Candlelight Processional Narrators Announced!

The 2025 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays is where cherished traditions from around the world come to life, and one of the most beloved traditions of all is the Candlelight Processional. If your holiday season isn’t complete without a mass choir of cast members and community singers, the incredible Voices of Liberty, a 50-piece orchestra, and the story of Christmas told by a celebrity narrator, then it’s time to unwrap some exciting news: the 2025 Candlelight Processional lineup is here!

The Candlelight Processional dates back to 1958, when Walt Disney told his friend and University of Southern California choir director Dr. Charles Hirt that Disneyland should have carolers during the Christmas season. Dr. Hirt would go on to assemble a 1000-member chorus of high school singers, a large orchestra, and speaker to share the message of the first Christmas for two nights in December. It was such a popular event that when Walt Disney World opened, a “sister” celebration was created in Florida to mirror the show in Anaheim until 1983, when Johnson was brought onboard to create new choral arrangements and develop a new program of carols. In 1993, Orlando’s Candlelight celebration moved to Epcot.

Two choirs are needed to make the musical magic happen: one choir sings the first show of the evening, while another choir, which rehearses during the first performance, performs the second and third shows. Both ensembles include a core choir made up of WDW Cast Members, as well as high school and collegiate choirs from across the country that are chosen through a very selective audition process. Only around 130 choirs are invited from approximately 300 who apply. Approximately 600 different singers perform every night, meaning that about 20,000 festival singers will participate over the course of the Christmas season. While the Cast Member choir rehearses ten times throughout October and November before the baton comes down on November 28, the selected school choirs must be ready upon their arrival, as the preparation time for a Processional chorus is minimal. Featured with the chorus are the Voices of Liberty from the American Adventure Theatre. Professional instrumentalists from the Orlando area fill out the fifty-piece orchestra, many of whom have been part of the Candlelight tradition for several years.

As the show has increased in popularity, it has also increased its number of performances from the original two shows to fifteen, later expanding to thirty performances over fifteen nights, and finally to 105 shows, encompassing three shows per night for thirty-five days. This year’s event, presented by AdventHealth, begins on November 28, running nightly through December 30, with shows at 5:00, 6:45, and 8:15 p.m.

Want to know who’s bringing tidings of comfort and joy this year? Take a look:

Nov. 28-29 – Constance Wu (NEW)
Nov. 30-Dec. 2 – Jordan Fisher
Dec. 3-4 – Jennifer Garner (NEW)Dec. 5-6 – Ashley Eckstein
Dec. 7-8 – Ralph Macchio
Dec. 9-10 – Leslie Uggams (NEW)
Dec. 11-13 – Marlee Matlin
Dec. 14-15 – Henry Winkler (NEW)
Dec. 16-17 – Lauren Daigle (NEW)
Dec. 18-19 – Gary Sinise
Dec. 20-22 – Brendan Fraser
Dec. 23-24 – Luis Fonsi
Dec. 25-26 – Joel David Smallbone (NEW)
Dec. 27-28 – Brie Larson (NEW)
Dec. 29-30 – Sheryl Lee Ralph (NEW)
Showtimes: 5:00 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8:15 p.m. EST nightly at the America Gardens Theatre

Candlelight Processional Dining Packages

Want to make your evening even more memorable? You can reserve a Candlelight Processional Dining Package, which includes a delicious meal and guaranteed seating for one of the three nightly performances.

With options ranging from breakfast to dinner at participating restaurants, you’re sure to find a festive feast that fits your holiday plans. You can choose from breakfast, lunch or dinner (selections will vary depending on the restaurant you choose), and after enjoying your festive meal, you’ll receive a reserved seating badge for your reserved package showtime. (while your seat is guaranteed, it is still recommend that you arrive early for the best possible view within the reserved section).