Harry Potter attraction to be launched in Shanghai in 2027

A Harry Potter studio tour will open in Shanghai in 2027, which will be the third such attraction globally and the first in China, its developers announced on Wednesday.

Officially named Warner Bros Studio Tour Shanghai — The Making of Harry Potter, it will be located in the renovated Shanghai Jinjiang Action Park, according to Jin Jiang International Holdings Co and Warner Bros Discovery Global Experiences.

Jinjiang Action Park, in the city's Minhang district, closed on Jan 26 for renovations. The new 53,000-square-meter attraction is still in the regulatory approval stage.

It will offer visitors an immersive behind-the-scenes look at how the Harry Potter franchise brought British author JK Rowling's seven-volume fantasy novel series to life. Visitors will be able to explore the iconic film sets that were designed by the creators of the films, according to Warner Bros Discovery Global Experiences. It will also feature authentic costumes and props, alongside interactive features.

The tour will include internal and external spaces that will take around half a day to walk through. A landscaped park area will be created in front of the tour for both visitors and the general public.

The redevelopment project extends beyond the tour itself, Zheng Bei, chairwoman of Shanghai Jinjiang Action Park Co, told Radio Shanghai. The site will feature three main components, including the Harry Potter attraction, a themed hotel and the iconic Ferris wheel ride, which will be upgraded to be around 118 meters tall.

The Shanghai location will integrate digital interactive elements with distinctive Chinese elements, Zheng said.

To manage visitor flow, the attraction will implement a reservation system requiring advance booking for both dates and specific time slots, said Zheng, noting that the park anticipates welcoming approximately 2 million visitors in the first year.

"Harry Potter's multigenerational appeal means the Shanghai tour should draw a wide range of fans from teenagers all the way up to adults in their 50s," Zheng said. "We envision visitors coming from across China and even Southeast Asia."

The original Jinjiang Action Park opened in 1984 as Shanghai's first major theme park.

"Jinjiang Action Park was a beloved childhood memory for many locals growing up in Shanghai," said Lu Ping, a local born in the 1980s. "Although the park has experienced several revamps, it was less attractive than before. Bringing a Harry Potter attraction here is a way to rejuvenate this space."

Lin Huanjie, director of the Shanghai-based Institute for Theme Park Studies in China, said that introducing an international brand like Harry Potter is a smart move, which will activate Jinjiang Action Park's brand value and release new consumer vitality.

"Shanghai is an ideal landing spot given its status as a global city with a booming tourism market and appetite for high-quality themed entertainment," he added.

Lin said that the Shanghai tour differentiates itself from Universal Beijing Resort's Harry Potter-themed land by providing an immersive studio experience focused on the filmmaking process.

And, he said he expects that it would include Chinese cultural elements.

"For international branded attractions to truly resonate in China, there needs to be localization that allows Chinese guests to experience and understand the Western stories through an Eastern cultural lens," he said. "The Harry Potter storylines should remain pure, but other facilities can fuse Chinese philosophy and storytelling traditions."

Once officially opened, the studio tour will not just fulfill the dreams of Chinese fans of Harry Potter, but is also expected to attract tourists from South Korea, Southeast Asia and other regions to Shanghai, further boosting the inbound tourism market, he added.