A Night in the Valley of Witches: Ghibli’s New Short Film, Explained
Updated: 7 November 2026
Studio Ghibli fans have spent three years asking the same question: when do we get something new? The answer arrived quietly in summer 2026. It isn’t a feature film, you can’t stream it, and it only plays in one small cinema in Aichi Prefecture. It’s still the most interesting thing Ghibli has released since The Boy and the Heron.
A Night in the Valley of Witches (Japanese title Majo no Tani no Yoru) is a short animated film made just for Ghibli Park. Here’s what we know, what we don’t, and how you can actually see it.
What is A Night in the Valley of Witches?
It’s a new Studio Ghibli short film, and the first Ghibli short made specifically for Ghibli Park. The studio announced it in April 2026, and it premiered on 8 July 2026 with a special screening the two directors attended.
It is also the first new Ghibli short since 2018, when Hayao Miyazaki’s Boro the Caterpillar opened at the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Tokyo. Eight years is a long gap for a studio that used to make a new museum short every year or two, which is one reason this one got so much attention.
The story is set in the world of the park’s Valley of Witches area, the section that opened on 16 March 2024 and holds full-size recreations of Howl’s Moving Castle, the Okino family home from Kiki’s Delivery Service, and the house from Earwig and the Witch. Ghibli hasn’t released a plot summary or an official running time, and that’s a deliberate choice: the studio wants people to watch it rather than read about it.
Who directed the new Ghibli short?
Two names are on it, and both matter.
- Goro Miyazaki is Hayao Miyazaki’s son. He directed Tales from Earthsea (2006), From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) and Earwig and the Witch (2020), and he has led the creative side of Ghibli Park since it was first planned. In many ways the park is his project.
- Akihiko Yamashita is one of Ghibli’s most experienced animators. He was a key animator on Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron and worked as character designer on Howl’s Moving Castle and The Secret World of Arrietty.
Pairing a park director with a veteran animator tells you what the short is meant to do: make the Valley of Witches feel alive after dark, using the same hand-drawn style fans expect from the main films.
Where can you watch it?
Only in one place: Cinema Orion, the small theatre inside Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse at Ghibli Park in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture.
There’s no streaming release, no Blu-ray and no cinema run outside the park. Ghibli has always worked this way with its shorts. Films made for the Ghibli Museum’s Saturn Theater, such as Mei and the Baby Cat Bus and Boro the Caterpillar, have stayed exclusive for years. Those museum shorts now rotate between the Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park, usually changing month to month, but A Night in the Valley of Witches is a Ghibli Park exclusive and stays at Cinema Orion.
How long is it showing?
Originally it was a summer feature. In October 2026 Ghibli Park confirmed the run is extended through June 2027. If you’re planning a trip to Japan in the next eight months, you have a real chance to see it.
There was also a one-off Halloween outdoor screening for children in the Valley of Witches area itself, which fits the film’s setting.
How to get a ticket to see it
You don’t buy a ticket for the film itself. You need a Ghibli Park pass that includes Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse, because that’s where Cinema Orion is.
- Choose a pass. Both the O-Sanpo Day Pass Standard (from ¥3,300 for adults on weekdays) and the O-Sanpo Day Pass Premium (from ¥7,300) include the Grand Warehouse.
- Book on the right day. Tickets go on sale on the 10th of each month at 2 p.m. Japan time, for visits two months later. January 2027 tickets open on 10 November 2026.
- Pick your Grand Warehouse time slot. Entry is timed (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.), and you must enter within one hour of your slot. Early entry isn’t allowed.
- Watch the screening schedule. Cinema Orion runs several screenings a day. Check the schedule notice Ghibli Park published on 9 October 2026 before you go.
There’s a full walkthrough of every pass, price and booking rule in our Ghibli Park tickets guide.
Why this short matters more than its runtime
The obvious reason is scarcity: three years with no new Ghibli feature, so anything new gets attention. There’s more to it than that.
First, it shows Ghibli’s direction after the studio became a subsidiary of Nippon TV in 2023. The studio is putting real effort into Ghibli Park, which opened on 1 November 2022, as a long-term home for its work, not just a theme-park add-on.
Second, it’s Goro Miyazaki’s first new directing credit since Earwig and the Witch, which divided fans because of its 3D CG style. A hand-drawn short with a veteran like Yamashita reads as a return to the look people love.
Third, it changes how fans experience Ghibli Park. Before, the Valley of Witches was a place you walked around. Now it has its own story on screen.
What we still don’t know
Honest answer: quite a lot.
- Running time: not announced.
- Characters: Ghibli hasn’t said whether familiar witches like Kiki appear or whether the cast is all new.
- A wider release: nothing suggests one. Past Ghibli shorts have stayed exclusive for well over a decade.
- Next shorts: Ghibli hasn’t said whether more park-exclusive films are planned.
We’ll update this page as soon as Ghibli or Ghibli Park confirms more. For the bigger question of what Hayao Miyazaki is working on, see our post on Miyazaki’s next movie.
Frequently asked questions
Is A Night in the Valley of Witches on Netflix or HBO Max?
No. It’s only shown at Cinema Orion inside Ghibli Park in Japan.
Who directed A Night in the Valley of Witches?
Goro Miyazaki and Akihiko Yamashita co-directed it.
When did it come out?
It premiered at Ghibli Park on 8 July 2026, and the screening run is extended to June 2027.
Is it connected to Kiki’s Delivery Service or Howl’s Moving Castle?
It’s set in Ghibli Park’s Valley of Witches area, which recreates locations from both films. Ghibli hasn’t confirmed which characters appear.
Do I need a special ticket to watch it?
You need a Ghibli Park pass that includes Ghibli’s Grand Warehouse. Both the Standard and Premium day passes do.
Want the whole story of the studio? Start with every Studio Ghibli movie in order.
GujoAnimes is an independent fan site and isn’t affiliated with Studio Ghibli or Ghibli Park.
Sources: Ghibli Park official announcements (May and October 2026) · SoraNews24, 22 April and 21 October 2026 · Ghibli Park ticket page (checked 6 Nov 2026)
