2026 EPCOT Candlelight Processional Narrator Lineup Revealed
2026 EPCOT Candlelight Processional | Photo Disney Parks Blog
Disney just dropped the narrator lineup for the 2026 EPCOT Candlelight Processional, and it's a good mix of returning favorites and a few fresh faces stepping up to the podium at America Gardens Theatre this year.
The Candlelight Processional is one of the most beloved holiday traditions at Walt Disney World, and 2026 marks a milestone year. It's the 55th time the show has run somewhere at Walt Disney World and the 32nd year it's been staged at EPCOT specifically.
Every night from November 27 through December 30, a guest narrator reads the Christmas story while a 51-piece orchestra, the Voices of Liberty, and a mass choir of more than 150 singers perform around them. Performances run three times nightly, at 4:45 pm, 6:30 pm, and 8:00pm.
EPCOT Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrator Lineup | Photo Disney Parks IG
Your 2026 Candlelight Processional Narrators
The full announced lineup runs as follows.
Auli'i Cravalho opens the season November 27 - 28, followed by Gary Sinise from November 29 through December 1. Whoopi Goldberg takes the stage December 4 & 5. Two brand new narrators join the roster right after her, with Robin Roberts narrating December 6 & 7 and Jason Kelce stepping in December 8 & 9, both first-timers at the Processional based on this announcement.
Neil Patrick Harris returns December 10 through 12, and Lauren Daigle follows December 15 & 16. Ralph Macchio narrates December 17 through 19, with Henry Winkler right behind him December 20 & 21. Lacey Chabert, another new name to this year's lineup, takes over December 22 & 23. Jodi Benson closes out Christmas week December 24 & 25, Simu Liu picks up December 26 & 27, and Eva Longoria wraps the season December 28 through 30.
Two dates, December 2 & 3 and December 13 & 14, are still listed as to be announced, so there's likely at least one more name coming before the season kicks off.
Planning Around The Show
If a past trip to America Gardens Theatre taught you anything, it's that seating fills up fast. Reserved seating comes through a Dining Package, and this year those packages open for booking October 14. Pairing a meal at one of EPCOT's World Showcase restaurants with a guaranteed spot for the show is genuinely one of the better values in the holiday festival lineup, especially if there's a specific narrator on your must-see list.
Without a Dining Package, seating is first-come, first-served, and the theater fills well before showtime on popular nights, particularly weekends and any performance featuring a narrator with a big built-in fanbase. If you're chasing a specific date, plan to stake out a spot at America Gardens well ahead of the listed start time, and have a backup performance time in mind in case the earlier show is already packed.
The Candlelight Processional runs as part of the EPCOTInternationalFestivalof the Holidays, so expect it alongside the festival's other seasonal touches around World Showcase, including holiday storytellers, seasonal treats, and the returning Christmas tree and menorah displays in their usual spots around the lagoon.
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EPCOT Candlelight Processional features Celebrity Narrators, Live Orchestra, & Choir | Photo Disney Parks Blog
Final Thoughts
For anyone building a December trip around Candlelight Processional, the smart move is locking in Dining Package dates as soon as the October 14 booking window opens, especially if a favorite narrator lands on a weekend. The lineup skews toward a lot of recognizable names this year, and a few of the season's more in-demand nights are likely to fill their reserved seating quickly once bookings go live.
Alright, that’s all for now. See ya next time.
