UK

Harry Potter fans boo as King’s Cross countdown ends in disappointment

Harry Potter fans who gathered at King’s Cross hoping for the annual Hogwarts Express announcement have been left disappointed.

Boos rang out after the usual tannoy address and departure board listing failed to materialise.

The event usually draws hundreds of fans – many in fancy dress – to mark the start of term at the fictional school of wizardry.

The Hogwarts Express famously leaves from hidden platform 9 3/4 and the London station is a major attraction for fans.

Warner Brothers, which runs a Potter shop at King’s Cross and owns the franchise, last week “strongly discouraged” fans from showing up and said this year’s theatrics were cancelled.

However, many either didn’t get the message or turned up anyway.

Phones were trained on the departures board and there was an enthusiastic countdown to 11am.

But it was all for nothing and, after a hopeful silence, a smattering of boos and jeers spread among the crowd.

The King and Queen visit the Platform 9 3/4 sign at King's Cross in 2013. Pic: PA
Image:
The King and Queen visit the Platform 9 3/4 sign at King’s Cross in 2013 – a site that has become a major attraction for fans around the world. Pic: PA

Read more from Sky News:
Adele to step away ‘for an incredibly long time’
Dawson’s Creek star dies aged 51


Follow Sky News on WhatsApp
Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

No reason was given for the cancellation of the King’s Cross event and it’s unclear whether it will be back next year.

Other Back to Hogwarts events did take place however, including some online and at New York’s Grand Central Station, where Bonnie Wright, AKA Ginny Weasley, turned up.

Articles You May Like

Hyundai’s top-tier IONIQ 9 Calligraphy trim looks sharp in stealthy all-black
Aviva agrees to buy Direct Line for £3.7bn
Badenoch needs to pick her battles – and decide how dirty she wants to get
Farage willing to help Mandelson negotiate with Trump
Freak Christmas dinner injury forces world’s best golfer to undergo surgery