Hot Ghoul Summer - Trick or Treat yourself at Midsummer Scream
- Jeneffer A
- Aug 23
- 4 min read
Gather round boils and ghouls as the largest Halloween and Horror convention, Midsummer Scream, returns to haunt the halls of the Long Beach Convention Center once again! Midsummer Scream or as I like to call it, the Super Bowl of Halloween, celebrated their 8th anniversary over the weekend of August 15th through the 17th. Over the span of three days, haunters, cosplayers, fans of horror, industry icons like John Carpenter, the Mistress of the Dark Elvira, and more came together to celebrate and pay homage to the thing we love most, Horror. With over 300 vendors, the Hall of Shadows, and the panel rooms, there was something to see and do around every corner.
As you step into the show floor, you are greeted with three booths of the biggest haunted attractions in Southern California; Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights, LA Haunted Hayride, and Long Beach’s very own Dark Harbor. As you keep walking, you are transported into a showroom full of Halloween and Horror goodness! The vendors you find at Midsummer Scream will have someone for everyone; horror fan or not. From yummy treats, to knick knacks, to pet toys, the vendors will have something for you.
What makes this convention unique is definitely the “Hall of Shadows.” This year the “Hall of Shadows” was themed as the twisted and sinister “Le Carnival du Diable” and consisted of a variety of mini haunts showcasing haunts throughout Southern California and beyond. Lionsgate also returned to haunt the “Hall of Shadows” with a part two of their maze; “Lionsgate’s Gates of Fear 2: Stranger Danger.” Their maze had guests walk through some of the most iconic horror movie franchises like Saw and The Strangers. As you near the end, let’s just say you better be ready to crawl in order to escape the horrors of Lionsgate. Some of my personal favorite haunts in the “Hall of Shadows” consisted of Fear Farm, the Mr. Floats experience, The Horrorama Funhouse, the Haunted Carwash experience, and Sid’s Twisted Toy Box. The haunts on display showcase their art, creativity, and love for horror so be sure to catch these haunts during the 2025 season.
At Midsummer Scream fans also had the opportunity to attend multiple panels and shows in the upstairs area. The highlight of entertainment was the third annual “Return of the Living Drag” where Queens and King from both Northern and Southern California unite to tell ghastly tales of Terror with their hauntingly stage acts. You can see my full recap of this show here: https://jenefferaphoto.wixsite.com/photos-by-jen-1/post/return-of-the-living-drag-haunts-the-grand-ballroom-at-midsummer-scream-2025.
When it comes to haunts, some of the biggest haunted attractions held panels to reveal their nightmarish plans for this season and to discuss what we can expect from certain mazes. The two panels that stood out to me were the Dark Harbor panel and the Halloween Horror Nights panel. Dark Harbor discussed what fans can expect this season. Two of their major announcements were the brand new maze “Voodoo: the Queen’s Curse” and introducing the first ever Dark Harbor season pass by having 13 lucky guests win their very own pass. The season pass, will allow guests to come to the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor multiple nights throughout the season where they can come face to face with Scary Mary, Dr. Edwin Masters, Graceful Gale, the Voodoo Queen, and The Butcher who will be making “The Final Cut” this season. Closing out Midsummer Scream was the Halloween Horror Nights panel. The panel was hosted by Creative Direction of Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood, John Murdy and Senior Director of Entertainment Creative Development of Halloween Horror Nights Orlando Mike Aiello. Fans were given teasers to two major houses “Five Nights at Freddy’s” and “The Horrors of the Wyatt Sicks.” The star of this panel was definitely the insane Art the Clown of the popular Terrifier franchise. While talking about the brand new Terrifier house from both coasts, Terrifier director Damien Leone and producer Phil Falcone joined our hosts on stage. Fans were given in depth details about how sick and twisted this house will be. Without giving too much away, two key things we can expect from this house are horrid smells and to get your ponchos ready because you will get drenched in “blood!”
Midsummer Scream 2025 exceeded all my expectations. After spending three days at this convention, I can truthfully say that this is a Horror fan's dream. Guests are constantly surrounded by ghouls and monsters, Horror and Halloween industry legends, and of course, numerous haunts. Midsummer Scream 2026 will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center August 7th-9th, 2026. Will you be joining us for a scary good time? Be sure to check back for tickets as this event is only getting better.
Awesome review! I can’t wait to check it out!
Such a fantastic read! Missing Midsummer Scream already and this article and the photos transported me back. Can’t wait until next year!