Inside The Star-Studded Interview With The Vampire Season 2 Premiere

Fans of gothic horror already have a countdown for the premiere date of Interview With The Vampire Season 2 on May 12, nearly two years after Season 1 aired. Ahead of the cult-favorite series’ second season, which is based on Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles, I headed to a private screening of the first episode of Season 2 at the McKittrick Hotel — a night that included a star-studded red carpet, a word from the producers, and an immersive after-party that was bloodier than expected.

I arrived before the real party started, so I got an up-close-and-personal look at the after-party space before it filled with the show’s creators and stars. The space had a speakeasy feel, completely covered in red upholstery that gave it a dark and mysterious vibe.

After exploring the space and taking photos of all the vampiric details (including a box of “Vampons” in the restroom), I headed back to the area where they were hosting the red carpet. The show’s biggest stars — Jacob Anderson, Delainey Hayles, Sam Reid, Assad Zaman, and Eric Bogosian — all made appearances.

Nearby, an open bar was serving champagne and other cocktails — though the show-themed specialty cocktails didn’t come out until later.

Once the press line wrapped up, everyone headed downstairs to watch the first episode together, titled, “What Can the Damned Really Say to the Damned?” Two of the show’s executive producers, Rolin Jones and Mark Johnson, introduced the second season, and I spotted some TikTok influencers in the audience, Ian Paget and Niamh Adkins.

I can’t give away any details from the episode — sorry! — but I will say that Hayles, the actor who took over the role of Claudia from Season 1’s Bailey Bass, did an incredible job. Once the episode wrapped up, everyone headed back upstairs to enjoy some bar food — croque monsieur, sandwiches, and fries — and drinks.

There were plenty of photo opps too, whether you wanted to grab a pic with old-fashioned phone booths, a casket, or ornate backdrop.

Slowly, attendees started disappearing down a hallway, slipping into the immersive experience that was teased but left *very* vague. Fifteen minutes later, an actor put a red bracelet around my wrist, inviting me to experience it for myself.

My group was led through dark corridors until we were greeted by a tour guide — an introduction that was swiftly interrupted by a woman screaming, warning my group that the tour guide was, in fact, a vampire.

We followed them into another room, where the woman asked us all to help her and told us that she was taken from her apartment last night — she even offered to sacrifice me (yes, me!) to the vampire in exchange for her life. Thankfully, he didn’t take her up on the offer, and what followed was one hell of a bite for her — not me.

Following the show, my group made its way to the after-party room, where a live band was already playing. There, guests — including the show’s stars — had their choice of specialty cocktails and mocktails: Pompous Parisian, Immaculate Concoction, Crimson Eclipse, and I Left My Heart In San Francisco. (You can probably guess what color scheme they were going for.)

All in all, it was a spooky evening drenched in red — the perfect welcome party for a season that promises more gore and intrigue than ever.