Hundreds of fans flocked to Wizarding World’s much-loved Back to Hogwarts celebrations at London’s King’s Cross Station, for a live event and interactive photo opportunities hosted by Wizarding World fans Made in Chelsea’s Sam Thompson and Capital FM presenter Vick Hope.
Gryffindors, Slytherins, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs of all ages descended on the station’s concourse to see the train to Hogsmeade light up the departure board and watch performances from the cast of
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London’s Death Eaters, and Paul Harris, the Wizarding World wand choreographer.
25 years ago, J.K. Rowling introduced us to the mysterious Platform Nine and Three Quarters, the scarlet Hogwarts Express and explained the significance of an 11:00am departure in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Since then, the Harry Potter series, which has sold over 600 million copies worldwide, been translated into over 80 languages and brought to life on screen in 8 blockbuster films, has built a global community of dedicated fans.
Having begun as an organic fan celebration, Back to Hogwarts is now recognised globally as a moment for fans of all ages to come together in celebration. Sam Thompson and Vick Hope led the crowds in a countdown to the 11:00am departure of the iconic train as it makes its way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for another year of adventure.
Fans participated in special Wand Combat workshops led by Paul Harris, the Wand Choreographer responsible for the instantly recognisable wand combat seen in several of the
Harry Potter films, as he taught prospective Dumbledore’s Army members how to ward off Death Eaters and perfect their best Defence Against the Dark Arts stance.
Following the workshops, the West End cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child performed a special version of the popular ‘wand dance’ as seen in the multi-award-winning stage play.
For the first time ever, it isn’t just those who attend on the 1st who can join in the fun, with the celebrations at King’s Cross lasting into the weekend and offering fans of all ages a chance to experience the magic first hand.
From 9am – 5pm each day, until the 4th September, visitors to the station will also be able to grab selfies with two one and a half metre tall, giant-scale book replicas of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (featuring Thomas Taylor’s cover art, first published by Bloomsbury in 1997, together with the classic Johnny Duddle special 25th Anniversary edition), as well as pose for photos with impressive LEGO® Harry Potter big builds of the Hogwarts Sorting Hat and Mr Weasley’s blue Ford Anglia.
For fans who have dreamt of making their own journey to Hogwarts, a brand-new Hogwarts Express video booth will enable them to see themselves sitting in the very carriage graced by Harry, Ron and Hermione! Passengers can share their content on social media by tagging #BACKTOHOGWARTS.
Wands at the ready! The fun continues after the countdown as Wand Choreographer Paul Harris will be instructing lucky members of the public on how to defend against the Dark Arts. For budding witches and wizards looking to learn from the expert, Paul will be hosting a wand training session at the start of every hour from 10:00am through to 5:00pm on Saturday 3rd September.
The fun at the station today was just the start of the celebrations, fans wishing to continue the fun online can look forward to tuning into two exciting digital events tonight…
TikTok LIVE Experience with Tom Felton
Back To Hogwarts LIVE
is a Livestreamed Experience, hosted by Tom Felton as he embarks on a personalised tour of his old stomping ground – Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – the Making of Harry Potter! Expect fun, games, personal anecdotes and memories from his time shooting the
much-loved films. Fans can watch along on TikTok at @wizardingworld & @t22felton at 7:00pm BST.
