‘A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King’ Opens May 15 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

UPDATE: This LIVE event has concluded. Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for future live events!

There’s something special about entertainment. The combination of dance, music, costumes and the unmistakable talent of the Disney Live Entertainment team is pure magic. That’s why I’m thrilled to share that “A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King” is opening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on May 15! I was able to sit in on a dress rehearsal recently and was so impressed. I found myself tapping my foot, clapping along and grinning from ear to ear (from behind my mask, of course!). 

It was also wonderful to see how excited and joy-filled the performers were to do what they love most by sharing their talents and artistry. They are just itching to share their passion with a live audience and are thrilled to be bringing the show to Disney’s Animal Kingdom guests.

One thing to keep in mind is, there have been a few changes to the show since you last saw it. While the majesty and splendor is all there, staging and choreography have been updated with safety protocols in mind for our performers and our guests. We’ve also pared down parts of the show, such as the acrobatics, but the rest of the cast will be sure to dazzle you. 

Because we are still physical distancing as part of our health and safety measures, the opportunity to view “A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King” during a visit to the park will be very limited. To give more people a chance to enjoy it, a one-time live stream will be available on May 15 at 12:25 p.m. ET right here on the Disney Parks Blog as well as on @DisneyParks on TikTok, the Disney Parks YouTube Channel, and the Disney Parks Blog Facebook Page. We invite you to tune in to our first official show and join in the fun!

Looking to the future, we hope to have even more good news about entertainment to share in the coming months. As always, stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog. Hakuna Matata!