One of EPCOT’s longest-running holiday traditions will look a little different when it returns later this year.
The Candlelight Processional has been part of the holidays at EPCOT for decades, with Disney bringing celebrities to the America Gardens Theatre each year to narrate the Christmas story alongside live musicians and singers.
Now, Disney has confirmed more changes to the 2026 lineup, including two notable newcomers.
Two Big Names Are Joining Candlelight Processional
Josh Groban and Benjamin Bratt will both make their Candlelight Processional debuts during the 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.
Bratt will appear on December 2 and 3. Disney fans may recognize the actor as the voice of Ernesto de la Cruz in Pixar’s Coco (2017).
Groban will take over the narrator role on December 13 and 14. The singer joins an event built heavily around live music, making his addition one of the more interesting changes to this year’s lineup.
They aren’t the only newcomers.
Robin Roberts will narrate December 6 and 7, Jason Kelce takes the stage December 8 and 9, and Lacey Chabert will appear December 22 and 23. Disney has identified all five as new Candlelight Processional narrators.
Familiar Faces Will Also Return to EPCOT
Disney isn’t completely changing the formula.
Several familiar narrators are returning, including Gary Sinise, Whoopi Goldberg, Neil Patrick Harris, Lauren Daigle, Ralph Macchio, Henry Winkler, Jodi Benson, Simu Liu, and Eva Longoria.
One part of the schedule also remains a mystery. Disney currently lists the November 27 and 28 narrator as “To Be Announced,” leaving another announcement still to come.
The performances will take place nightly at 4:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. at the America Gardens Theatre.
A 32-Year EPCOT Tradition Continues
The Candlelight Processional celebrates its 32nd year at EPCOT in 2026 and the tradition’s 55th year at Walt Disney World Resort.
Each performance combines a celebrity narrator with the Voices of Liberty, a 51-piece orchestra, and a choir featuring more than 150 Disney cast members and community singers.
Regular seating remains first-come, first-served, but guests will also have the option to purchase Candlelight Processional Dining Packages. Disney will open reservations for those packages on October 14.
With Groban and Bratt joining the lineup for the first time, Disney is bringing some new star power to a holiday experience that has remained an EPCOT staple for more than three decades.
