What is Back to Hogwarts Day and is it a real event?

It’s been nearly 22 years since The Boy Who Lived officially made his on-screen appearance in the first film in the Harry Potter series. As iconic as one story can get, the expansive lore specifically followed the titular character Harry Potter — an intelligent young wizard who deals with the obstacles and troubles of learning magic and navigating both Hogwarts and the Wizarding World. Upon the first movie back in 2001, Potter and his eventual friends boarded the Hogwarts Express as the official commencement of their first day of school.

Flash forward to now, and we’re all still patiently waiting for our designated owl to deliver our personal acceptance letter into Hogwarts. But until that day arrives, self-professed Potterheads as far as the eye can see will happily grab their magic wands and celebrate Back to Hogwarts Day — as if the overall love for Harry Potter isn’t already celebrated by folks every single day.

What is Back to Hogwarts Day?

Each year, the commencement of Back to Hogwarts Day takes place — which serves as a celebration of when the wizarding kids (especially Harry) officially traveled back to Hogwarts each year for the first day of school. As the memorable narrative goes, the students traveled via the Hogwarts Express from Platform 9 ¾ — which is famously hidden beyond the brick wall at King’s Cross Station located in London, England.

Is it a real event?

Yes, Back to Hogwarts Day is very much a real-life event that takes place in various locations all around the world. Basically, events happen wherever there are passionate Potterheads located — and that’s certainly a variety of places seeing as Harry Potter is one of the most sought-after fantasy stories of all time.

To properly celebrate the massive event, King’s Cross is hosting a larger-than-life gathering of devoted Potterheads to ring in Back to Hogwarts Day in a huge way. In fact, the celebrations at King’s Cross often grow bigger and better with each passing year, so it comes as no major surprise that Potterheads from across the country are heading to London for the festivities.

Amongst the festivities happening in various parts of the world, everything from Harry Potter-inspired cocktails to LEGO sets of Potter lore locations is being rewarded to eagle-eyed customers and Potterheads. That being said, a plethora of exhibitions and photo-ops are also being conducted in a variety of nations — so Potterheads all across the globe can happily enjoy today’s enjoyment.