Are you ready for another adventure? You’d better be, because “ONE PIECE” is returning to Universal Fan Fest Nights! The global anime phenomenon follows Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Crew as they search for the fabled treasure of Gol D. Roger: the One Piece. For the second year, their search is bringing the Straw Hat Crew to Universal Studios Hollywood — but this time, in the form of an epic live-action comedy adventure!
The “ONE PIECE” series spans more than 1,000 episodes over 25 years, giving it an all but bottomless well of lore — not to mention a massive, fervent fandom. And this year’s Universal Fest Nights will feature a brand-new chapter to the epic saga: ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show. Set in the WaterWorld venue at Universal Studios Hollywood, the show will feature stunts, pyrotechnics and a whole lot of laughs. Here’s everything you need to know about ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show at Universal Fan Fest Nights.
It’s All About the ‘ONE PIECE’ Fandom
“ONE PIECE” made a splash as part of the inaugural Universal Fan Fest Nights event in 2025. The “ONE PIECE” fan zone — which featured meet-and-greets with the Straw Hat Crew, themed food and beverages, and an on-site artist drawing “ONE PIECE” wanted posters — was one of the most popular areas of the event. And Universal Fan Fest Nights is all about the fans (c’mon, it’s right there in the name!), so naturally, the team took that enthusiasm to heart when planning for 2026.
“The response to the anime content across the event — and certainly ‘ONE PIECE’ was at the center of that — was not only surprising, but exciting,” says Stephen Siercks, senior director, entertainment production and executive producer of Universal Fan Fest Nights. “It really allowed us to see a vision of how anime can continue being a pillar of Fan Fest Nights.”
Want to know what other fandoms are coming to this year’s event? Check out everything we know about Universal Fan Fest Nights 2026 right here.
One of those fans lives under the same roof as Stephen. His teenage son is a devotee of all the genres featured at Universal Fan Fest Nights, and works as a “test case” when Stephen is bouncing new ideas around. “He’s generally right, which is pretty incredible,” says Stephen. “So it’s a good way of getting a finger on the pulse for what our fans are looking for.”
With such fan enthusiasm, bringing “ONE PIECE” back for year two was a no-brainer for Stephen and team. But this time, they’d do it even bigger. Coordinating with partners at Universal Studios Japan (who’ve brought this particular IP to life since 2007), the creative team dreamed up a new way to expand the “ONE PIECE” footprint at Universal Fan Fest Nights. Introducing: ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show.
Inspired by the smash-hit success at Universal Studios Japan, ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show is a 20-minute, whirlwind show that blends action, adventure and comedy, just like the “ONE PIECE” anime series. The manga and anime saga takes place on both land and sea, so where better to set the stage at Universal Studios Hollywood than the WaterWorld venue?
While Universal Studios Japan has staged a “ONE PIECE” show for years, Universal Studios Hollywood’s “ONE PIECE” show is completely original. Fans are getting an exclusive, bespoke story that fits within the show’s expansive universe. So, to call yourself a true “ONE PIECE” completionist, you have to see the FFN show. Keep reading to learn what to expect from ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show. (Warning: Mild spoilers ahead!)
A New Addition to the ‘ONE PIECE’ Epic
Get ready to set sail for the adventure of a lifetime! ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show blends watercraft, pyrotechnics, stunts, interactive audience engagement, expert fight choreography and special effects to tell a totally new story about Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Crew, on a new location called Midori Island. Here’s what you can expect from it:
Guests will be greeted by Marine-themed ushers, checking to make sure no “pirates” have weasled their way in. The show starts with the Straw Hat Crew — that’s Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Chopper — making their epic landing on Midori Island via Thousand Sunny. They’re here in search of Pop Greens, seeds with special attack powers — pretty handy for a band of pirates with enemies attempting to thwart them around every corner. We’ll watch our gang explore the island with stunts and weaponry, and some eye-popping explosions from the Pop Greens.
But the Straw Hat Crew can’t be the only ones crafty enough to see the value of Pop Greens, right? Enter: Buggy, the aforementioned enemy attempting to thwart them around every corner. Buggy is another pirate, and one of the archenemies of the Straw Hat Crew. Buggy’s intent on claiming the Pop Greens for himself. Classic Buggy.
“I do have a soft spot for Buggy,” says Stephen. “He’s one of the most iconic foes of ‘ONE PIECE.’ And it’s so fun to have that playful back-and-forth between the Straw Hat Crew and Buggy.”
What follows is a series of acrobatics, stunts, and special effects that’ll have you laughing and gasping all at once. This combination of swashbuckling action, high-seas and laugh-out-loud comedy is exactly what makes “ONE PIECE” so unique and beloved. Stephen says that whether you’ve seen every episode of the series or this is your very first introduction, there’s something in this show for you.
“At its core, it’s a character story,” says Stephen of ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show. “That’s what’s really important to us: To represent the characters and storylines of ‘ONE PIECE’ and be as authentic as possible while adding to it.”
But Buggy isn’t the only enemy putting the Straw Hat Crew through the ringer today! We won’t spoil it here, but another legendary “ONE PIECE” foe bursts onto the scene, catching both Buggy and Luffy’s squads by total surprise. Who is it? You’ll just have to see the show for yourself.
Back to Where It All Started
For Stephen, incorporating the WaterWorld Venue into Universal Fan Fest Nights isn’t just a no-brainer — it’s a full-circle moment. Stephen started his work at Universal Studios Hollywood as a stage manager for the WaterWorld show 21 years ago, then came back to the show and helped produce its remount in 2017.
And he’s not the only one on the Universal Fan Fest Nights team with a close connection to WaterWorld. “Being able to bring Fan Fest Nights into that venue is a special moment for a lot of us,” says Stephen. To name a couple: The production manager for ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show was a stage manager for WaterWorld, and the audio designer and creative director, Stacey Quinealty, sets the creative direction for the WaterWorld shows across the globe.
“Bringing the venue into Fan Fest Nights shows the flexibility of the space,” says Stephen, nodding to the use of the venue for The Purge: Dangerous Waters in recent years at Halloween Horror Nights. “We can use the same venue to tell different stories depending on what season it is.”
I, for one, can’t wait to see this reimagined use of the beloved venue at this year’s Universal Fan Fest Nights. Is it April 23 yet?
What are you most excited to see during ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show at Universal Fan Fest Nights 2026? Let us know in the comments below.
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