“At this point of the event, one day before the opening, we have never had another event with as much interest as Vancouver.”

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience in Stanley Park, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan)

When bowing to a Hippogriff at the Forbidden Forest, remember to maintain eye contact to live to tell the tale.https://t.co/N8YnyTyaIq pic.twitter.com/9nUQFn9wEY

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) November 7, 2025

New York City-based Fever, a global leader in ticketing and immersive events, has partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences to deliver a different kind of Harry Potter experience that makes the Wizarding World accessible to more fans than ever before.

This Harry Potter nighttime experience first launched in Cheshire, England, in October 2021, and since then it has made stops in 13 locations around the world — including cities in Australia, France, the United States, and Singapore. Currently, alongside its Vancouver run, the touring experience is also simultaneously open in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Shenzhen.

“The Harry Potter community is very strong in Vancouver. We have seen that,” Vanessa Leong, Chief Operating Officer of Rifflandia Entertainment Company — the local event production partner working with Fever — told Daily Hive Urbanized, also sharing the sentiment based on strong interest shown so far through ticket sales.

“Anyone who comes out will be able to take part in seeing Stanley Park in the most unique and glorious way it has ever been seen… the majesty of the forest here and the evergreens, I’m not sure there could be a more perfect Forbidden Forrest location than this one. It really looks exactly like it does in the film.”

The experience is located at the footprint of the Stanley Park Railway, which has remained closed since its sudden shutdown during the 2024 Bright Nights Christmas season following a safety incident. After it became clear the train ride would not be returning for the foreseeable future — prompting Bright Nights to relocate its annual event — the major space became available to host new experiences.

The railway entry plaza has been transformed into a small village of vendor huts for the Harry Potter experience, serving a wide selection of drinks and treats — including, of course, Butterbeer, as well as four Hogwarts house-themed hot chocolates, each available with an optional liquor add-on. The village also offers an assortment of hot food and meals and sweet treats to round out the experience.

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience in Stanley Park, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan)

Cold air, creeping shadows, a Dementor gliding through the trees.https://t.co/N8YnyTyaIq pic.twitter.com/YKvqQNUvZ1

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) November 7, 2025

The 1.3-km-long immersive walking trail experience begins through an entrance featuring a small gift shop, where visitors can gear up for their Wizarding World immersion. Offerings range from Hogwarts scarves, hats, and sweaters to wands for those wanting to fully embrace the magic — along with practical essentials for the night’s weather, including ponchos and umbrellas. And for anyone looking to do their main souvenir haul, a much larger gift shop awaits at the very end of the trail — where visitors return to the entry plaza and the village of food and beverages.

There are more than 1,500 lights along the gravel trail, as well as LED screens, smoke machines, and other special effects that elevate the experience, working in tandem with intricately designed props and themed set pieces — based on the films — to bring the journey to life.

The iconic scores from the films, by John Williams and other acclaimed composers, play throughout the trail, accompanied by audio clips from key cinematic moments — including Voldemort’s chilling ultimatum during the Battle of Hogwarts, when he demands that students and teachers surrender Harry Potter to end the fight.

Along the trail, visitors can watch unicorns roam through the forest, bow to a Hippogriff and see if it returns the gesture, and raise their wands (or even just their arms) at interactive stations to illuminate intricate light patterns on the forest floor. They can also face off in a wand duel inspired by the “good vs. evil” lightning clashes from the films, and even cast Expecto Patronum themselves, which is particularly unique in Vancouver for its very setting above a natural pond feature.

“We are the first market in the world to actually have the Patronus activation over a body of water. It looks identical to how it looks in the film,” said Leong, referring to Harry casting his life-saving Patronus over a pond in the third film.

“When we walked the site with the creative team and they said that we all agreed immediately that the Patronus would be perfect there, you see the reflection in the water. It’s stunning and gorgeous.”

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience in Stanley Park, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan)

Not one, but multiple unicorns in the Forbidden Forest.https://t.co/N8YnyTyaIq pic.twitter.com/ZJacX7dteO

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) November 7, 2025

There are also moments that may unsettle arachnophobes, fitting with the darker themes of the Forbidden Forest — alongside encounters with a hovering Dementor and the ominous presence of the Death Eaters. And when you spot Arthur Weasley’s crashed Flying Ford Anglia, you will know exactly when it begins.

There are picture-perfect photo opportunities just about every few steps along the trail. Midway through, visitors will also find a food and beverage stand offering a small selection of the same treats and drinks available at the village.

According to event organizers, the full trail typically takes 60 minutes to 90 minutes to complete, though timing can vary widely. Visitors may find themselves spending longer depending on how much time they linger at key areas and moments, engage with interactive installations, or wait in line for certain activations. There is no time limit to complete the experience, and visitors can even repeat the trail as many times as they want throughout the evening.

Leong says it took months to set up the experience. Work first began in August to install the electrical infrastructure needed to support the lighting and technological equipment that brings the immersive experience to life. The actual installation of the experience’s lighting, props, and sets began at the start of October.

Hundreds of people from various companies were involved with planning and setting up the installation, including the local event production firm Brand Live.

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience in Stanley Park, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan)

Just wave your wand… or your arm.https://t.co/N8YnyTyaIq pic.twitter.com/pMA5k8uyAr

— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) November 7, 2025

Is it worth the admission price?

This after-dark-only, family-friendly experience runs most nights of the week, with the Vancouver stop currently scheduled to end on Jan. 11, 2026. The experience’s site at the Stanley Park Railway has some nearby parking, and it is immediately adjacent to TransLink’s Stanley Park bus loop.

