A familiar Luton landmark has appeared in the latest trailer for HBO’s new Harry Potter television series after Wardown Park was used as a filming location for the highly anticipated adaptation.
The park’s distinctive suspension bridge, which spans the boating lake, can be spotted in the trailer, giving the town a starring moment in one of the biggest television productions of the year.
Filming took place at Wardown Park in September last year, with the production using the historic surroundings to recreate scenes from the wizarding world of JK Rowling’s books.
Reports from the time suggested that scenes featuring Harry Potter’s parents, James and Lily, were filmed at the park.
Entertainment website Redanian Intelligence reported that footage showed a couple running across the suspension bridge, while another figure appeared to be carrying a baby. The scenes prompted speculation that the production was recreating events surrounding Harry’s early life, before the death of his parents at the hands of Lord Voldemort.
The production was also reported to have returned to Wardown Park on September 27 to film scenes involving boats on the lake.
Brazilian entertainment website Omelete reported that photographs from the filming, posted on X by Harry Potter page Wizarding World Direct, showed boats on the water, with speculation that the sequence depicted first-year Hogwarts pupils travelling by boat towards the school, as they do in the original story.
The appearance of the bridge in the new trailer provides a further glimpse of the Luton location used by the production.
Wardown Park has a long history as a public green space in the town. Wardown House and its gardens were bought by Luton Corporation in 1904 before opening to the public in 1906.
The suspension bridge was built in 1908 and is believed to be one of the shortest of its kind in the country. Built mainly of iron, its original piers were later replaced with concrete. The bridge has undergone major repairs over the years, including work in 1953 and 2015, before being repainted in 2025.
The park is also recognised as a Grade II registered historic park and garden, reflecting its historic landscape and combination of Victorian and Edwardian design.
The new television adaptation will retell the story of Harry’s first year in the wizarding world, introducing a new generation of actors to roles made famous by the original film franchise.
Dominic McLaughlin plays Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. The wider cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape.
The series is scheduled to premiere at Christmas 2026, with its first season consisting of eight episodes.
For Luton viewers, the arrival of the series will offer an opportunity to see whether they can spot more familiar scenery when the magical world of Harry Potter comes to television.
Watch the latest trailer and see if you can spot the moment Luton features:
