Scarefest 2026

In 2025 we saw the removal of The Attic: Terror of the Towers and Daz Games Panic. We had two new scare attractions introduced with Edge of the Forest and Dark Hollow along with the return of Compound, Burial Grounds and Altonville Mine Tours. We also saw the return of family attractions such as Amigos in the Afterlife and Trick O' Treat Town.

Now that we've had our first year of RWS, how does the future look for Scarefest 2026 and onwards? Did RWS good a good job this year and do we see them doing more to improve the event next year? Will more mazes be removed and what themes may be introduced or returned to the event. Do you have any ideas for what the park should do to improve this event or is it good as it currently is?

I personally would love to see Terror of the Towers brand reintroduced into the park as it doesn't feel like an Alton Towers Scarefest without it. However i would love to hear your ideas!

I would like to get Christmas over with before thinking of next Halloween!

I’d like to see more permanent infrastructure going in.

A 3rd permanent maze space maybe in a family area of the park (KC/MB) maybe by Magic Hq or the Katanga emergency gate.

Or possibly behind TWODW by MMM or X Sector behind Oblivions brake run.

Securing all mazes away from the towers to look at other uses.

If they do eventually remove the mines from the towers basement, then a permanent maze structure could possibly go in behind/oblivion's arcade area.

NemmyRider said:

If they do eventually remove the mines from the towers basement, then a permanent maze structure could possibly go in behind/oblivion's arcade area.

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Where? There's no space behind Oblivion and the arcade. The arcade backs onto a service road and a route for staff to get to the Springfield green room which is so narrow that it's single file.

The park is very limited for space without considerable tree felling, which won't happen.

They could put a Maze in the Enterprise and Submission spot if they want one in X Sector or Goal Striker building and many other vacant buildings could be used

Hid said:

They could put a Maze in the Enterprise and Submission spot if they want one in X Sector or Goal Striker building and many other vacant buildings could be used

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I think that the space around Enterprise and Submission is too awkward and small. Say they have to have all mazes out of the towers for this year, they would most likely put the new maze around or inside the Goal Striker building. I can't really think any other place that would be large enough to house a scare maze (Maybe the empty theatre where Ice Age used to be?) Personally I would love to see a new Terror of the Towers this year, and have that be the only maze in the towers this year, the event doesn't feel like Halloween without that brand.

The actual x pose and xcite building is mostly shuttered and unused and a great shout for a place to use Sanctuary 2026? A modern take on the original sanctuary post smiler.
id love to see a return of scare zones, looser, free flowing and casual. Universal do them so well. The military one in FV was good too.

Sacre Award nominations have been announced that there is a clear absence of any nominations for Alton Towers. This a massive change from previous years when they were regularly nominated and regularly won. Can any give anyone give any reasons to this as their mazes have been very strong in previous years?

Hazza said:

Sacre Award nominations have been announced that there is a clear absence of any nominations for Alton Towers. This a massive change from previous years when they were regularly nominated and regularly won. Can any give anyone give any reasons to this as their mazes have been very strong in previous years?

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I’m sure for years the event used to be hosted at Alton Towers, which I imagine may have helped with the awards.

I guess also for years the event has been a bit stale and competition has increased in the UK in the scare industry.

Anyway on to 2026 Scarefest do you think we’ll see another new maze and finally the removal of Altonville?

With a Dark Forest maze and a Forbidden Valley maze, plus Wicker Man scare zone, could we see a X-Sector maze? I’m sure fans would go wild for a Smiler or MOJ maze.

djtruefitt said:

I’m sure for years the event used to be hosted at Alton Towers, which I imagine may have helped with the awards.

I guess also for years the event has been a bit stale and competition has increased in the UK in the scare industry.

Anyway on to 2026 Scarefest do you think we’ll see another new maze and finally the removal of Altonville?

With a Dark Forest maze and a Forbidden Valley maze, plus Wicker Man scare zone, could we see a X-Sector maze? I’m sure fans would go wild for a Smiler or MOJ maze.

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A Sanctuary return would be awesome many of us never experienced it

I think they should deffinately remove AVMT for this year as it has had a long run and to what i believe has gone unchanged in recent years, i like the idea of a MOJ / X-Sector themed maze i think people will go absoloutely mad for it.

They do need to improve upon Edge of the Forest i think as it didnt have as much of an impact on myself as a maze compared to what compound did. But it will be exciting to see what they do for this year