Hogwarts in the Snow Returns to Warner Brothers Studio Tour London

14TH NOVEMBER 2020 – 17TH JANUARY 2021

Fans of the Harry Potter films are invited to get into the festive spirit as Warner Bros. Studio Tour London’s annual Hogwarts in the Snow feature returns! For the very first time, from Saturday 14th November – Sunday 17th January 2021, visitors will be able to explore another of their favourite sets in the snow as Diagon Alley undergoes a wintery transformation.

New for 2020, the cobbled stones and magical shop fronts of Diagon Alley will be given a festive makeover, draped in layers of filmmaking snow. During filming, many different types of ‘snow’ were used, each selected for its ability to crunch under foot, float like falling flakes or glisten in the light like ice, but never melt. The same techniques will be used by filmmakers to cover the magical shopping street this year. Though Diagon Alley was not seen in the snow, the same set was used for parts of Hogsmeade during the wintery scenes that see Harry make use of his invisibility cloak to join the school trip without permission.

A popular fan favourite, the Hogwarts castle model will also be transformed with a dusting of snow again this year. During filming, a member of the crew climbed aboard an elevated work platform and sprinkled the mixture of granulated paper and grains of salt onto the model by hand with a sieve – like dusting sugar onto a cake. The same process takes place at the Studio Tour every festive season.

As visitors step foot onto the original stone floor of the Great Hall, they will be welcomed with wreaths, garlands and trees topped with witches on miniature broomsticks. The long dining tables will be dressed as they were for the seasonal feast in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, complete with SFX flaming Christmas puddings and prop versions of the mouth-watering roast turkeys and hams studded with cherries.

In addition, many more of the iconic sets housed at the Studio Tour will receive a festive makeover. The Gryffindor Common Room and Boys’ Dormitory will be decorated with the original props including handmade Christmas cards, some of which were created by the cast members during production. Fireplaces throughout the Studio Tour (including those in the Leaky Cauldron and Great Hall) will be ‘lit’ with special effects fire, created by John Richardson and the SFX team using a combination of water vapour and lighting effects.

Hogwarts in the Snow will run from Saturday 14th November – Sunday 17th January 2021. Tickets must be pre-booked, and all extra features are included in the ticket price.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter opened its doors on 31st March 2012. The unique attraction offers visitors the ultimate chance to get up close to authentic sets, discover the magic behind spellbinding special effects and explore the behind-the-scenes secrets of the Harry Potter film series. Visitors can explore the original Great Hall, step into the Forbidden Forest and discover the newly opened Gringotts Wizarding Bank all before marvelling at the breath-taking miniature scale model of Hogwarts castle. The Studio Tour has been well received with 96% of the 40,000+ reviews on TripAdvisor rating it as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’. Tickets must be pre-booked at www.wbstudiotour.co.uk and cannot be bought at the attraction.

To help keep everyone safe, a number of additional measures and changes have been made to the Studio Tour experience. The updates are designed to prioritise social distancing and enhanced cleaning. Visitors are advised to familiarise themselves with the Studio Tour’s safety measures before visiting: https://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/updates/safety-measures/