Making a nightmare come to life: Behind-the-scenes at Universal Studios Singapore’s annual Halloween Horror Nights carnival

Returning for the 13th year, Universal Studios Singapore’s Halloween Horror Nights is undoubtedly one of the biggest events in the city-state when October rolls around. 

At sunset, the theme park transforms into multiple haunted houses, with wandering nightmare fodder. As Resort World Sentosa’s marquee event, its annual editions attract guests from Southeast Asia and Australia.

Its past editions have featured ghosts and ghouls from Southeast Asian folklore and mythology, making it one of the world’s unique horror nights.

We find out from Markham Gannon, senior director of Entertainment at Resorts World Sentosa, what goes into producing the annual carnival.

As someone who has experience in theatre and musicals, how does this differ from theatre productions?

Theatre has one narrative, one story, that unfolds from beginning to end. It usually runs in two acts, though not always. We offer a series of stories, more experience-driven than overt narrative or text, all different and for different audiences and yet under one umbrella. 

We are more like a festival — you can scream, ride the thrilling rides, eat themed food, scream again, be wowed by a live show, play some games, step into your favourite movie or series… and scream again! It’s more immersive, with more texture in terms of choice and experience.

From Stranger Things to M3GAN, what makes a movie or series a good choice for a Halloween Horror Nights addition?

We aimed to leverage popular movies and series that were being launched in 2025, which offered exciting content that would attract our fans. Some collaborations come to us, whilst we actively seek out others.

It is our fourth collaboration with Netflix, and all our collaborations have been so successful. Haunted houses based on Sweet Home, All of Us Are Dead, and Season 1 of Stranger Things have been among the top-rated attractions at Universal Studios Singapore Halloween Horror Nights during the years they were featured. 

We get fans who come to the event because of the TV shows, and the haunted houses allow them to “live it” and dive deeper into the lore.

With so much Southeast Asian folklore, what are the criteria for ghosts or ghouls that make it into Halloween Horror Nights?

Those who are feared, revered, and who keep people awake at night! Given the deep interest and sensitivity to ghosts in this region, coupled with a healthy respect for the afterlife, we lean into the darkest fears of our diverse audience to tap into their psyches and create a sense of anticipation.

There is a genuine, palpable fear across different cultural demographics, which helps us decide whom to include — and who not to — in our content.

The team watches clips of ghost hunters, research on the internet where they read stories of local lore, and also talk to friends, family and guests. It serves us to talk to people, ask questions, and find out what triggers them.

You can honestly get a sense of their visceral reactions through conversation when talking about certain ghosts or folklore.

In terms of superstition, we don’t avoid anything in particular. Our job is to do it justice and serve the story to ensure it feels authentic. From toyols to effigies to pontianaks reaping revenge, we lean into all the superstitions.

We naturally avoid anything offensive to ensure that Halloween Horror Nights remains relatable and appropriate for our audience, guaranteeing a great night out.

Now in its 13th edition, what has changed in the way Halloween Horror Nights is organised?

It is a well-oiled machine, and we have developed significant institutional knowledge, but we find efficiencies wherever we can. We recycle costumes, props, and equipment where possible whilst also ensuring that we bring new and exciting environments and experiences to the fans. 

This year is the first time we have a pre-fabricated assembly for a haunted house. It was built off-site, assembled, then packed up and sent to us. On-site, it was installed in record time. 

This saved time for set-up and was a first for us. In terms of cost, this setup is reusable, allowing us to study its structure and how to amortise it over a series of activations in the future. It’s more complicated than it sounds. 

We also reuse a lot of props and dummies and recycle, rework, and reskin different elements. For instance, if a scare scenario works in a house, we adopt that layout and transfer it to a new theme, saving us time and design costs.

We learn about effective scare placement, what works and what doesn’t, and which scare styles or characters resonate with guests. We also understand what (and who) stops a guest from moving forward in a house or zone, as our job is to keep them moving forward to assist operations.

Also, where to spend money on scenery and where to let darkness or a costume do the job for us. 

Is there any new technology used in this year’s edition? 

We have used projectors to bring our castle facade to life in a new and exciting way without the need to construct scenery. Content production and software are becoming more sophisticated and efficient through digital advancement.

How long does it take for the team to prepare the set and determine the actors needed for each house?

Halloween Horror Nights takes a full year to bring to life. This includes content ideation, design work, planning, auditions, casting, and execution.

Our show directors train scare actors through a short and demanding series of rehearsals which span a couple of weeks. They learn movement styles related to their character, scaring techniques, script where necessary, make-up application, costume management, and back-of-house logistics. 

We also focus heavily on safety measures to ensure that they remain safe, keep our guests safe, and give the audience their best efforts. Managing adrenaline, coping with challenging situations like tiredness, heat, and staying hydrated all come into play.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and they need to stay “on” and focused for long periods, requiring concentration and both physical and mental resilience. Oh, and we train them to have fun!

Every member of this event is crucial to its success — the ideas, designs, fabrication, special effects, operations, performances, food and beverage, merchandise, sales and marketing, and the striking of the set.

This is a team effort like no other, and we all share the challenges and the successes. Every department does its part to ensure cohesion, breadth, safety, variety, fun, and horror, whilst also trying to make money!