The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays returns from November 27 through December 30, 2026, bringing global traditions, seasonal entertainment, holiday kitchens, and plenty of Christmas lights to Walt Disney World.
While the festival is one of EPCOT’s shortest, it may be the one that fits the park best. World Showcase becomes a celebration of how cultures around the world recognize Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s, and other seasonal traditions.
From the Candlelight Processional to Living with the Land’s Glimmering Greenhouses, here is what is returning for 2026.
Holiday Storytellers Around World Showcase
The Holiday Storytellers remain one of the festival’s most unique experiences.
Throughout World Showcase, performers share stories, legends, and traditions connected to their countries. Guests can experience Las Posadas in Mexico, meet the mischievous Barn Santa in Norway, hear the story of La Befana in Italy, and visit Père Noël in France.
Additional presentations include the Chinese Lion Dancer, Germany’s Adventskalender, the Daruma Storyteller in Japan, Father Christmas in the United Kingdom, the Canadian Holiday Voyageurs, and a Hanukkah storyteller between Morocco and France.
These performances are short enough to discover while exploring World Showcase, but together they form the heart of the festival.
Santa Arrives at EPCOT
Santa Claus will greet guests inside CommuniCore Hall during the festival. He is not the only Santa found around EPCOT. Père Noël shares the story of Babette’s Christmas letter in France, while Barn Santa brings a very different holiday tradition to Norway.
Goofy will also appear dressed as Santa at The Odyssey, offering another festive character stop during a trip around the park.
Candlelight Processional Returns
The Candlelight Processional returns to the America Gardens Theatre with its traditional retelling of the Christmas story.
A celebrity narrator joins a mass choir, the Voices of Liberty, herald trumpeters, and a live orchestra for several performances each evening.
The combination of music, narration, and hundreds of performers makes Candlelight Processional one of Walt Disney World’s most enduring holiday traditions.
Disney will announce the 2026 celebrity narrator lineup and Candlelight Processional Dining Packages at a later date.
Explore more performances and festival coverage in our EPCOT Festival of the Holidays collection.
Holiday Music Across EPCOT
JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season returns with an energetic combination of gospel, jazz, and R&B celebrating Christmas and Kwanzaa.
Inside The American Adventure, the Voices of Liberty become the Dickens Carolers. Performing classic holiday songs with Victorian-inspired costumes and their signature harmonies.
Between the storytellers, Candlelight Processional, and live music, it is possible to spend most of a festival day moving from one performance to another.
Gingerbread Spaceship Earth
CommuniCore Hall will once again feature a gingerbread recreation of Spaceship Earth.
The detailed display combines EPCOT’s most recognizable landmark with hundreds of gingerbread pieces, lights, and hidden details.The Celebration Countdown presented by Citizen brings the display to life every 15 minutes with holiday music and lighting effects.
You can see a closer look at the original display in our Gingerbread Spaceship Earth coverage.
Living With the Land: Glimmering Greenhouses
Living with the Land receives its annual holiday transformation with Glimmering Greenhouses.
Twinkling lights, ornaments, and festive displays fill the working greenhouses while the attraction highlights how many holiday foods are grown.
The overlay does not change the attraction’s story. Instead, it adds just enough light and seasonal detail to make the familiar boat ride feel completely different after dark. Our complete Living with the Land: Glimmering Greenhouses video offers a look at the holiday transformation.
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