Halloween Horror Nights 9 update: HHN9 scare zones, carnival and more

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Death Fest scare zone overview wide

Get your first look at the HHN9 scare zones and houses in this Halloween Horror Nights 9: BEFORE DARK update.

About Halloween Horror Nights 9: BEFORE DARK

BEFORE DARK is DEJIKI.COM’s original series documenting the transformation of Universal Studios Singapore for its Halloween Horror Nights event. Any relevant updates about the event will be included in this series too.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Park entrance ticketing

With less than a month away to opening night on 27 Sept 2019, the park has been doing a lot of setup work, with themed props arriving in the past week.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Hollywood screen

There are quite a number of changes this year, starting with the park’s Hollywood zone.

Halloween Carnival

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Halloween carnival overview

For the first time ever, the area around the Hollywood lagoon fountain will be used for the Halloween Carnival.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Halloween carnival tower

The carnival is part of the park’s new Daytime Halloween Fun experience that is starting ahead of HHN9. This includes family-friendly activities, Meet-and-Greet sessions with some park characters in Halloween mode, and the return of the Trick or Treat with Sesame Street show. This seasonal event takes place from 6 Sept to 31 Oct 2019.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Halloween carnival tower 2

At this moment, a few of these posters hanging off a metal tower might hint at some of the carnival’s attractions, namely food stands, divination, and a puppet show.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Halloween carnival area wide

After the sun sets, the fair will transform into a Haunted Carnival – who knows, this might also become a mini scare zone.

Death Fest

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Death Fest scare zone overview

Brace yourself for the “most hardcore music festival” of the year, taking place at the park’s New York zone. Two fiery towers mark the start of the Death Fest scare zone.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Death Fest scare zone fire column detail

The towers feature LED strips that will glow red, and an elaborate lighting matrix overhead will push you through the fire and flames.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Death Fest street overview

Apart from the towers, there are only two other large props within the zone. With a park-wide procession (parade) known as Death Fest LIVE, it is likely that this zone will not feature too many immovable props.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Death Fest scare zone set box

One of the sets comprises stacks of stage cases. According to the concept art, this should have a giant skull prop.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Death Fest scare zone set wheels

A huge wheel set with chains, and body parts hidden under the wraps.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Death Fest scare zone set wheel chain hidden

The stage for this morbid metal concert looks like the tallest and widest the park has ever built, and even more complicated than the one used for The 7Sinisters.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Death Fest scare zone stage

Given how the Hollywood area has taken shape so far, the HHN9 Opening Scaremony is likely to shift to New York. This could allow the park to manage the crowds better before and when the event begins, with more space for guests to stand and multiple rope drops happening at various points in the park. Those who arrive later may also have an advantage to hang around in Hollywood and then scoot to the other end of the park, bypassing Death Fest completely.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Death Fest scare zone stage closeup

Great to see the display tech from last year’s Infinite Fear show being used again.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Death Fest scare zone stage fog machine

There’s already a bewildering amount of equipment at the Death Fest zone so far, and probably more special effects will be installed. Look at this row of fog machines already on the first level.

Dead End

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Dead End graves 1

On the other end of the spectrum is the somber Dead End scare zone, which is currently filled with a lot of dead things. This zone, being the realm of The Undertaker, is said to feature funeral rites and gruesome sights.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Dead End props

Creepy and familiar things wrapped up.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Dead End props 2

Mummified, or Pocong-lookalike things.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Dead End props 3

And then all these wooden “baskets”.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Dead End props 4

If we have learned anything from scare zones built here – you don’t really need a lot of things to build the atmosphere. It’s really “less is more” for Jurassic Park scare zones.

Haunted Houses

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Twisted Clown University haunted house tent entrance

The clowns have arrived to set up their Twisted Clown University at Waterworld queue.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Twisted Clown University haunted house walls

It’s great to see more effort being put into decorating these usually bare walls.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - The Chalet Hauntings haunted house gate

The nearby haunted house, The Chalet Hauntings, has a queue entrance that matches the ‘actual’ chalet. Almost all the lights here have blue gels.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - The Chalet Hauntings haunted house actual

Have a peek. Not sure if there’s a real reason, but this year two of the regional/Asian horror houses are returning to the same sites as before. The Jurassic Park site has been home to the Pontianak last year.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Spirit Dolls haunted house peek

Spirit Dolls is taking over the space used for The Haunting of Oiwa in 2018. At the moment only a small portion of the house (roofs) is visible from within the park. Please do not trespass into park backstage areas.

USS Halloween Horror Nights 9 construction update - Hell Block 9 haunted house facade

Hell Block 9 is being built beside Soundstage 28 and much work has been done to create the prison buildings and barricades to resemble the concept artwork.

That means that the last house, Curse of the Naga, is in the Soundstage 28 building. And with that, I’ve created this park map of all the Halloween Horror Nights 9 highlights:

Halloween Horror Nights 9 Event Map by Dejiki.com

HHN9 Vlogs

To kick off the launch of this year’s BEFORE DARK series, I’ve also recorded a short vlog. I may be posting a full walkthrough in a few weeks, when more things are up.


