Harry Potter’s Wizarding World transforms Changi Airport for the holidays

SINGAPORE. Changi Airport has been transformed for the holiday season with four large installations inspired by the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Developed in a first-of-its-kind partnership with Warner Bros, the festive campaign will run until mid-February 2019 and aims to “delight visitors and fans with a magical atmosphere”, said Changi Airport Group.

A young traveller is captivated by the artificial snow as it falls on ‘Hogsmeade’ at Changi Terminal 3.

The installations, one each in Terminals 1 and 2 and two in Terminal 3, are inspired by the JK Rowling book and film series Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. Each reflects a famous location from the Wizarding World, “transporting” fans into the universe of the hugely popular franchise.

In T3 Departure Hall, visitors can explore Hogsmeade Village, first seen in the Harry Potter series. The installation features facades of some of the village’s well-known shops, including Zonko’s Joke Shop and Honeydukes sweet shop, while the backdrop shows the Hogwarts castle. A life-size Hogwarts Express provides another great photo opportunity.

This year’s annual festive campaign at Changi is one of the airport’s most ambitious to date and was realised in partnership with Warner Bros Studios.

Snow-covered rooftops add to the festive theme while daily snow and light shows add to the “delight” of the activation.

Also in T3 is a recreation of Diagon Alley, a famous shopping street in the Wizarding World. Here visitors will find facades of some of the franchise’s most famous magical shops – Madam Malkin’s Robes for all Occasions, Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, and Quality Quidditch Supplies.

From riding a broomstick to exploring a magical menagerie, the Wizarding World at Changi airport offers fans a window into JK Rowling’s magical universe.

At Madam Malkin’s, visitors can dress up in wizarding clothes and pose in front of a ‘magic’ mirror, which captures their image in a GIF. The Diagon Alley space also features a Wand Challenge game; a Quidditch Quaffle Toss game; and a game featuring the Niffler, a magical creature made famous by the Fantastic Beasts film series.

Terminal 2 Departure Hall hosts a tableau of the famous Whomping Willow Scene from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, complete with flying Ford Anglia.

The huge Niffler game was inspired by one of the most popular characters from the Fantastic Beasts franchise.

Other striking photo opportunities can be found at Terminal 1, where fans can explore Newt Scamander’s Menagerie, as introduced in the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

To accompany the installations, Changi Airport is also offering a range of exclusive premiums. These include plush toys of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Hedwig; and 2-in-1 travel pillows themed for each Hogwarts house. Each is available as a purchase-with-purchase premium at S$10 with a minimum spend at the airport.

How good are your wand skills? Try them out in front of the ‘magic mirror’ and have your movements transformed into a GIF file.

For the launch weekend (16-18 November), members of the Changi Rewards and iShopChangi programmes were able to redeem a limited-edition Gryffindor Knitted Scarf at S$15 (with minimum spend S$10).

Changi Rewards members can redeem a complimentary set of the 9 Wizarding World Premiums with an accumulated spend, said Changi Airport.

The magical takeover offers photo opportunities galore. Only in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will you find a flying Ford Anglia stuck in a Whomping Willow.
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