Midsummer Scream runs August 7 to 9, 2026 at the Long Beach Convention Center. Single-day passes run $42 to $60. Weekend and VIP Gold Bat passes are sold out, and so are both official hotels. The largest Halloween and horror convention on the West Coast draws roughly 50,000 attendees for over 300 exhibitors, the Hall of Shadows dark zone, panels, and a guest list this year that includes John Carpenter, eight members of the Scream cast and crew, and Dee Wallace.
Looking ahead: Midsummer Scream will move to the Anaheim Convention Center for its 2027 show, August 6 to 8, and it is reviving its holiday event Season’s Screamings at the Long Beach Convention Center on December 4 and 5, 2027.
Also on the convention calendar: registration is open for Halloween & Party Expo 2027, January 11 to 13 in New Orleans.
Several guests appear on limited days. Carpenter is Saturday only. That matters when the passes are sold by the day.
Midsummer Scream 2026 at a Glance
| Dates | Friday through Sunday, August 7–9, 2026 |
| Hours | Friday 6 to 10 p.m. · Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. · Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Location | Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, California |
| Tickets | Friday $42 · Saturday $60 · Sunday $54 (passes). Weekend + VIP Gold Bat: SOLD OUT |
| 2026 theme | Horror Musicals |
| Scale | Roughly 50,000 attendees, 300+ exhibitors |
| Dark zone | Hall of Shadows: “Descent Into Darkness,” all three days |
| Early pickup | Thursday, August 6, 1 to 7 p.m. at the convention center |
| Parking | $30 per vehicle per day in Long Beach Convention Center lots |
What Is Midsummer Scream?
Midsummer Scream is the Halloween and horror convention that kicks off the season in Southern California each summer. The show floor packs more than 300 exhibitors selling props, masks, art, and haunt merchandise, alongside panels and presentations from major theme parks and haunts, live entertainment, workshops, and the Hall of Shadows, a convention-floor dark zone where SoCal home haunts and professional groups build working walkthrough experiences. The 2026 convention theme is Horror Musicals.
The show is produced by David Markland, Claire Dunlap, Gary Baker, and Rick West. Markland and Dunlap are also the team behind the Spooky Swap Meet at Heritage Square Museum, which has sold out every day since its 2021 debut.
Who’s Appearing, and on Which Days
This is the part worth reading before you pick a day. Most guests sign all weekend, but several do not, and the exceptions cluster on Saturday and Sunday.
John Carpenter is the headline name and appears Saturday only. The director and composer behind Halloween, The Thing and They Live returns to Long Beach after a Saturday appearance at the 2025 convention, when he signed alongside Storm King Comics. Storm King founder and editor Sandy King is again on the guest list, and Storm King Comics is again an exhibitor.
For a convention themed around Horror Musicals, the composer bench is the quiet story. Alan Howarth is both a guest and a vendor. He scored or co-scored Halloween II and III, Escape from New York, Christine, Prince of Darkness and They Live with Carpenter, which makes him half of one of horror’s defining sonic partnerships and the single most underrated name on the list. Marco Beltrami, who wrote the Scream score, appears Sunday only. Also on the floor: Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills (Saturday and Sunday), Richard Elfman of Forbidden Zone, and Piggy D of Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson.
The Scream contingent is deeper than the reunion billing suggests. Eight guests connect to the franchise: Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich (Saturday and Sunday only), David Arquette, Jamie Kennedy, Roger L. Jackson as the voice of Ghostface, Lee Waddell as the original Ghostface performer, Marco Beltrami (Sunday only), and Joseph Whipp, who played Sheriff Burke and also appeared in A Nightmare on Elm Street (Sunday only).
Beyond Scream, the genre lineup includes Dee Wallace (E.T., Cujo, The Howling), Bill Moseley (House of 1000 Corpses), Sean S. Cunningham, who created and directed Friday the 13th, Barry Bostwick from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Michael Dougherty of Trick ‘r Treat and Krampus, Kevin Tenney of Night of the Demons, and makeup legends Ve Neill and Tony Gardner.
Two guests have cancelled: Jasmine Savoy Brown of Scream 5, 6 and 7, and Megan Lawless.
The Haunt-Industry Names
If you come to this convention for the business rather than the autographs, the guest list has a second tier worth tracking. Karin Bryeans, show director at Knott’s Scary Farm, and John Murdy, creative director and executive producer at Universal Studios Hollywood, are both listed. So are Walter Magnuson and Olivia Maldonado from the Winchester Mystery House, David Bertolino, the founder of Spookyworld, Peaches Christ of Terror Vault, and Rebekah McKendry of Fangoria.
The Hall of Shadows: Descent Into Darkness
This year’s Hall of Shadows carries a “Descent Into Darkness” theme and features more than 15 attractions, with Universal, Lionsgate, and Thirteenth Floor Entertainment appearing alongside Southern California home haunts and independent groups like Eulogy Collective. The dark zone is open all three days, lives in Hall C, and is included with admission.