More updates in the next BEFORE DARK article

Want more updates on Halloween Horror Nights?
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Prepare for Halloween Horror Nights 9

Get all the info you need on Halloween Horror Nights 9 at my Halloween Horror Nights 9 Event Guide.



Halloween Horror Nights 12 (2024)
HHN12 REVEALED: Ticket and Event Guide
HHN12 MEGA REVIEW: Photo Tour of all haunted houses, scare zones, shows and Special Experience

Special Features
Under The Castle by TEAM WANG design | Netflix's Sweet Home
Cursed Scrolls: Dynasty of Darkness

HHN12 BEFORE DARK: Day Tour of Halloween Horror Nights 12 setup

Universal Beijing Resort (UBR) 2024
Scares @ Universal 2024 Event Guide

Halloween Horror Nights – The Archives
Click to Expand and see all posts from past Halloween Horror Nights


Halloween Horror Nights 11 (2023)
HHN11 REVEALED: Ticket and Event Guide
Sneak Preview: DIYU: Descent Into Hell, Rebirth of the Matriarch, Icons and more
Halloween Horror Nights 11 MEGA Review: Photos of all Haunted Houses and Scare Zones
HHN11 RIP TOUR (VIP Tour) Review

Features on Haunted Houses, Scare Zones and Experiences
Grimm Encounters | The Weeknd: After Hours Til Dawn Nightmare
Judgement Day (Opening Scaremony) | Netflix's All of Us Are Dead
DIYU: Descent Into Hell | Rebirth of the Matriarch
Dead Man's Wharf | The Cursed Kiramam
The Hacker + The Hacker: GAME OVER

Universal Studios Japan (USJ) 2023
Halloween Horror Nights 2023/ HAHAHA! Halloween Party! Event Guide

Halloween Horror Nights 10 (2022)
HHN10 REVEALED: Ticket and Event Guide
Halloween Horror Nights 10 MEGA Review: Photos of all Haunted Houses and Scare Zones
SPECIAL FEATURE: Behind the Scenes at HHN10 Haunted Houses
HHN10 RIP Tour (VIP Tour) Review

Features on Haunted Houses, Scare Zones and Experiences
The Silenced Auction (Opening Scaremony) | DIE-ning with The Dead | Monsters & Manifestations
Escape The Breakout | Killustrator: The Final Chapter | Hospitality of Horror
Operation: Dead Force | The Hunt for Pontianak | Dark Zodiac

Universal Studios Japan (USJ) 2022
USJ Halloween Horror Nights 2022 Review and Photo Tour

Trick or Thrills (2021)
Halloween Horror Nights Exhibition
2021 Day and Night Halloween: DIE-ning with the Dead, Universal Monsters Scream Alley | Zany Zombies and IT'S SHOWTIME! Premium Experience

Halloween Horror Nights 9 (2019)
HHN9 REVEALED: Ticket and Event Guide

Halloween Horror Nights 9 MEGA REVIEW
SURVIVAL GUIDE for Halloween Horror Nights 9
HHN9 RIP Experience (VIP Tour)

Features on Haunted Houses, Scare Zones and Experiences
The Chalet Hauntings Revisited | Spirit Dolls | Hell Block 9
Curse of The Naga Revisited | Twisted Clown University
Dead End | Death Fest + Death Fest LIVE
2019 Opening Scaremony (The Undertaker)

SNEAK PREVIEW: Curse of The Naga | The Chalet Hauntings | Behind The Scenes of HHN9
HHN9 Construction Updates (BEFORE DARK)
Part 1 | Part 2 (with Daytime Halloween event) | Part 3 (Horror Truck) | Part 4


Universal Studios Japan (USJ) 2019
Universal Surprise Halloween/ Halloween Horror Nights 2019 Event Guide

Halloween Horror Nights 8 (2018)


Universal Studios Japan (USJ) 2018
Universal Surprise Halloween/ Halloween Horror Nights 2018 Event Guide | 2018 HHN Japan Review

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Japan (2017)


Halloween Horror Nights 7 (2017)

Halloween Horror Nights 6 (2016)


Halloween Horror Nights 5 (2015)

Halloween Horror Nights 4

Halloween Horror Nights 3

Halloween Horror Nights 2

Halloween Horror Nights

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3 Responses to Halloween Horror Nights 9 update: HHN9 scare zones, carnival and more

  1. Roz September 2, 2019 at 8:49 pm #

    shaping up to what looks to be an interesting event this year!

  2. Chloe September 3, 2019 at 10:53 pm #

    Omg it look much better

    Guess my survey on want more clown come true

  3. Phoebe September 4, 2019 at 2:04 am #

    Interesting to see that the scaremony will be at NewYork. Will like to see how the park will divert the crowd towards NewYork after scanning the tickets. We have to run so far now to get to the front haha. It seems that the 2 massive props at Deathfest (the tyres) will be hard to move, does this mean some parts of the crowd wont be able to see the show well? They have to control the people heading straight to Naga and Hell Block 9, if not it will be mayhem! In my opinion, the original location at Hollywood seems to be the best. However, we will never know until we experience it! (we have to see how the park is gonna handle this.) Thanks for the write-up!

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