Six Flags Fright Fest 2026 (Magic Mountain)

[Wesker69]

Starting this thread 17 days earlier than last year, especially since there has been movement with maze construction (SAW) & the retirement of things last year.


September 18th - November 1st, 2026

LAST YEAR'S MAZE LINE-UP:

• Carnage (Debuted 2025)
• SAW (Debuted 2024)
• Conjuring (Debuted 2024)
• Willoughby's (Debuted 2012)
• Vault 666 (Debuted 2014/2.0 in 2019)
• Condamned (Debuted 2018)
• Trick r Treat (Debuted 2024)
• Truth or Dare (Debuted 2022)

SCAREZONES:

1. Devil's Triangle
2. CanivHELL
3. Plaza de la Muerte
4. Underworlds of Oz
5. City Under Siege
6. Exile Hill
7. Thunderbolt Alley
8. Nightmares
9. Grimmlore Ridge

SHOWS:

• Margo Rita's Monster Ball
• Sliders

 

[Jerroddragon]

Since we are talking dates. Also using the Six Flags Wiki for some of these so please correct any dates that are wrong

Devil's Triangle (Debuted 2022)
CanivHELL (Debuted 2022)
Plaza de la Muerte (Debuted 2025)
Underworlds of Oz (Debuted 2024)
City Under Siege (2010 and updated with Carnage 2025) (this area seems to have come back and changed many times)
Exile Hill (Debuted 2012???)
Thunderbolt Alley (Debuted 2025)
Nightmares (2011 and has Evolved 2025 with Alice)
Grimmlore Ridge (Debuted 2024???)

 

[Viator]

The Saw facade has been deconstructed.

 

[Wesker69]

Since we are talking dates. Also using the Six Flags Wiki for some of these so please correct any dates that are wrong

Accurate. Was just too lazy to add their debut date.. also I just liked pointing out how many SZs they had lol

SZ spec... if this latest iteration of Willoughby's finally retired after a 13 year run, I'm expecting "Exile Hill" to be replaced due to it being tied into the Willoughby legacy.

Curious to see how "CanivHELL" will be upgraded with the recent Looney Tunes Land renovation.

Outside of those 2 locations, I don't see much changes to the SZs due to recent replacements, enhancements & additions. If anything, we'll see updates, unless they decide to add a 10th SZ

I think focus will be on a new house or two.

 

[Mr_Pendington]

I imagine with Six Flags selling off a lot of their parks and focusing their budget on their premier ones, I wonder if we'll see a major upgrade to the mazes this year. I didn't go cause I was too scared (HHN has since changed me) but POVs on Youtube didn't look pretty; just a ton of empty hallways with okay theming. Saw was genuinely awful I'm sorry.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I imagine with Six Flags selling off a lot of their parks and focusing their budget on their premier ones, I wonder if we'll see a major upgrade to the mazes this year. I didn't go cause I was too scared (HHN has since changed me) but POVs on Youtube didn't look pretty; just a ton of empty hallways with okay theming. Saw was genuinely awful I'm sorry.

Maybe but I feel like most things with Six flags you can’t just snap your fingers and people will come

It’s going to take years to repair the brand. They need to keep improving the park like they are and the events

But look at six flags today. Zero, zero shows because it’s the off season but even knotts has basic entertainment still

I think a full time band and looney tones show that’s there at least on weekends can help with that and keep making great mazes for fright fest like the new Carnage house along with exciting newer IPs

 

[Wishmaster]

I imagine with Six Flags selling off a lot of their parks and focusing their budget on their premier ones, I wonder if we'll see a major upgrade to the mazes this year. I didn't go cause I was too scared (HHN has since changed me) but POVs on Youtube didn't look pretty; just a ton of empty hallways with okay theming. Saw was genuinely awful I'm sorry.

FF is not the event to have high expectations on. You go just for the atmosphere or if you have a season pass.

 

[Jerroddragon]

FF is not the event to have high expectations on. You go just for the atmosphere or if you have a season pass.

