Midsummer Scream is a Halloween and horror film fan convention held annually in Long Beach, California at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. [1] [2] [3] Widely considered to be the world's largest convention dedicated to the holiday and the horror genre, [4] [5] it is associated with the haunted attractions of Southern California. [6] [7] [8] [9] It is also linked to the trend of "Summerween" (Halloween celebrations in summer). [10] [11]
In addition to panels featuring notable speakers like John Carpenter, [12] as well as film screenings of classic horror features and new short films, [13] the convention has a large show floor that is divided between a retail space and the Hall of Shadows. [14] The Hall of Shadows is an immersive dark space, [15] which has featured haunt mazes by film studios including Lionsgate Films [16] [17] and New Line Cinema. [18]