CONFIRMED: Dates and Details for 2026 Disneyland After Dark Events

If you’ve ever wanted to see Disneyland in a totally different way, this might be your chance.

Disneyland After Dark events have become some of the most sought-after tickets of the year, offering themed parties, exclusive entertainment, and a much smaller crowd experience. With new details now released for the 2026 lineup, you can start planning which nights might be worth staying up late for!

Disney has officially shared new details about the 2026 Disneyland After Dark lineup, and if you love themed after-hours events, this year is shaping up to be a big one. With one brand-new theme and several returning fan favorites, these special ticketed nights will run on select dates from January through June, bringing unique entertainment, characters, food, and experiences you won’t find during a normal park day.

For anyone new to these events, Disneyland After Dark nights are separately ticketed parties held inside Disneyland after it closes to regular visitors. The event typically runs from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM, but tickets also allow you to enter the park as early as 6:00 PM for a pre-party “mix-in” period.

During these events, you can expect shorter attraction wait times, themed entertainment, rare character sightings, specialty food and drinks, exclusive merchandise, and unlimited PhotoPass downloads.

Disney’s just confirmed that they’re bringing back several of the returning favorite Disneyland After Dark events, including Disney Channel Nite, Sweethearts’ Nite, Star Wars Nite, and Pride Nite, along with a brand-new experience called 70 Years of Favorites happening for only 2 limited dates.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect at each event.

Sweethearts’ Nite

On January 22nd, 25th, 27th, and February 3rd, 5th, 8th, 10th, 12th, and 17th, this romantic-themed event includes new entertainment like a love-themed cavalcade, live musical show, dance parties, and themed photo backdrops.

Sweethearts’ Nite is one of the longest-running and most popular After Dark events, and it’s designed to celebrate love in all forms — couples, friends, families, or even just your love of Disney. The event typically includes themed entertainment like a love-themed cavalcade featuring characters, romantic musical shows, karaoke experiences, dance parties, and specialty photo backdrops themed to Disney love stories.

Food is a big part of this night, with special sweets and savory menu items created just for the event. This year, items like specialty slushies, loaded fries, and themed desserts have been highlighted, along with exclusive event merchandise like ears, apparel, and collectibles.

You’ll also typically see rare character pairings and couples you don’t see during normal park hours, which is a huge draw for fans.

70 Years of Favorites

Only on March 3rd and 5th, this all-new event celebrates seven decades of Disneyland history with nostalgic entertainment, rare characters, and musical tributes, including the new “Sounds of Magic” river performance.

While fewer details are confirmed so far, Disney has teased nostalgic entertainment, rare characters, and anniversary-style experiences celebrating decades of park history, and is expected to focus heavily on Disneyland history and legacy characters.

Disney Channel Nite

On April 12th, 14th, and 16th, the fun continues at Disney Channel Nites featuring throwback shows, characters, and entertainment inspired by iconic Disney Channel moments.

Disney Channel Nite tends to lean heavily into nostalgia and high-energy entertainment, and historically, these types of After Dark events focus on entertainment zones, DJ dance parties, themed photo ops, and limited-time food and merch tied to Disney Channel franchises.

This year, a NEW character will be joining the fun for the first time — Penny Proud from The Proud Family.

Star Wars Nite

Returning on April 28th, 30th, and May 4th and 6th, Star Wars Nite is usually one of the most immersive After Dark events. The park leans heavily into themed entertainment, character encounters, special lighting effects, themed food, and exclusive merchandise.

These nights often draw hardcore fans, especially when rare characters or special themed entertainment appear, and Galaxy’s Edge typically becomes a major focal point for the evening.

Pride Nite

And fan-favorite Pride Nite will return on June 16th and 18th, known for being one of the most high-energy After Dark events, with strong community celebration vibes. Past events have included DJs, dance parties, themed entertainment, special characters (sometimes in Pride-inspired costumes), themed food, fireworks or cavalcades, and lots of photo opportunities.

These nights also tend to focus heavily on atmosphere and celebration across the park, not just one central entertainment offering.

Tickets for some of these events are not only already on sale, but have actually sold out. So if you’re planning on grabbing a few for yourself, we don’t suggest waiting. We’ll be bringing you along for the fun as we attend this year’s festivities, so be sure to stay tuned with us so you don’t miss a thing.

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Which of the Disneyland After Dark events are you most interested in attending? Leave them for us in the comments below!

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