For Now but I do think it could ramp up nearer to a Knotts Scary Farm but...yeah thats like a decade away

(if ever because it would cost a good deal of investment and MM would need lots more APs and general guests)

 

[Wishmaster]

For Now but I do think it could ramp up nearer to a Knotts Scary Farm but...yeah thats like a decade away

(if ever because it would cost a good deal of investment and MM would need lots more APs and general guests)

You’re optimistic. I accept FF for what it is and both are fine. I just wish the tickets and parking were cheaper.

 

[Jerroddragon]

You’re optimistic. I accept FF for what it is and both are fine. I just wish the tickets and parking were cheaper.

I mean the season pass for FF is under 100 bucks and season passes are under 200 bucks with parking

So I think the event is like you said made for season pass holders and you look at tickets and think...screw it and buy an AP

I agree the parking is insane but that is now the normal sadly. Its 40 bucks which is what USH and Disneyland charges...and Disneyland charges that at Toy story which is the same kind of parking a lot...and you use a bus to get there

Anyway, not saying they will do it but if they do its yearsss away and I think in some way would also benefit Six Flags if they could buy props and sets from Knotts on the cheap to level up the event more but for now its not going to happen. I love the event but it rarely gets busy

 

[Mr_Pendington]

You guys bring up good points. The mazes are bad, especially charging extra for them (sorry). But at least the free Scare Zones are pretty well done. Hopefully things become better.

 

[Jerroddragon]

lol

I never said it's bad

I enjoy the event and last year was very enjoyable.

The scareactors here get lots of freedom in some houses and at the scarezones. Along with the fact that most nights you can be just by your self in a house....thats pretty dam cool and scarier then being in a conga line where all some scares get spoiled before you see a light flash in front of you and can assume a monster is coming

Not crapping on either HHN or Fright Fest, but have strengths and weaknesses.

 

[Mr_Pendington]

Not to be the resident Fright Fest pooper but this is exactly what I'm referring to. I'm not asking for some insane hugely complex and grand maze like HHN Orlando, but this looks amazing and super immersive. Theres actually set pieces instead of generic hallways for half of the maze.

 

[Rideguy70]

 

[Jerroddragon]

Darn, I loved Trick R Treat and would have taken a third year

 

[Rideguy70]

If I recall correctly, I think the last version of Saw had the entire maze emptied out and then re-put together... so it may not be out completely. It does look like all the props are being set aside and not trashed

That said, it could be notable that nearly all the IP mazes are the ones that have been ripped out (rumor has it Conjuring is not returning and has already had some props sold off)... so maybe there won't be any IP next year? Not a rumor, just my own conjecturing

 

[Freak]

If I recall correctly, I think the last version of Saw had the entire maze emptied out and then re-put together... so it may not be out completely. It does look like all the props are being set aside and not trashed

That said, it could be notable that nearly all the IP mazes are the ones that have been ripped out (rumor has it Conjuring is not returning and has already had some props sold off)... so maybe there won't be any IP next year? Not a rumor, just my own conjecturing

They should just leave the IPs to Universal. Let HHN have Conjuring and another go at Saw.

 

[Rideguy70]

Easy for us to say out here... but if you live in the middle of the country, Six Flags is your only option for any sort of IP property. Which is why I don't think the chain would readily let it go (unless things just got too expensive for them)

But maybe SFMM, being so close to Universal, may see things a bit differently. Who knows? But if these mazes are gutted, Conjuring is rumored to be gone, and Willloughby's is retired, this year is either going to be incredible with a ton of new mazes, or a total disaster if they can't get their act together.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I'm sorry but Conjuring house was just much lower tier for me then Trick R Treat....like no contest....one was mostly dark rooms with minimum themeing and less actors...Trick R Treat had rooms filled with things that felt like Halloween. The Mirror Room was also fun and I did see people got lost in there, not to mention the Q had themeing along with the house looking all cool.

So my hope is for Trick R Treat to come back at least because they showed they could improve it

I'd rather them do their own "Conjuring" with a made up new IP and have free range with it...because I'd love a real spooky house you have to walk through as ghost hunters get attacked along with you...that would be a good use of making an original IP

Also even if not houses they can do more scarezones with the IPs the Treat R Treat one at another six Flags looked super fun......so I think a mix of IPs and original IP is cool if done right and I'm sure the IPs do bring some people in...heck I think a DC house would be HUGEEEE if they ever did it here along with a scarezone