The Candlelight Processional is set to illuminate EPCOT once again in 2025, carrying forward a tradition that has enchanted holiday guests for decades. With a full orchestra, choir, and celebrity narrators, the event continues to be a highlight of the International Festival of the Holidays at Walt Disney World.
Guests can look forward to three nightly performances—at 5:00 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8:15 p.m. EST—making it easy to plan a visit around the holiday spectacular. For those hoping to secure guaranteed seating, Disney has announced the return of Candlelight Processional Dining Packages, available to book beginning October 14. These packages combine a festive dining experience at select EPCOT restaurants with reserved entry to the show.
This year’s roster features a blend of returning favorites and first-time narrators. Ashley Eckstein, Jordan Fisher, Ralph Macchio, Gary Sinise, Luis Fonsi, and Marlee Matlin will all reprise their roles, continuing their connection to the seasonal tradition. Joining them for the first time will be Constance Wu, Jennifer Garner, Leslie Uggams, Henry Winkler, Lauren Daigle, Joel David Smallbone, Brie Larson, and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Brendan Fraser’s debut is also drawing attention as one of the year’s most anticipated appearances.
One performer who will not be returning this year is Neil Patrick Harris. Harris has narrated the Processional 15 times (2006-2008, 2011-2019, and 2022-2024, per Sparkcatcher), missing only 2020 due to the pandemic and 2021. The actor, who has become closely tied to the event, is currently committed to Broadway, starring in Yasmina Reza’s ART with Bobby Cannavale and James Corden. Directed by Scott Ellis and translated by Christopher Hampton, the production runs at the Music Box Theatre in New York through December 21, 2025.
Harris’s history with the Candlelight Processional includes memorable moments, such as his 2022 narration when he joked about EPCOT’s name not standing for “Chapek,” a nod to then-CEO Bob Chapek. That holiday season, Harris and his husband David Burtka, with their children, visited the parks alongside Mariska Hargitay and her family. He later expressed appreciation to Disney for welcoming their group and creating lasting holiday experiences.
Disney also recognized Harris at EPCOT during that trip, which coincided with a major leadership change at the company: Bob Chapek’s exit and Bob Iger’s return as CEO.
As EPCOT prepares for another season of festive music and storytelling, the 2025 Candlelight Processional promises to honor tradition while welcoming new voices to the stage.
