Free Tickets to HBO Max’s Back to Hogwarts London Event Start Dropping August 24
Every September 1, fans mark the moment the Hogwarts Express pulls away from Platform 9¾. This year HBO Max is building the platform itself — on the banks of the Thames.
BACK TO HOGWARTS: The HBO Max Platform 9 ¾ Fan Experience is a free, one-day celebration taking place Tuesday, September 1 at Old Billingsgate Market in London, running 11am to 7pm. It is the first Back to Hogwarts event built around the upcoming HBO Original series Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and attendees will get a glimpse at the new adaptation ahead of its Christmas debut. Warner Bros. Discovery first teased the event back in July, but held back the location and ticketing details until now.
How to Get Tickets
Entry is free, but there is no getting in without a ticket. Tickets are released in daily batches at 11am BST from August 24 through August 28, while supplies last, through the event’s official Eventbrite page. Every ticket is timed — you will receive a digital ticket in the Eventbrite app with a specific entry slot, and it is only valid for that window. Anyone under 18 needs to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
The essentials:
- Event: BACK TO HOGWARTS: The HBO Max Platform 9 ¾ Fan Experience
- Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 11am–7pm
- Venue: Old Billingsgate Market, 1 Old Billingsgate Walk, London EC3R 6DX
- Price: Free — ticket required, timed entry
- Tickets: Daily batches at 11am BST, August 24–28
What’s Waiting Inside
Old Billingsgate looks out over the London skyline and Tower Bridge, and HBO Max is putting Platform 9¾ at the heart of the space. Bloomsbury will hand out books throughout the day, while Pottermore Publishing and Audible are giving attendees a free download of the full-cast audio edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Elsewhere on the floor: The Carat Shop is running a prize wheel alongside its Time-Turner Advent Calendar, Rubies Masquerade UK is staging a photo experience with authentic film-inspired robes and scarves, The Noble Collection is bringing a wizard chess display, and LEGO Harry Potter has giveaways plus its new Ministry of Magic set on show. MGA Entertainment and Craft Buddy are on the partner list too, and a selection from the official Harry Potter Shop will be on site. Gamers get interactive stations for Hogwarts Legacy, LEGO Harry Potter Collection, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery and Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells.
Don’t Go to King’s Cross
Worth repeating, because the tradition dies hard: there is no official event, countdown or announcement at King’s Cross Station this year, and Warner Bros. Discovery is advising fans not to travel there. Old Billingsgate is the celebration.
Looking for more Harry Potter events? Check out our Things to Do page for everything else on the calendar.
Will you be setting an alarm for the 11am ticket drop? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to follow along for more Harry Potter news.