The Scream 30th Anniversary Reunion
Midsummer Scream and Paramount Scares are staging a weekend-long celebration of the 30th anniversary of Wes Craven’s Scream, bringing much of the original Woodsboro cast, Ghostface voice actor Roger L. Jackson, and composer Marco Beltrami to Long Beach. It is Paramount Scares’s largest presence at the convention to date. Matthew Lillard makes his first-ever Midsummer Scream appearance this year.
Why the Industry Watches This Weekend
Midsummer Scream doubles as Southern California’s reveal weekend. Several major haunts are expected to announce their 2026 lineups at the convention, including the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride, Six Flags Fright Fest at Magic Mountain, and Festival Fright Nights at the Winchester Mystery House. Queen Mary Dark Harbor broke that pattern this year, publishing its full 2026 lineup on July 31, ahead of the convention. We update those guides, the California hub, and the opening-dates guide as the reveals land.
Tickets, Passes, and What to Know Before You Go
Single-day passes remain on sale at midsummerscream.org: Friday $42, Saturday $60, and Sunday $54. Weekend Passes and the VIP Gold Bat Pass are sold out. The Gold Bat tier included weekend access, 10 a.m. early entry Saturday and Sunday, priority entry to panels and attractions, a laminated credential and enamel pin, and admission to the Saturday night After Party. Celebrity photo-ops and the Roger L. Jackson private meet-and-greet are bookable add-ons. Exchanges and upgrades closed June 30.
A handful of practical things that catch people out:
- Print your passes. Midsummer Scream requires printed passes for entry. An Apple Pay pass displays August 7 regardless of which day you bought, though the QR code carries the correct information.
- Pick up credentials Thursday. Early wristband and Gold Bat pickup runs Thursday, August 6, from 1 to 7 p.m. at the south end of the convention center near the Hyatt Regency, and gets you into a faster entry line all weekend.
- Kids 10 and under are free on general admission with a paid adult guardian, two children maximum per adult. Gold Bat is excluded, and every guest including infants needs their own Gold Bat pass to use those lines.
- Both official hotels are sold out. The Hyatt Regency Long Beach and Marriott Long Beach Downtown room blocks are gone.
- Parking at Long Beach Convention Center lots runs $30 per vehicle per day, no overnight.
- Bags are capped at 12 by 12 by 6 inches. No outside food or drink, no metal water bottles or Hydroflasks, and empty plastic bottles only. Prop weapons must have no sharp edges and nothing resembling a firearm is allowed.
- The After Party runs Saturday, August 8 from 8 p.m. to midnight as a separately ticketed add-on, included with Gold Bat.
Schedule and Panels
Midsummer Scream has not posted a full panel and appearance schedule on its website. The official event app is live, and the convention directs attendees to the app and printed program for appearance times, including for the special-guest tier. New guest announcements land on the convention’s Instagram and Facebook first. We add panel highlights here as the schedule fills in.
Midsummer Scream FAQ
When is Midsummer Scream 2026?
Friday through Sunday, August 7 to 9, 2026, at the Long Beach Convention Center. Hours are Friday 6 to 10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Is John Carpenter at Midsummer Scream 2026?
Yes. Carpenter is on the official 2026 guest list and appears Saturday, August 8 only. He also appeared at the 2025 convention on a Saturday, alongside Storm King Comics.
How much are Midsummer Scream tickets?
Single-day passes remain on sale: Friday $42, Saturday $60, and Sunday $54. Weekend passes and the VIP Gold Bat Pass are sold out.
Which guests are limited to certain days?
John Carpenter is Saturday only. Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich and Spencer Charnas are Saturday and Sunday only. Marco Beltrami and Joseph Whipp are Sunday only. Most other guests sign all weekend.
What is the Hall of Shadows?
A dark zone in Hall C where haunts build real walkthrough attractions. The 2026 edition, themed “Descent Into Darkness,” features more than 15 attractions from Universal, Lionsgate, Thirteenth Floor, and SoCal home haunts, open all three days with admission.
Do haunts announce their Halloween lineups at Midsummer Scream?
Yes. It is Southern California’s reveal weekend: Dark Harbor, the LA Haunted Hayride, Fright Fest at Magic Mountain, and Festival Fright Nights all revealed their 2026 plans at the convention.
Our Midsummer Scream Coverage
- Scream returns to theaters October 30 as Paramount marks the 30th anniversary at the cast reunion (August 2026)
- Midsummer Scream moves to Anaheim for 2027 and revives Season’s Screamings in Long Beach (August 2026)
- Scream 30th anniversary reunion announced with Woodsboro cast (July 2026)
- Universal, Lionsgate, and Thirteenth Floor join the 15-plus attraction Hall of Shadows lineup (July 2026)
- Tickets on sale for Midsummer Scream 2026 (March 2026)
- Midsummer Scream 2025: thrills, haunts, and horror in Long Beach (2025)
- John Carpenter joins Midsummer Scream 2025 (2025)
For every haunt convention and trade show on the calendar, see our Tradeshows & Conventions hub.
Updated July 26, 2026, with the full guest list, day restrictions, cancellations, and attendee logistics from the official 2026 FAQ. We update this guide as Midsummer Scream posts its schedule and as haunt reveals land at the convention.
