Parks Magic
Universal's Horror Make-Up Show Heads Into Its Final Week After Nearly 36 Years, with Annual Passholder Reserved Seating Opening Today
News

Universal's Horror Make-Up Show Heads Into Its Final Week After Nearly 36 Years, with Annual Passholder Reserved Seating Opening Today

Michael Travels
·
Published

One of only two opening-day attractions still operating at Universal Studios Florida is taking a bow. Universal's Horror Make-Up Show, the irreverent practical-effects stage show that has been running in the Pantages Theater on Hollywood Boulevard since the park opened on June 7, 1990, plays its final pre-reimagining performance on Tuesday, May 12. Annual Passholders get reserved seating starting today.

This is the show with the audience-volunteer fake-stab gag. The one with Beetlejuice lurking outside the theater in past Halloween seasons. The one your dad still quotes. After nearly 36 years it is taking a break to come back as something new, but the originals get one final week.

Universal's Horror Make-Up Show stage at Universal Studios Florida, with the show's signage visible above the audience seating.
Universal's Horror Make-Up Show, in its final week before a reimagining. Photo: Inside Universal.

The closure timeline

  • Last performance: Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
  • Annual Passholder reserved seating window: Monday, May 4 (today) through Sunday, May 10. First-come first-served, limited per showtime.
  • What Universal is calling it: a "reimagining," not a permanent closure. The show returns later in 2026.
  • What the new version will include: per WDWNT, "classic and modern horror properties," with the comedic, irreverent tone of the original retained. Specific IP not yet confirmed.

Why this one matters

Universal Studios Florida opened on June 7, 1990. Of the original opening-day attraction roster, only two are still operating: E.T. Adventure and Universal's Horror Make-Up Show. Almost everything else from 1990 has cycled through replacement, refurbishment, or closure. Losing the Horror Make-Up Show, even temporarily, leaves the park with a single 1990 holdover until the reimagined version returns.

The show itself was inspired by "The Land of a Thousand Faces" at Universal Studios Hollywood, which ran from 1975 to 1980. Its central premise (a comedic walk-through of practical horror-makeup techniques, with at least one volunteer being "stabbed" on stage with a fake-blood gimmick) has stayed remarkably consistent for decades, and the Pantages Theater itself is a re-creation of the historic Hollywood Pantages.

The Pantages Theater facade at Universal Studios Florida, home of the Horror Make-Up Show.
The Pantages Theater facade. Photo: Universal Orlando Resort.

What we know about the reimagined version

Universal has only put one official word on the record: "reimagining." Per WDWNT's reporting, the new show will fold in classic and modern horror properties while preserving the comedic stage-show tone. Outlets have speculated that Blumhouse, Terrifier, M3GAN, The Black Phone, Five Nights at Freddy's, or refreshed Universal Monsters IP could feature, but none of that is confirmed.

Reopening is targeted for "later in 2026," with no specific date confirmed.

How to actually catch it before May 12

  • Annual Passholders: reserved seating runs May 4 to May 10. Show up early at the Pantages Theater, present your AP, and grab a seat. Limited per showtime.
  • Everyone else: standby seating runs through May 12. The final two performance days (Monday May 11 and Tuesday May 12) will be the busiest; if you are inside the parks any time this week, slotting in a midweek matinee makes more sense than chasing the closer.
  • The Pantages Theater is in the Hollywood section of Universal Studios Florida, on Hollywood Boulevard near the park entrance.

What else is happening at Universal this week

  • Volcano Bay Nights opened last night (Sunday May 3) and runs 14 select nights through August 21.
  • Passholder Bonus Benefits continue through May 21 (free Transformers magnet, $5 merchandise credit on $10-plus purchases, 35 percent off photo packages, 20 percent off Hollywood Drive-In Golf).
  • Blockbuster Summer 2026 kicks off May 23 with the return of the Mega Movie Parade and JAWS-themed experiences across Universal Studios Florida.
  • Hogwarts Always returns May 30 at Islands of Adventure as part of Blockbuster Summer.

Quick planner notes

  • Today is the AP day. Reserved seating opens this morning. Pantages capacity is real, and the show plays multiple times daily, so a midweek slot is your best read.
  • Beetlejuice fans, watch for him. He has periodically appeared as a meet-and-greet character outside the Pantages Theater in the Hollywood area during past Halloween seasons. No promise he will be there this week, but the venue has the history.
  • Don't book a trip just for this. The show returns later in 2026 in reimagined form. If you are not already planning a Universal day before May 12, the smarter move is to wait for the reopening.
  • If you are at the park, do it. Nearly 36 years of the same audience-volunteer gag, and it never gets old.

Sources

Image credits: Inside Universal and Universal Orlando Resort.

Related News

Free SeaWorld Day for Veterans, with a Hard May 10 Deadline: How U.S. Veterans Get In Free for Military Appreciation Month (Plus Active-Duty Year-Round Benefit)

Free SeaWorld Day for Veterans, with a Hard May 10 Deadline: How U.S. Veterans Get In Free for Military Appreciation Month (Plus Active-Duty Year-Round Benefit)

SeaWorld Orlando is offering U.S. military veterans a free single-day ticket plus up to three free guest tickets for Military Appreciation Month, with up to six additional tickets at 50 percent off. Registration through Waves of Honor closes Sunday, May 10, with park visits required by June 30. Active-duty service members, activated reservists, and National Guard members continue to receive their separate year-round complimentary admission benefit.

May 3, 2026 News
Volcano Bay Nights Opens: 14 After-Hours Pool Parties Through August 21, $99 a Head with Parking and a Moonlit Krakatau

Volcano Bay Nights Opens: 14 After-Hours Pool Parties Through August 21, $99 a Head with Parking and a Moonlit Krakatau

Universal Orlando lights up Volcano Bay after dark tonight for the 2026 run of Volcano Bay Nights, the resort's after-hours water park party. Tickets are $99 plus tax per person (parking included), the event opens at 7 p.m. with 4 p.m. early water-park entry, and the schedule covers 14 nights through August 21 with passholder discounts and DreamWorks character meet-and-greets.

May 3, 2026 News
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Is Back at Magic Kingdom: 2,000 Bats, a 38-Inch Height Bar, and Lightning Lane Sold Out by 9:11 a.m.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Is Back at Magic Kingdom: 2,000 Bats, a 38-Inch Height Bar, and Lightning Lane Sold Out by 9:11 a.m.

After roughly 16 months down, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopened to Magic Kingdom guests Sunday, May 3, with a brand-new track, a redesigned Rainbow Caverns scene packed with more than 2,000 bats, a freshly revealed mother lode of gold, and a 38-inch height requirement that finally lets a new generation of small riders aboard the wildest ride in the wilderness.

May 3, 2026 News
The Muppets Take Hollywood Studios: The L.I.M.O. Launches May 26 with a 5-Track Setlist, Scooter's First-Ever Audio-Animatronic, Plus Cast, AP, and DVC Previews Confirmed Before Opening

The Muppets Take Hollywood Studios: The L.I.M.O. Launches May 26 with a 5-Track Setlist, Scooter's First-Ever Audio-Animatronic, Plus Cast, AP, and DVC Previews Confirmed Before Opening

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opens at Disney's Hollywood Studios on Tuesday May 26, with a five-track Electric Mayhem setlist (Jennifer Hudson, Questlove, Def Leppard, Kelly Clarkson all guest), the first-ever Audio-Animatronics Scooter, with Cast Member, Annual Passholder, and Disney Vacation Club previews confirmed before opening.

May 2, 2026 News