Star Trek: Red Alert is just one of the many experiences made with fans in mind that will be available to check out at Star Trek: Picard.

This is the debut year of Universal Studios Hollywood's Universal Fan Fest Nights. Should this event be successful, there is a good chance that it will continue to bring new fandom experiences to their park year after year, similar to Halloween Horror Nights. While Universal Fan Fest Nights is currently exclusive to Universal Hollywood, it could potentially expand to Universal Studios Orlando, as well.

ScreenRant, along with a handful of other media outlets, had the chance to visit Universal Studios Hollywood and preview two of the experiences that will be featured at Universal Fan Fest Nights. Stephen Siercks, Senior Director of Entertainment Production at Universal Studios Hollywood, accompanied the group, detailing how the storyline will play out, as well as pointing out Easter Eggs and exciting tidbits of information.

Fans Will Step Onto An Actual Set Piece From Star Trek: Picard

"We Think It's Going To Be A Great Moment For Our Guests"

Star Trek: Red Alert features the actual U.S.S. Enterprise-D bridge set from the third season of Star Trek: Picard, which was meticulously recreated for the show. "This is the one that we're putting the most amount of detail into, and the most amount of time into, making sure we're achieving every single nuance of it." Siercks explains. "This isn't just a recreation of the bridge of Enterprise-D, this is actually a film-used set."

As part of Picard Season 3, there was an entire throwback episode, where they actually did a full recreation of the original bridge set and had the original cast come in to reprise their roles for a handful of episodes. "Through that great partnership with Paramount, we were able to actually take that film-used set and bring it here for our guests," he says. "So this is the set that was used in the TV show."

"Talk about authenticity and uniquely Universal. You can't get better than this," Siercks exclaims with a smile on his face. "We're really excited about bringing that detail and immersion into the experience while still being able to tell our individual story as well." While there will not be an opportunity for guests to take photos in the Captain's chair on the bridge during the experience, he explains that there will be a photo opportunity that includes a recreation of the iconic chair and a backdrop set up outside of Star Trek: Red Alert.

Guests Will Become A Part Of The Story As They Track A Mysterious Entity Through The U.S.S. Enterprise-D

"It's The Perfect Way Of Bridging The Latest With The Legacy."

While we cannot reveal too many details about the story that is told throughout the attraction so that fans can experience the surprises for themselves, we can confirm that Star Trek fans will be losing their minds with excitement. Siercks reveals that the concept "is that we're bridging one of the newer elements of the Star Trek franchise with the legacy aspect of the Star Trek franchise."

He details that the experience takes place in the Picard Era of the franchise. Guests are getting "an exclusive opportunity to take a shuttlecraft up to the Starfleet Museum, which is an in-world element within Picard, and are getting an exclusive tour of the Enterprise-D from The Next Generation. It's a perfect way of bridging the latest with the legacy." When fans enter the shuttlecraft, they are on Earth. When they exit, they are on the iconic U.S.S. Enterprise-D, looking out into space.

"This is a giant LED screen," Siercks explains. "What happens here is that as we're being introduced to the ship and what we're about to experience, when all of a sudden an entity, a being, appears in the distance." This entity is a light form that gets closer and closer and closer to the force field. "In a moment, it breaks through and whooshes past you. The way that happens is through lighting, audio, and effects in the ceiling that it makes it feel as though this entity, this being, this light form, has breached the shuttlecraft."

"At that moment, everything starts going haywire," he reveals. The rest of the guided attraction features several rooms, including the sick bay and, of course, the bridge. Along the way, fans will meet several different characters. Every character represents a different race or character type from the franchise so it's a great way of interacting with multiple characters while telling one singular story.

There Are Many Easter Eggs Placed Throughout Star Trek: Red Alert

"It's Just A Great Moment For Us To Be Able To Deliver That Iconic Moment For Our Guests."

Because Star Trek: Red Alert is so focused on the fans, there are many Easter Eggs sprinkled throughout the attraction. In the sick bay, if you look to the back right corner, there is a replicator, which is something that manifests items. "Because the entity has started to take over, it is just continuing to replicate tea - Earl Grey hot, which is Captain Picard's favorite drink," Siercks points out. "It's just one of those fun Easter egg moments that takes place that those who are fans of Star Trek will really appreciate, but also lends itself to some of the detail and immersion throughout the experience."

While there are many Easter Eggs throughout, Siercks believes the best of all is the bridge. "That's one thing that we really want to make sure our guests are able to soak in, is the fact that this is the best Easter Egg you can have in of having this be the authentic, film-used version of the set." A lot of the media that has been developed and appears throughout the walkthrough was from the original franchise team as well.

Another thing that Star Trek fans will appreciate is the recreation of the iconic swoosh sound as doors open. "It's just a great moment for us to be able to deliver that iconic moment for our guests throughout the experience," he says. "Even something like the audio cue that you heard is straight from Star Trek, so a lot of authenticity went into not only the build, but also some of the media development as well."

The team wanted to make sure that they delivered on the experiences around the featured fandoms. Throughout Universal Fan Fest Nights, that fan-first approach really drove them to make sure that they delivered on it and created an experience that is like no other.

About Universal Fan Fest Nights

Really Go There with Interactive and Immersive In-World Experiences

Universal Fan Fest Nights is an exciting, all-new seasonal event, featuring interactive and immersive in-world experiences inspired by sci-fi, fantasy, gaming and anime, based on Star Trek, Back to the Future, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, ONE PIECE and Jujutsu Kaisen, as well as special interactions with Wicked characters, Elphaba and Glinda. Theme park favorites, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and SUPER NINTENDO WORLD will also offer special additions and introduce character and interactive elements during Universal Fan Fest Nights.

Guests will really go there as they tap into their inner fandom and forces with their favorite characters while sharing their enthusiasm with like-minded fans and engaging in cosplay.

Universal Fan Fest Nights 2025 at Universal Studios Hollywood runs on select nights from April 25th to May 18th.

Tickets can be purchased here, as it is ticketed separately from general ission to the park.