Harry Potter Fans Urged to Stay at Home for First Pre-COVID Back to Hogwarts Celebration

Traditionally, every year on the 1st of September, Harry Potter fans gather at King’s Cross Station in London and wave their wands at 11am to mark when the Hogwarts Express would depart from Platform 9¾ to take the students back to Hogwarts. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fans are being urged not to get together in person this year, and to instead attend the first digital Back to Hogwarts event. While it may be a departure from the previous annual celebrations, it promises to be “a mass of surprises and fun”, and will features appearances from the cast of both the movies and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

The Back to Hogwarts livestream will include trivia games for viewers to take part in, and fans are encouraged to send in pictures of themselves in their Harry Potter-themed outfits, which will be shared in order to “bring the community to life”. The pictures will also be displayed inside the station, making fans feel like they’re there in spirit, and can be viewed in the livestream and on social media.

As The Bookseller reports, James Phelps, who portrayed the character Fred Weasley in the films, said: “I’m so excited to be playing a part in the first ever digital Back to Hogwarts: 2020 has definitely been a strange year and it’s really important that we all do everything we can to keep safe, including staying home. I hope fans will join us and keep the celebrations virtual.”

The Livestream will support Lumos, the NGO that was founded by Rowling, and viewers will be able to make donations during the event. Things will kick off on 29th August, when Wizarding World.com will share new content, including watching the “creative masterminds” behind the Harry Potter franchise. Including Paul Harris, who served as the wand choreographer for the films, and will teach viewers the art of wand combat. Members of the Harry Potter Fan Club will also have exclusive access to celebrity readings of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Fans may not be able to meet in person, but there’s certainly plenty to look forward to.