Behind the music and magic of Celestial Goodnight
Jason Horne shares, “Our team worked on Universal Celestial Goodnight for over a year and is so proud of what we brought to life,” Horne told us. “We always knew we wanted our nighttime spectacular to celebrate the adventures our guests would experience throughout their day at Epic Universe. The show was created in a phased approach, and we took the time to produce the type of show that lives up to the park’s impressive scope.”
That park-wide approach explains the show’s visual scale. Celestial Goodnight extends far beyond the Cosmos Fountain, coordinating lighting across Celestial Park’s architecture, attractions, walkways and even its stairway banisters to make the entire land part of the performance.
“Even before Epic Universe opened, there were early conversations about what type of spectacular could be performed within Celestial Park, while leaning into the Cosmos Fountain area as a main viewing location. That being said, this show incorporates all of the impressive lighting and fountains throughout Celestial Park. No matter where a guest is in the park, they are going to get an exciting perspective of the show.”
And then there’s the music. Just as Gavin Greenaway’s magnificent score for the Epcot classic set its mood and emotional tone, the mix of original compositions and recognizable themes does the same for Universal Celestial Goodnight.
Celestial Goodnight Epic Universe fireworks.
Photo by Matt Roseboom
“Music is so incredibly important to our show, just as it’s incredibly important to our guests’ experience throughout the day,” Horne explained. “The score needed to mirror that experience by giving our audience an opportunity to reflect on their day at Epic Universe. It truly all started with the music, and it beautifully sets the tone for our spectacular finale.”
Universal finds its emotional finale
In summary, this mini-masterpiece provides a fitting sign-off for a wonderfully panoramic theme park experience. And if you’ve always thought Disney holds all the cards when it comes to delivering that heartfelt, passionate emotional pull, there might now be a countermove in Orlando’s pantheon of creative works.