Midsummer Scream, the world’s largest Halloween and horror convention, returns to the Long Beach Convention Center from August 7-9, 2026, with a theatrical twist: this year’s theme is “Horror Musicals.”
From Broadway icons like “The Phantom of the Opera” to the campy brilliance of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” the 2026 event will celebrate the intersection of melody and macabre, as seen in this year’s hand-painted event poster by pop-culture artist Stephen Andrade.
Leading the lineup is a 20th-anniversary celebration of Lionsgate’s cult classic “Repo! The Genetic Opera.” Director Darren Lynn Bousman and horror legend Bill Moseley are already confirmed to appear, with more cast announcements expected soon.
“This year’s theme is for all of the theatre kids that are a huge part of the haunt and horror community,” says David Markland, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Midsummer Scream. “But if musicals aren’t your thing, we won’t have any less for fans looking for slashers, scares, and gore.”
Additional special celebrity guests coming to Midsummer Scream include Matthew Lillard (“Scream,” “Five Nights at Freddy’s”), Barry Bostwick (“The Rocky Horror Picture Show”), Jasmin Savoy Brown (The “Scream” franchise and “Yellowjackets”), and many more to be announced.
Fans looking to get a head start on the haunt season can once again descend into the Hall of Shadows, which will be open all three days of the event. This massive, fog-filled “scream park” will feature over a dozen haunted attractions, including builds from Eulogy Collective, Fear Farm, Straite to Hale Productions, H&L’s Realm of Horror, The Dreich Society, CalHauntS, and The Haunt With No Name… Yet.
As the unofficial kickoff to the Halloween season, the convention will host panel presentations from the industry’s biggest players, including:
- Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights
- Knott’s Scary Farm
- Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group
- Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest
Programming partners include Paramount Scares, Fangoria, Bloody Disgusting, Horror Movies & Beyond, and HorrorBuzz. An eclectic lineup of entertainment and additional programming will be announced in the weeks ahead.
Beyond the panels, fans can browse a massive show floor featuring over 350 vendors, visit the Black Cat Lounge kitten adoption center, or catch a flick at the Screaming Room Film Festival presented by HorrorBuzz.
The three-day event will bring Halloween and horror fans from around the world together for a weekend of thrilling delights! For more information or to buy passes, which are available now, visit midsummerscream.com.
