Disney Sets EPCOT Candlelight Show Times for 2026
Published September 8, 2026 · Updated October 19, 2026
Disney announced Tuesday, September 8, 2026, that the Candlelight Processional will return to EPCOT during the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays at Walt Disney World. As of Tuesday, September 8, the show is listed for three nightly performances at America Gardens Theatre: 4:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
The performance is part of the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth. Disney said the 2026 edition marks the Candlelight Processional’s 55th year at Walt Disney World Resort and its 32nd year at EPCOT.
Disney confirmed the show will feature a 51-piece orchestra, Voices of Liberty, a celebrity narrator, and a choir of more than 150 Disney cast members and community singers. The coverage provided for this report says Disney welcomed new and returning narrators, but the narrator names were not included in the available source facts.
Seating for regular Candlelight Processional performances is first-come, first-served. Disney also confirmed that Candlelight Processional Dining Packages can be booked beginning October 14, 2026, and include a meal at select EPCOT restaurants plus reserved seating for a selected showtime.
What we know
- Candlelight Processional — returns during the 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays at Walt Disney World.
- America Gardens Theatre — hosts the show inside EPCOT.
- Performance times — nightly at 4:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
- Candlelight Processional Dining Packages — bookings begin October 14, 2026.
- Dining Package seating — includes reserved seating for the guest’s reserved showtime, though Disney recommends arriving early for a better view within that section.
What’s not confirmed
Disney has not confirmed the celebrity narrator names in the source facts available for this report.
Disney also has not provided the full list of participating EPCOT restaurants, meal periods, or prices for the 2026 Candlelight Processional Dining Packages in the available source facts.
What it means for your trip
If Candlelight Processional is a must-do for your holiday EPCOT day, treat it like a real reservation problem, not a casual walk-up show. The standby line can eat a chunk of your evening, especially for popular narrators, and you may be choosing between waiting for the show or using that time for World Showcase booths, dinner, or nighttime touring.
The dining package is the cleaner move if you want the show locked into the day. It does not mean you can arrive at the last second and expect the best view, but it removes the biggest risk: spending valuable EPCOT time in a long standby line and still not getting the performance you wanted.
If you are flexible, the practical play is to compare all three showtimes against your dinner plans and nighttime priorities. The 4:45 p.m. show can protect your evening, while the later shows may fit better if you want a slower World Showcase dinner before ending the night at America Gardens Theatre.
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