While there is a box office on site, organizers strongly recommend booking tickets in advance online, as tickets may be sold out for the desired time of entry upon arrival.

All entry is timed, with ticket prices highest at the start of each evening and gradually lowering as the night progresses. The earliest 4:45 p.m. entry carries the highest price, while the final 10:15 p.m. arrival time is the least expensive, reflecting both the later hour and the shorter window remaining to explore — or revisit favourite moments — before closing time.

At the start of the evening, tickets are C$86 for ages 13 and up, and C$70 for children ages three to 12. For the final entry slots of the night, prices drop to C$43 and C$27, respectively. There are also other prices for family and adult bundles, larger groups, students, military, and seniors (ages 65 and up).

When the Vancouver stop was first announced in early September, followed soon after by ticket pre-sales, one of the most common reactions across social media was sticker shock over the experience’s pricing.

Asked to address those concerns, Leong acknowledged the sensitivity around costs.

“I think that certainly we can appreciate that household budgets are tight for a lot of people. But for an event of this nature, there are certainly costs that come with putting on an event like this. From a comparison standpoint, in what you’re seeing across the board with other attractions, this is a comparable price point,” said Leong.

“A world-class event like this requires that there is a lot of people and a lot of things that have to come together in order to open the doors,” she added.

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience in Stanley Park, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan)

Leong did not elaborate further on the rationale for the pricing.

Yet once inside, the scale of the installation speaks for itself. The level of effort involved in transforming Stanley Park’s forest trails into an immersive nighttime experience becomes immediately clear — and unlike the park’s former Bright Nights charity event, it was built without the benefit of large-scale volunteer labour, with firefighters from across the province volunteering thousands of hours to set up, manage, and take down the lights and displays.

There are also substantial long-distance logistical and transportation costs involved in moving the expansive sets, structures, props, and technical equipment from city to city, as well as inherent weather risks that accompany any winter outdoor attraction — particularly one operating after dark in a very exposed forested area.

Additionally, with the experience taking place on municipal land for several months, the Park Board receives a portion of the revenue — the amount is not known. The event producers, of course, also factor in their own operating and profit margins. And, as with any globally recognized franchise, premium intellectual-property licensing and royalty fees are also part of the equation.

The same Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience by Fever, currently running in Chicago, lists early-evening admission at US$67 for ages 13 and up and US$51 for children ages three to 12. At current exchange rates, that converts to C$94 and C$72, respectively — closely aligned with the Vancouver pricing.

There is no question this is a standout event for families, kids, and fans of all ages — Potterheads and grown-up magic-seekers included. Landing perfectly in Vancouver’s holiday-season event lineup, it fills a gap often mentioned by local parents: the desire for more high-quality, family-friendly experiences that feel genuinely special. This is not a pop-up or a fleeting photo opportunity — it is a sophisticated, meticulously-built production, and one that carries real creative weight. Unlike the infamous, unlicensed Willy Wonka fiasco in Scotland in 2024, this production is the real deal.

And the fact that Vancouver is the very first Canadian location to host it — so early in the experience’s global infancy — is not something to overlook. It signals confidence in the city, its audiences, and its appetite for world-class entertainment.

There were plenty of younger kids and teenagers at Thursday evening’s media preview, and they were genuinely delighted and thrilled by the magic and interactivity of the experience. Many remembered and confidently shouted out spell names from the books, with some occasionally blending wizarding incantations with the current “6-7” social media meme. It was a simple reminder of who this experience is ultimately for — though the adults, it is worth emphasizing, clearly loved it too.

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience in Stanley Park, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan)

Park Board commissioners made a big fuss last month about ensuring this same Harry Potter experience does not return in late 2026, once its current run concludes just after the holiday season in mid-January 2026. It is not publicly known whether there is contract language that left open the door of a possibility of a return, but it was always extremely improbable to begin with.

Unique touring experiences and events of this scale are strategically planned around market size, timing, and demand, with each stop designed for a limited, high-impact run — not repeat residencies in the same city. Bringing these productions to new, untapped markets is central to the business model, the same approach used for touring musicals and plays, large-scale concert tours, and even Cirque du Soleil. The last Metro Vancouver immersive experience that began to approach this level of scale was the three-month-long touring Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. interactive exhibit in 2023, which operated out of a large vacant retail unit at The Amazing Brentwood mall — the space now occupied by London Drugs. But the Harry Potter experience is in an entirely different league, both in scope and ambition.

There have been only two exceptions to Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience returning to a location soon after. However, that occurred very early on in the production’s history, including at its original location in the U.K. — before a global touring strategy was created.

In all likelihood, if you want to experience Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience in Vancouver, now is the moment. For one reason or another, it is not coming back.

But the uncertainty surrounding the long-term future of the Stanley Park Railway does lend to the possibility of future other similar immersive experiences taking over the space that would otherwise go under-utilized, including over the wintertime season, given that Bright Nights has made the decision to permanently relocate to Surrey.

There is clear potential for similar large-scale outdoor activations to take up seasonal residency — perhaps something in the realm of Disney’s Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail, which is currently touring in Austin and New York, and involves Fever in a ticketing capacity.

Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience in Stanley Park, Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan)

When: Friday, November 7, 2025, to January 11, 2026; open on weekend nights and most weekday nights. Check the event calendar.
Time: Starting at 4:45 p.m. each event night until late evening. All entry is timed.
Where: Site of the Stanley Park Train — Pipeline Road in Stanley Park via the West Georgia Street park entrance, next to TransLink’s Stanley Park bus loop.
Admission: Tickets online. Booking online is recommended.