This weekend, Midsummer Scream returns to the Long Beach Convention Center July 29-31, 2022. The three-day event will mark the 5th Anniversary of Midsummer Scream, the world’s largest Halloween and horror convention with over 100 panels, presentations, and performances, and dozens of guests; plus 15 unique haunted walk-thrus and displays.
“As Midsummer Scream returns we’re putting a renewed focus on what made us love Halloween as kids, and the traditions we’ve continued through our lives,” says David Markland, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Midsummer Scream. “That includes, the magic of trick-or-treating, celebrating the classic monsters of our childhood, and preserving the history of our favorite holiday.”
The Hall of Shadows returns with the theme of “Halloween Comes Home”. Guests will step into a darkened realm filled with fog, haunted attractions, and lurking monsters. Over a dozen home and pro haunters will create stunning mazes and displays for guests to explore. The Decayed Brigade will thrill audiences with incredible displays of sliding prowess and showmanship daily.
“The excitement for the return of Hall of Shadows is palpable,” says Rick West, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Midsummer Scream. “The haunters, the fans – everyone is more than ready for this, and these amazing teams are ready to bring it home and create the best Hall of Shadows experience yet! Let’s go!”
Continuing Midsummer Scream’s tradition of world-class presentations, “Original Monster Kids” will be an unprecedented gathering of the Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr./Sr., and Vincent Price families on stage to share pictures, home movies, and discuss what it has been like growing up the children and grandchildren of the most famous horror and pop-culture icons in the world.
Other thrilling presentations throughout the weekend include the Winchester Mystery House, LA Haunted Hayride, and “Composers of the Apocalypse” which will feature legendary horror genre musicians… and perhaps even a live performance or two!
Brand-new for 2022 is the Museum of Halloween, displaying a variety of vintage collectibles, costumes, and more, alongside original artwork created just for the event, celebrating the culture, community, and even commercialism of the spooky season.
Featuring more than 350 vendors and artists, the Midsummer Scream show floor is a stunning collection of shirts and apparel, artwork, masks, posters, toys, oddities, and decorations for all Halloween and horror lifestylers as well as haunted attraction creators. Vendors and companies found on the show floor will include The Mystic Museum, Tee No Evil, Vamp and the Fiends, Trick Or Treat Studios, Backstitch Bruja, Discount Cemetery, Nocturnal DesignZ, and Immortal Masks.
Also on the show floor, guests will find notable film celebrities such as James Jude Courtney (Michael Myers in Halloween 2018, Halloween Kills, Halloween Ends), Jeff Daniel Philips and Daniel Roebuck (Rob Zombie’s The Munsters), Eileen Dietz (Pazuzu’s face, The Exorcist), Instagram legend Christine McConnell, and popular YouTubers Dead Meat and Grimm Life Collective.
More fan favorite components of Midsummer Scream will include the Black Cat Lounge kitten adoption space, Paranormal Pixie’s Pumpkin Patch children’s zone, and the Screaming Room Film Festival presented by HorrorBuzz. Midsummer Scream’s educational lineup of classes and workshops on creating haunted attractions and other Halloween skills will be developed in conjunction with the university-themed entertainment organizations TEA@USC and TEA@UCLA.
TERROR TIPS
General admission tickets for Midsummer Scream are available for single-day or weekend purchase and must be purchased in advance. For a premium experience splurge on the Gold Bat Pass. Here’s a little help in deciding which ticket may be right for you, based on what you may find most important:
Are shopping and the show floor your fave? We anticipate the lightest crowds on Friday night, so a Friday general admission pass should suffice. Bonus: this is the lowest-priced ticket. Downside: they’re only open 6pm-10pm on Friday, and the Hall of Shadows won’t be open.
Are you into haunted houses? You’ll definitely want a Saturday, Sunday, or weekend ticket to experience the Hall of Shadows, where there are over a dozen haunted walk-thrus and displays set up, where it’s nighttime all day long!
Do you like to avoid lines? You definitely then need to go for our premium ticket, the Gold Bat Pass. Along with allowing for one-hour early entry on Saturday and Sunday (doors open at 10 am vs 11 am for GA), Gold Bat pass holders receive priority admission into panels, presentations, and most haunted attractions.
Want to experience everything but you’re thrifty? We recommend the weekend pass and strategize: hit the show floor on Friday night, when there will be the lightest crowds, and then split Saturday and Sunday between your preferred panels and presentations and the Hall of Shadows (the haunts will have slightly shorter lines on Sunday).
However, what may ultimately decide which day is what’s on your schedule — be sure to download the Midsummer Scream App (IOS or ANDROID), where you’ll be able to build your own schedule and plan appropriately.
For breaking information about Midsummer Scream, sign up for their digital newsletter at MidsummerScream.org. Follow Midsummer Scream on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook by searching @midsummerscream.
About Midsummer Scream Branded Events
Midsummer Scream and Season’s Screamings are presented by David Markland (Founder/Executive Director), Gary Baker (Founder/Executive Producer), Claire Dunlap (Founder/Producer), and Rick West (Founder/Creative Director). Their goal is to showcase the diversity of Southern California’s haunt and horror community as a welcoming beacon for fans around the world to converge on Los Angeles for a weekend of excitement, networking and non-stop spooky fun!
