{
  "id": 4884154,
  "title": "Back to Hogwarts Day: Fans gather as anticipation grows for Harry Potter land in Abu Dhabi",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/back-to-hogwarts-day-fans-gather-as-anticipation-grows-for-harry",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-01T15:14:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/2026/09/01/back-to-hogwarts-day-fans-gather-as-anticipation-grows-for-harry-potter-land-in-abu-dhabi/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Fans of the Harry Potter series have congregated for the inaugural Back to Hogwarts Day celebration, organized by HBO Max, ahead of the release of a television series and the construction of a themed land in Abu Dhabi. The day-long event at Old Billingsgate saw international attendees, including content creators and fans from Europe, Asia and North America. At the event, fans could participate in activities such as posing on Hagrid's flying motorcycle, examining a wizard chess display, and playing games like Hogwarts Legacy and Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery. The centerpiece of the experience was Platform 9¾, where new students boarded the Hogwarts Express in the books and films. The television series, set to premiere on OSN+ this Christmas, will feature Sirine Saba as Professor Pomona Sprout and a star-studded cast. In addition to the television series, a Harry Potter-themed land is being developed at Warner Bros World Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The land, expected to open in 2029, will be the first of its kind in the Middle East and outside Universal Studios' parks. It will feature replicas of Hogwarts Castle, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and the Forbidden Forest, as well as several original rides. The event in London also showcased the evolving visual identity of Hogwarts, with redesigned house crests set to appear in this year's global Back to Hogwarts celebrations. Among the attendees was British content creator Alice Lambert-Brown, who expressed her personal connection to Abu Dhabi as she plans to visit the new attraction.",
  "summary": "Harry Potter fans from across the world have gathered for the first London Back to Hogwarts celebration led by HBO Max, as anticipation builds for both the television series arriving on OSN+ this Christmas and the themed land being developed in Abu Dhabi. Influential content creators and fans from across Europe, Asia and North America are among those attending the day-long event at Old…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Arabian Post",
        "title": "Harry Potter land takes shape at Warner Bros World",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/29/harry-potter-land-takes-shape-at-warner-bros-world",
        "published": "2026-08-29T18:15:31.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}