Walt Disney World September

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Night of Joy at Walt Disney World Resort, regarded as one of the top contemporary Christian music events in the country, will feature a 16-act lineup Sept. 5-6 that includes Gospel Music Association Dove Awards winners such as current Artist of the Year Chris Tomlin, Group of the Year Casting Crowns and New Artist of the Year Aaron Shust plus 2004 Artist of the Year MercyMe and enduringly popular tobyMac and Rebecca St. James.

Now in its 26th year, Night of Joy is moving to a new venue, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which features both outstanding concert locations and must-do thrill attractions. Guests attending Night of Joy, which takes place from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (after regular theme park hours), can combine an evening of rockin’ Christian music with the thrills and chills of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror plus the shoot-’em-up fun of Toy Story Mania!

Concerts will take place at several stage locations, with eight national recording acts performing each evening. Here’s how they’ll line up:

Sept. 5 — Tomlin, MercyMe, St. James, BarlowGirl, Matthew West, Rush of Fools, Brandon Heath and Britt Nicole.

Sept. 6 — Casting Crowns, tobyMac, Fred Hammond, Marcos Witt, Mandisa, Shust, RED and Pure NRG.

The lineup represents a continuation of Night of Joy’s historic blend of musical talents — from Christian pop and rock to contemporary Gospel, Urban and hip-hop to Praise and Worship. Half of this year’s acts have won Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, one of Christian music’s highest honors. More than one million guests have experienced Night of Joy from 1983 through 2007, a 25-year period during which the event was held in Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom.