Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights is collaborating with multi-Grammy Award-winning artist The Weeknd to create a completely new horror experience unlike anything the Universal parks have done before. This September, guests are invited to test their limits in a haunted house inspired by the musician’s record-breaking album After Hours. The house is officially called The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare, and tickets are now available to order.
Typically Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights takes its inspiration from horror films like A Nightmare on Elm Street or Cabin in the Woods. The popular haunted house event has featured a number of iconic horror figures and has been modeled after numerous popular movies and shows, but the 2022 The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare will be the park’s first time collaborating with a musical artist. The idea seems odd, but anyone familiar with The Weeknd’s (Abel Tesfaye) discography is well aware that the artist has an affinity for the macabre.
Charles Gray, Senior Show Director for Entertainment Creative Development at Universal Orlando Resort, said:
“This is an unprecedented haunted house that is going to shatter the expectations of our guests and immerse them in an unforgettable experience that is equally unexpected and terrifying.”
Modeled after The Weeknd’s fourth studio album, After Hours, this year’s Horror Nights house will showcase surreal elements that suggest fans are walking through one of Tesfaye’s nightmarish music videos. From his Eyes Wide Shut-esque video for “Save Your Tears,” the dreaded sense of running from someone, or something, in “Blinding Lights,” and especially his video for “In Your Eyes,” the experience is guaranteed to be disturbing. The house will reportedly play tracks from the album throughout as a heart-thumping background while attendees are stalked by some of the fearsome creatures that grace The Weeknd’s videos, like slashers and bandaged maniacs.
On the collaboration with Universal Studios, Tesfaye said:
“I always wanted my own Halloween Horror Nights haunted house as Halloween has always been significant to my music, so this is a total dream come to life. I feel like my music videos have served as a launching pad for a collaboration like this, and I cannot wait for people to experience this madness!”
The Weeknd has become an international phenomenon whose influence is stylish, but pushes limits, showing the seedier mythos of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and fame. His lyrics are often provocative and raw confessionals, but the artist’s visuals are twisted, sometimes in stark contrast to the words creating a bizarre storytelling that lingers when the music stops. After Hours, in particular, is The Weeknd’s fourth consecutive number one album, with multiple chart-toppers, including “Blinding Lights,” which earned the spectacular honor of Billboard’s #1 Greatest Hot 100 Hit of All Time. Most recently, the musician is dipping his toes into acting, yet again, with an HBO Max series The Idol. Tesfaye is a co-creator of the show, which will be directed by Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson, and will star in it alongside Lily Rose-Depp.
The After Hours Nightmare house will begin in Universal Orlando Resort on September 2, and at Universal Studios Hollywood on September 8. To grab your tickets visit the Halloween Horror Nights site, and check out the teaser below for a sneak-peek at what to expect: