A video posted on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, shows an expectant crowd countdown to 11am, and then booing when nothing happens.
Media and entertainment company Warner Bros Discovery, which owns the Harry Potter franchise, issued a statement in July urging fans to avoid travelling to King’s Cross on Sunday and instead watch a programme on YouTube hosted by I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! winner Sam Thompson.
It said: “Come 1st September, fans are strongly discouraged from travelling to King’s Cross as there will be no event, departure board or countdown at the station.
“Instead, everyone is invited to tune in and join proud Hufflepuff and King of the Jungle, Sam Thompson, in a specially recorded online programme made in celebration of Back to Hogwarts.”
The decision not to hold an event at London King’s Cross was made by Network Rail, which owns the station.
A spokesman for the Government-owned company said: “While our station concourses are sometimes used for commercial events, our priority must always be passengers who are trying to make their journeys on the railway.
“Having begun as a small number of fans waving off the departure of the Hogwarts Express, celebrations have grown significantly in popularity and last year’s event saw thousands of people at King’s Cross, which made it challenging for us as station operator.”