The Beverly Theater in Downtown Las Vegas is bringing back The Wake: An Open Casket Viewing of Haunted Cinema for October 2026, with 50 films scheduled across the month and a live Rocky Horror Show performance on Halloween. The program, first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, combines repertory horror with cult, international, monster and specialty presentations rather than concentrating the programming into a single weekend.
The lineup includes Carrie, as the 1976 film approaches its 50th anniversary, along with Godzilla movies, camp and cult titles, thrillers and alien-invasion films. The October 31 schedule includes The Rocky Horror Picture Show and a live performance; the Review-Journal reported that props are included with the performance ticket.
A monthlong format with a short history
The Wake is not a new one-off experiment for the downtown Las Vegas theater. The Beverly announced the series in September 2023 as a monthlong October program featuring more than 40 classic horror movies, according to the theater. For October 2025, the venue promoted 50 classic haunts across 31 days and a $100 Slash Pass offering unlimited entry and priority seating, also according to the theater.
That history puts the 2026 edition in a continuing seasonal pattern: a large repertory slate spread across the calendar, with individual screenings serving different corners of the horror audience. The current Review-Journal report says this year's pass options include a $100 Slash Pass and a $250 version that adds popcorn with each movie; screening times and ticket details are being handled by the theater.
Part of a broader independent-cinema ecosystem
The Beverly’s programming mission helps explain why The Wake is structured as a sustained repertory series. When the venue opened in March 2023, The Rogers Foundation described it as a not-for-profit organization focused on independent films, intimate musical performances and literary programming. The foundation’s announcement is available at The Rogers Foundation.
The Wake also occupies a different place in the local calendar from Sin City Horror Fest. That separate event is scheduled for September 2–6, 2026, at Brenden Theatres at The Palms, where organizers say it will feature independent features, shorts, classic films and filmmaker conversations, according to Sin City Horror Fest. The comparison is limited but useful: Sin City is a five-night, festival-style event, while The Wake is a single-venue repertory program extending through October.
A local program within a national art-house network
Independent cinemas are also building connections beyond their own markets. The Art House Convergence says its 2026 Visiting Members Program includes 93 cinemas in 33 states and allows members of participating theaters to receive discounts and selected benefits at other participating venues, subject to local rules. That program is documented by Art House Convergence.
Another model comes from New York, where Art House New York scheduled Cinema Week for March 20–26, 2026. Its FAQ describes a citywide, multi-venue program of special screenings, events and theater-specific discounts. Unlike The Wake, it lasts one week and spans multiple cinemas, but both programs use concentrated programming and special access offers to draw audiences to independent exhibition; details are available from Art House New York.
Nationally, Art House Convergence reported that a 2026 survey of more than 27,000 moviegoers from over 50 art-house cinemas found independent exhibition remained strong despite industry challenges, according to the organization. That survey does not establish that horror marathons are increasing, or that it explains The Wake’s attendance. It does provide a broader backdrop for a venue using curation, recurring programming and special-event screenings to build an audience.
For Las Vegas audiences, the immediate proposition is more specific: a full month of horror programming at The Beverly, capped by a Halloween-night live show. The complete 2026 calendar, screening times and ticket information are available through the theater.
