Many Harry Potter fans were left disappointed as the annual “Back to Hogwarts” announcement at King’s Cross station in London was not made in 2024. Every year, fans of the fantasy franchise gather at the train station to hear the message that the Hogwarts Express will depart from the fictional platform 9 3/4 at 11 a.m., as depicted in JK Rowling’s books and the films based on them. However, this year, the recent tradition did not continue.
Why London’s King’s Cross Station scrapped Hogwarts announcement
On September 1, many Harry Potter fans like to celebrate the start of the academic year at the fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at the real-life train station. In the past, the train service for the fictional Hogwarts Express was even displayed on the departure boards. This proved a big success over the years, as many fans appeared for the event at the King’s Cross station in London.
This year, fans of Harry Potter continued the tradition and excitedly anticipated the announcement as they began the countdown. However, the announcement never came. A video shared on X (formerly Twitter) showed fans’ excitement die as the time for the message came and went.
As reported by the Independent, a statement was shared on the Wizarding World website ahead of the day. It “strongly discouraged” fans from arriving at the King’s Cross station for the Back to Hogwarts day. They revealed that there would be an online event instead, hosted by Sam Thompson, the winner of the reality TV show “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” However, hopeful fans still made their way to the London station.
This year, Harry Potter’s Back to Hogwarts Day was also celebrated at New York’s iconic Grand Central Terminal for the first time after a weekend of festivities. Fans gathered at the Vanderbilt Hall to countdown to 11 o’clock for the Hogwarts Express departure. Also, special guest Bonnie Wright, who plays Ginny Weasley in the films, joined the celebration and surprised the visitors at the event.
It is currently unclear if the event at King’s Cross station has been permanently discontinued or will return next year.
