It’s no surprise but it’s depressing all the same. We’ve learned today that this year’s Halloween Horror Nights, as fully expected at this point, has been officially cancelled.
As Orlando Informer notes, this is the first time in the event’s 30-year history it’s been called off, and the reason for the cancellation is of course quite obvious. Due to the ongoing pandemic, thousands of horror lovers gathering in enclosed spaces simply would not be safe at this time. This includes both the Universal Orlando and Universal Hollywood events.
The official Universal Orlando account tweeted, “We have made the difficult decision to cancel Halloween Horror Nights this year so we can focus exclusively on operating our theme parks for daytime guests, using the enhanced health and safety procedures already in place. We look forward to creating an amazing event in 2021.”
The dedicated HHN account also issued a statement:
this pain will be temporary. hhn is forever… and will come again. pic.twitter.com/72uyzTWDXE
— Halloween Horror Nights (@HorrorNightsORL) July 24, 2020
Attending Halloween Horror Nights has been a cherished annual tradition for the Bloody Disgusting team for several years, so we’re pretty bummed about this news. Then again, it’s an announcement we’ve been expecting for the last few months now. And ultimately, given everything that’s going on right now, it’s not only the right call but the *only* call.
Needless to say, we already can’t wait to attend Halloween Horror Nights 2021. Please wear your mask and practice social distancing so we don’t flush another year down the drain.
Seriously. We’re blowing it. WEAR. YOUR. MASK. And stay home if you can. If there’s anything that should be uniting us all right now, it’s the common goal of keeping one another healthy, safe and alive. A pandemic isn’t a political issue. Whether or not you wear a mask isn’t a political statement. We *all* want to get back to normal. Let’s work together to get there.