From London to Beijing, fans and Wizarding WorldTM partners came together to celebrate in style!
1st September is an important date in the Wizarding World calendar, marking the day Harry Potter first arrived at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and was whisked away on an unforgettable adventure. The occasion has been celebrated by fans for a number of years, with many of them gathering at King’s Cross station in London to countdown to 11 o’clock, when the Hogwarts Express sets off to Hogsmeade in the stories.
This year, however, was an extra-special occasion. Not only was it the first time in-person celebrations were held at King’s Cross since before the pandemic, but it also marked the first time the festivities were held across four days. From 1st – 4th September, more fans than ever were able to visit the iconic location and soak up the magical atmosphere.
Visitors at King’s Cross had the opportunity to snap pictures with the life-sized LEGO Ford Anglia and Sorting Hat, as well as giant Bloomsbury editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in addition to a number of other activities. On Back to Hogwarts day itself, fans were able to watch the West End cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child perform the famous wand dance from the stage play.
There were also opportunities for fans to celebrate Back to Hogwarts around the world. Paul Harris, the wand choreographer from the Harry Potter films, made a guest appearance at a pop-up shop in Hamburg, Germany. Whilst over in China, a house pride pop-up has been created in GuoMao Mall, Beijing, which is running until October’s Golden Week.
There was no fear of missing out for those who couldn’t make it to in-person events, with plenty of celebrations happening online. On 1st September, Tom Felton presented a TikTok Live at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London, taking a trip down memory lane and even meeting some lucky fans. In ‘Back to Hogwarts – A Look Ahead’, Vic Hope announced several exciting new events to come, including a Wizarding World Fan Festival and Harry Potter: A Yule Ball Experience!
Many of our partners marked the occasion with activity across social channels, websites and in-app. Audible Germany adorned their dedicated Wizarding World landing page with Hogwarts house banners, while QQ Reading hosted a banner on their homepage, taking users to a section themed around Back to Hogwarts and showcasing the Harry Potter eBooks.
Whether online or in-person, it was incredible to see fans come together from far and wide to celebrate Back to Hogwarts for another year.
