Up to 20,000 horror fans are expected to descend on the Hyatt Regency Orlando this weekend as Spooky Empire, the annual convention billed as the dark side of Comic-Con, returns for its 23rd year. The three-day gathering runs Friday through Sunday, packed with celebrity panels, a tattoo festival, haunted attractions and a reunion of the Killer Klowns from Outer Space cast.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the convention is held at 9801 International Drive and kicks off at noon on Friday before opening at 10 a.m. Saturday. According to spookyempire.com, autograph-room hours run 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; VIP attendees can access the autograph room an hour earlier each day. Founder and co-owner Petey Mongelli told the Sentinel that the event has run for 23 years and offers entertainment throughout the weekend, calling it the largest horror Halloween event in the United States.
Film, Tattoos and a Vendor Room With Something for Everyone
The convention features an international horror film festival alongside a tattoo festival with more than 100 artists, per the Sentinel's reporting. Special effects classes, live music and Q&A sessions round out the daytime programming, while a sprawling vendor room houses more than 200 creators and collectors. Co-owner Gina Mongelli told the Sentinel the vendor room offers collectibles, toys, clothing and other goods for all ages.
Watermark Out News, in its own preview of the weekend, similarly describes the lineup as including Spooky Empire's Horror Film Festival, a tattoo festival, special effects and makeup demos, a Scream Queens drag show and a Rocky Horror Picture Show performance. That outlet notes VIP three-day packages are on sale for $299 with limited supply, while children age 10 and younger get free entry to the event.
Killer Klowns Reunion Headlines a Star-Studded Guest List
Celebrity guests confirmed for the weekend include Jamie Campbell Bower, Geena Davis, Susan Sarandon, Jen Malone and Doug Bradley, according to the Sentinel. The convention's programming also includes Q&As and panels.
A reunion of the cast and artists behind Killer Klowns from Outer Space is also on tap, with appearances by the Chiodo Brothers, Grant Cramer, Suzanne Snyder, Mike Martinez, Geno Ponza and Harrod Blank, the Sentinel reports. Not every planned guest made the cut, though — per spookyempire.com, Rhonda has canceled her appearance due to a new project conflicting with the weekend.
A Haunted House, a Zombie Walk and Late-Night Dance Parties
Courtney McIntyre, who brings 26 years of experience in the haunted attraction industry, created The Freak Show, a haunted house built around an original cast of characters and concept, according to the Sentinel. The convention's annual zombie walk returns in 2026 with a clown theme, starting at a pub on International Drive before proceeding to the host hotel; makeup artists will be on hand to transform participants for a small fee.
After dark, the weekend shifts into party mode. Friday night brings The Crypt, a goth dance party, while Saturday night features the Scream Queens drag show followed by a late-night Rocky Horror Picture Show shadowcast. Thirteen bands are scheduled to perform across the weekend, per the Sentinel's reporting, and Watermark Out News adds that a Halloween Horror Nights Museum presentation and kids Halloween costume contest round out the schedule, alongside a pop-up exhibit from Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Family Programming and Costume Contests
Families aren't an afterthought. Saturday trick-or-treating sends the first 250 children under 12 through the vendor and tattoo rooms with a special bag, per Watermark Out News, and every child who enters the kids' costume contest wins, according to the Sentinel. Children 10 and under receive free admission when accompanied by a paying adult. Adult costume contestants compete Sunday afternoon for more than $500 in cash prizes.
Tickets, Prices and the Road Back From Tampa
Single-day tickets start at $40 and three-day passes run $80, according to the Sentinel, though prices are expected to increase closer to the show and some photo ops and classes carry additional fees. VIP packages run $299 each.
The Orlando homecoming follows years away from the city. Founder Pete Mongelli told Creative Loafing Tampa that the convention drew almost 30,000 visitors in 2018 before organizers found themselves unable to secure an appropriately sized hotel in Orange County, prompting a move to Tampa. Parking issues at the prior year's Orlando gathering also factored into the decision to look elsewhere, Mongelli said. For its 2019 run at the Tampa Convention Center, scheduled for Oct. 31 through Nov. 3 that year, organizers planned to double the number of vendors and tattoo artists. Founded in 2003, the convention's attendance has grown nearly every year since, according to Watermark Out News.
