Harry Potter fans warned not to travel to King’s Cross for annual celebration – new location revealed

HBO Max has warned Harry Potter fans not to travel to King’s Cross station for this year’s Back to Hogwarts celebration, while unveiling a new location for the 2026 celebration.

The annual event typically takes place on September 1st at the London station that JK Rowling wrote about in her novel series, with fans congregating at the fictional 9 ¾ to count down the departure of the Hogwarts Express.

But this year, fans will be able to celebrate the tradition at Old Billingsgate in London as part of a “one-day celebration packed with surprises, photo opportunities and exclusive giveaways offering a glimpse into the upcoming series”.

The one-day fan event will also include interactive moments and giveaways inspired by the upcoming TV show, HBO Max have teased.

Tickets for the experience are free and required for entry. They will go on sale at 11am BST from Monday 24 through to Friday 28 August and can be found here.

The upcoming HBO series is set to premiere on 25 December, with Dominic McLaughlin playing Harry, Arabella Stanton starring as Hermione and Alastair Stout appearing as Ron.

The first season will also star the likes of Paapa Essiedu (Severus Snape), Janet McTeer (Minerva McGonagall), John Lithgow (Albus Dumbledore), Nick Frost (Rubeus Hagrid) and Bel Powley (Petunia Dursley).

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights.

In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.

Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that "there are no trans kids" and opposed the idea that a child can be "born in the wrong body".

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In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women's Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to "individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights".

Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community.

Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.

Read more:

• Harry Potter TV series star speaks out on JK Rowling's views: "I strongly disagree"

• Dave Bautista tipped to take on God of War's Kratos role after injury forced role recast

Harry Potter will be coming to HBO in the US and HBO Max globally on 25 December 2026. Subscribe to HBO Max in the UK from £5.99 a month.

Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.