If you’ve ever thought of running through random pillars at Victoria Terminus and Churchgate, hoping it’s the entrance to Platform 9 3/4, you’ve been in the wrong place, Potterhead. Andheri is where the portal that opens into Diagon Alley is located. Well, Sthamba Brewery in Lokhandwala, to be precise. The popular bar and restaurant has conjured a magical Harry Potter party called ‘Hogwarts After Hours’ this weekend.
Sthamba turns into Hogwarts for 4 hours
On May 2 and 4, you can experience what a night out in the Leaky Cauldron would feel like. Hogwarts house banners and decor straight from the film franchise will decorate the entire venue. Think ceilings strung with floating candles from the Great Hall and hundreds of Hogwarts acceptance letters – we think all the ones Uncle Vernon hid from Harry ended up here.
Snap pictures at the brick wall photobooths that are replicas of 9/3 quarters, or by Azkaban’s wanted posters, pick up wands from Olivander’s Diagon Alley store that look so real we wouldn’t blame you for swishing and flicking them as you mutter Wingardium Leviosa, hoping sparks fly. Even this event’s tickets cost INR 934, as an homage to the Hogwarts Express platform!
Butterbeer, Quidditch and Harry Potter trivia quiz
The list of clever little references and spellbinding HP-specific details you’ll find at this event is longer than a basilisk. However, what will petrify you with joy are the food, drinks and games that stay loyal to the theme. A Sorting Hat will segregate all guests into the four houses of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin.
Potions master will be replaced by master bartenders who’ll brew bewitching elixir-like drinks in cauldrons, including unlimited Butterbeer, which will leave you more loose-lipped and footloose than Snape’s veritaserum. You can get your game on with Quidditch beer pong, where throwing table tennis balls through miniature hoops instead of quaffles scores points, and other DIY games.
Keep your wits about you with all that drinking, you’ll need them during the Harry Potter trivia quiz. Mugging up all of the facts and lore of this fictional world should be the only muggle-like behaviour you show during this magical night. Make Hermione proud.
This might be the most authentic Harry Potter experience you’ll get a taste of in Mumbai without boarding a flight to London’s King’s Cross Station or the Wizarding World. But much like those iconic experiences, this Hogwarts After Party is selling out faster than a copy of the Daily Prophet announcing Voldemort’s return. Get your tickets here.