Experience the Magic of EPCOT’s Candlelight Processional with Your High School Choir
Every December, one of the most meaningful holiday traditions at Walt Disney World Resort comes to life at EPCOT: the Candlelight Processional.
Staged at the America Gardens Theatre during EPCOT’s International Festival of the Holidays, Candlelight is more than a seasonal concert. It is a full-scale presentation of the Christmas story, combining live orchestra, massed choir and celebrity narration in a setting that feels both intimate and grand.
For student groups, it represents a rare opportunity to be part of something deeply traditional, professionally produced and unforgettable.
What is the Candlelight Processional?
The Candlelight Processional features a rotating celebrity narrator who reads the story of Christmas, accompanied by a live orchestra, Voices of Liberty vocalists and visiting student choirs from across the country.
Over the years, narrators have included well-known actors and performers such as Neil Patrick Harris, Whoopi Goldberg, Gary Sinise, Marlee Matlin and Edward James Olmos. In 2025, select performances featured Brendan Fraser as narrator.
The tradition began at Disneyland in the late 1950s and later expanded to Walt Disney World, eventually moving to EPCOT in 1994 as attendance and popularity grew. Today, it remains one of Disney’s most respected holiday offerings and a seasonal experience audiences return to year after year.
Why student groups love Candlelight
Candlelight stands apart from other performance opportunities because it blends artistry, storytelling and atmosphere in a way few events can replicate.
Students don’t simply perform for a crowd passing through a theme park. They become part of a carefully staged production that values precision, professionalism and collaboration. Singers are placed by voice part within a large ensemble, performing alongside students from other programs and contributing to a unified sound that fills the theatre.
The experience feels elevated, purposeful and celebratory, often marking one of the most meaningful performances of a student’s high school career.
The trip experience beyond the stage
What makes a Candlelight Processional trip especially memorable is everything surrounding the performance.
Groups typically enjoy multiple days exploring Disney parks, from immersive attractions and behind-the-scenes storytelling to evening spectaculars and shared meals. Time at Disney Springs, iconic parks like Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and seasonal entertainment throughout EPCOT all add to the experience.
Performance day itself becomes the anchor of the trip, but the memories are built through the moments before and after: anticipation, celebration and the simple joy of experiencing the destination together during the holidays.
A holiday tradition your group will never forget
For directors planning future travel, the Candlelight Processional offers a compelling combination of prestige, seasonal magic and meaningful student engagement. It is an opportunity to place students on a nationally recognized stage while surrounding the experience with one of the most festive destinations in the country.
Whether your group is focused on music, education or shared travel experiences, Candlelight delivers a moment that students, families and directors remember long after the trip ends.
If you’re dreaming about a holiday season filled with music, storytelling and unforgettable experiences, EPCOT’s Candlelight Processional is one worth exploring for your next student trip.
