HBO’s Harry Potter series shows new footage Tuesday as Back to Hogwarts livestream returns

HBO will share new glimpses of its Harry Potter series during the Back to Hogwarts Showcase this Tuesday, livestreamed worldwide from London to mark the franchise’s 25th anniversary and tease the show’s Christmas premiere.

TL;DR

• The Back to Hogwarts Showcase streams live on YouTube and TikTok on Tuesday, Sept. 1, with new looks at HBO’s Harry Potter series.
• HBO Max is holding its first in-person Back to Hogwarts event at Old Billingsgate Market in London, free to attend but ticketed.
• The celebration marks 25 years since the first Harry Potter film, with all eight movies back in theaters through Sept. 3.
• “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Dec. 25, 2026, led by newcomer Dominic McLaughlin.

A showcase built around 25 years of Hogwarts

Warner Bros. Discovery is treating Sept. 1 as the centerpiece of a global celebration marking 25 years since the first Harry Potter film hit theaters, according to Variety. The date lines up with the day Hogwarts students traditionally board the train back to school, a moment the studio has turned into an annual fan event.

This year’s Back to Hogwarts Showcase streams live on the official Harry Potter YouTube and TikTok channels, with new glimpses of the upcoming HBO series expected among the announcements, Variety reported. HBO has not detailed exactly how much new footage will air. All eight original films are also back in theaters worldwide from Aug. 27 through Sept. 3 as part of the anniversary run.

London gets its first Platform 9¾ fan event

The day carries an extra draw for UK fans. HBO Max is staging its first-ever Back to Hogwarts celebration at Old Billingsgate Market in London, a free but ticketed one-day event themed around the new series, according to HeyUGuys. Tickets went out in daily batches at 11 a.m. BST between Aug. 24 and Aug. 28.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. BST, according to its Eventbrite listing. Organizers have repeatedly reminded fans there will be no official activity at King’s Cross Station that day and have urged Potterheads to skip the trip.

A cast drawn from 30,000 auditions

The series stars newcomer Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter. He’s joined by Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, three young actors chosen from more than 30,000 hopefuls.

The adult cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape. Francesca Gardiner is showrunner, with Mark Mylod directing multiple episodes.

“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” the eight-episode first season, premieres on HBO and HBO Max on Dec. 25, 2026. HBO has already renewed the show for a second season ahead of its debut.

The first trailer split fan opinion when it landed in March, and casting is still filling out for season two, including the search for a young actor to play Colin Creevey. Tuesday’s Showcase is the next chance for HBO to win over skeptics before the show reaches screens.

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Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed Aug. 30, 2026.