Universal City, CA — The Purge: Dangerous Waters is returning to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood for 2026, its fourth consecutive year. Universal announced the return with a short teaser: “This fiery stunt spectacular puts you in a world where laws won’t save you, bringing the unpredictable terror of The Purge to life.”
It is the first piece of Hollywood’s 2026 entertainment lineup to be confirmed, on an event with six houses and one scare zone announced but no theme, icon, or other shows so far.
Watch the Full Show
We filmed the complete show at a previous year’s event. Here is what Dangerous Waters looks like from the stands.
About the Show
Dangerous Waters stages The Purge inside the WaterWorld venue. The premise, from the show’s debut announcement: “It’s a race against time when a politician and his entourage escape to an island to avoid The Purge. Sanctuary is fleeting when the island is quickly overrun by Purgers and the hunt is on.”
Universal’s original description lists “adrenaline-filled action sequences, stunts, spectacular lighting and laser effects, high fall fire burns and massive explosions,” and the new teaser keeps the fire front and center.
Show History
The show debuted in September 2023 and has run every Halloween Horror Nights since, with 2026 making four consecutive years. Universal has not released 2026 showtimes or performance dates for Dangerous Waters. The event itself runs 42 select nights from September 3 through November 1, with the event beginning at 7 p.m. per Universal.
The Rest of Hollywood’s 2026 Lineup
Six houses are announced so far:
- Sinners
- Stranger Things 5
- Hellraiser
- Evil Dead Burn
- Dead, Deader, Deadest, the Hollywood original
- Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness
Hollywood’s theme, icons, remaining houses, remaining scare zones, and Terror Tram plans are still unannounced. For tickets and coverage of both parks, see our Halloween Horror Nights 2026 hub and the complete Hollywood guide.
