POTTERHEADS can get their robes and wands ready as a major Harry Potter store will be opening in the UK this year.
Warner Bros. Global Experiences has announced that it will be opening its first premier flagship shop in London – the first of its kind in Europe.
Harry Potter Oxford Street will open in autumn of this year and will be located at The Ribbon, at 134-140 Oxford Street.
In total, the store will sprawl across just under 2,000sqm (1,950sqm) and be on two floors – making it the joint biggest Harry Potter store in the world alongside New York.
Designs are currently underway to transform the inside of the building on the UK’s most famous street to “a wizarding emporium celebrating the beloved locations featured in the books and films”.
Whether you’re a fan of Hermione or can’t wait to ‘swish-and-flick’ your own wand, there will be plenty of photo opportunities throughout the store.
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There will be a number of activities to complete as well and fans better get saving as there will be exclusive merchandise on sale too.
Little details are known about other features of the store, but if it is anything like the one in New York, fans can expect props from the films and potentially a Honeydukes corner.
The store will join the King’s Cross Shop as the only official Harry Potter retail destinations in the UK.
Karl Durrant, WB’s SVP Worldwide Retail said: “Harry Potter is deeply rooted in British storytelling, and this will give fans an exciting new way to experience this magical world in the city that features so prominently in the stories.
“Offering a completely new retail experience for Harry Potter fans which will delight and entertain, it’s going to be very special.”
There are a number of other official Harry Potter Shops around the world including in New York, Chicago in the USA and Harajuku and Akasaka in Japan.
Warner Bros Studio Tour London, near Watford, also recently launched a costume-making workshop.
Fans are allowed to go behind the scenes of the movies and explore costumes that were actually used in the films.
Assistant Travel Editor, Sophie Swietochowski recently went to the workshop and said: “Unlike the main tour, where guests just wander freely around the attraction, Mastering The Magic: Costume Creation is a 45-minute workshop that allows muggles to even create their own Potter-themed outfit.
“My small group learns that a school-aged Harry, for example, is first seen by viewers in his battered shirt and threadbare trousers, which conveys how poorly treated he is by his aunt and uncle.
“After learning tricks of the trade, we’re talked through the lengthy process of costume creation, from initial concept, taken from scripts, through to mood boards with fabric samples and right down to the final sketches.
“Then it’s time to get stuck in – sketching our own designs and pinning scraps of fabric left over from the costumes featured in the actual films.
“I choose a ruby red and black patch of fur, pairing it with a gold satin – more Malfoy territory than Potter.
“And for a brief moment, I’ve played my part as a Harry Potter costume designer.”
Just last month, it was also announced that there will be a new experience based on the Hogwarts Express later this year.
Partnering with Rail Events Inc., Warner Bros. Discovery will launch Harry Potter: A Hogwarts Express Adventure later this year.
The magical experience will be an immersive train journey, where Potterheads can be witches and wizards heading to Hogwarts.
There will be character interactions, themed dining and even a pre-boarding experience that “nods to Platform 9 and three quarters”.
Most of the experience will actually be on a moving train as well.
The route and launch locations are yet to be confirmed.
In other Harry Potter destination news, Legoland is set to open a Harry Potter land with rides and wizard-themed hotel rooms.
Plus, here’s a look inside the real life Hogwarts where Harry Potter fans can stay this summer – and it’s surprisingly cheap.
