Midsummer Scream, the annual convention that brings all the spook and scares to the sunniest months of the year, is back at the Long Beach Convention Center July 28-30 with horror-themed vendors, haunting attractions, presentations from creative professionals, entertainment and more.

Regarded as the largest Halloween and horror convention in the world, the event is expected to draw 40,000 horror enthusiasts, creatives, cosplayers and industry professionals during the three-day convention.

Each year the convention is packed with panels and presentations from leading figures in the horror industry, including executives, creatives and celebrities. Spread across five stages and multiple breakout rooms, this year’s featured talent includes 39 special guests, including the Boulet Brothers, producers and hosts of the popular reality competition series “The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula,” which features contestants showcasing dark, horror-themed drag looks.

Some other major celebrities attending to meet fans and sign autographs include Tom Holland, the writer and director of “Child’s Play,” the seminal work of the Chucky character film series, Kimberly J. Brown, the heroine in the Disney film “Halloweentown,” actor Naomi Grossman who was featured in seasons two and four of “American Horror Story,” and Rachel True who starred in the 1996 supernatural horror film “The Craft.”

Each year Midsummer Scream presents a variety of horror-themed attractions, but this year’s centerpiece is its “Hall of Shadows,” created by professionals and amateur horror creatives from across Southern California. The zone will be filled with over a dozen interactive themed exhibits and photo opportunities, with prowling dark creatures and characters looking to scare.

A man oinks at the crowd in an attempt scare them during the 2022 Midsummer Scream and the Long Beach Convention Center Saturday, July 30. Photo by Fernando Haro.

The “Spooky Shopping” zone is another major draw to the convention, featuring an entire showroom floor filled with more than 350 vendors selling costumes, props, special effects makeup—just about anything you could think of that’s Halloween and horror-related.  This year guests can also check out “The Screaming Room,” a curated short-film festival screening horror films from around the world.

The Black Cat Lounge will also be returning to the convention this year. The exhibit features a space with adoptable cats (some black) to pet and hold.

Tickets to Midsummer Scream start at $35 for single-day passes. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

The Long Beach Convention Center is at 300 E. Ocean Blvd.