Night of Joy was an annual contemporary Christian music festival that took place from 1983 to 2017 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The festival was normally hosted at the Magic Kingdom in early September. It was cancelled in 2018 and replaced with a mainstream Eat to the Beat concert series, with Christian pop rock artists MercyMe and Tauren Wells joining the lineup. Night of Joy inspired two other Christian rock festivals in the Orlando region: Cornerstone Florida, which ran in the month of May from 2003 to 2007, and Rock the Universe at Universal Studios Florida, in operation since 1998.
Venues Most concerts were held at the Magic Kingdom, in front of the Cinderella Castle. Other venues included: Disney's Hollywood Studios for the 2008 and 2009 concerts ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the 2016 and 2017 concerts
Six artists have performed at all three venues: Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, MercyMe, Newsboys, Red and tobyMac. Several other artists have performed at two of these venues.
Later Years (2010-2017) 2017
Friday, September 8: TobyMac MercyMe Zach Williams Natalie Grant Danny Gokey Matt Maher Colton Dixon Rend Collective
Saturday, September 9 (cancelled): Amy Grant Steven Curtis Chapman Kirk Franklin Jordan Feliz Crowder Jeremy Camp Tye Tribbett
The event returned at the ESPN Wide World of Sports and was scheduled to last two nights, but the September 9 event was cancelled as a precautionary measure against Hurricane Irma. Park tickets for September 9 could either be honored on September 8 or returned for a full refund.
2016
Friday, September 9: Stars Go Dim Matthew West Francesca Battistelli Zealand Worship Crowder Chris Tomlin OBB MercyMe Casting Crowns Thruflyte
Saturday, September 10: Veridia Thousand Foot Krutch Hillsong Young & Free RED For King & Country Tim Timmons Switchfoot Derek Minor Newsboys
2015
Friday, September 11: TobyMac MercyMe Jeremy Camp Colton Dixon Big Daddy Weave Francesca Battistelli Rend Collective I Am They Josh Wilson
Saturday, September 12: Skillet Lecrae For King & Country Mandisa Matt Maher Jamie Grace 7eventh Time Down Veridia
2014
Friday, September 5: Matthew West Chris Tomlin Hillsong United Building 429 Mandisa For King and Country Matt Maher The Neverclaim
Saturday, September 6: MercyMe Phil Perry Casting Crowns Skillet Colton Dixon Britt Nicole Israel Houghton & New Breed 1 Girl Nation We as Human Rhett Walker Band
2013
Friday, September 6: MercyMe Steven Curtis Chapman & Michael W. Smith Skillet Mandisa For King and Country Audio Adrenaline Moriah Peters We As Human City Harbor
Saturday, September 7: Newsboys TobyMac Francesca Battistelli Group 1 Crew Building 429 Plumb Matthew West Jamie Grace Gospel Music Association Winner Steven Musso
2012
Friday, September 7: Casting Crowns Chris Tomlin NEEDTOBREATHE Red Francesca Battistelli Brandon Heath Royal Tailor Disciple
Saturday, September 8: MercyMe Third Day Kutless Thousand Foot Krutch Lecrae Chris August Dara Maclean Yolanda Adams Gospel Music Association Winner Theresa Bailey
2011
Friday, September 9: Skillet Newsboys Jeremy Camp Disciple (band) Sidewalk Prophets Francesca Battistelli Group 1 Crew Matthew West
Saturday, September 10: MercyMe TobyMac Jars of Clay Sanctus Real Kutless Marvin Sapp VaShawn Mitchell Chris August
2010
Friday, September 10: Chris Tomlin David Crowder*Band Casting Crowns BarlowGirl Thousand Foot Krutch Group 1 Crew Tenth Avenue North Sidewalk Prophets
Saturday, September 11: MercyMe Third Day Family Force 5 Smokie Norful Red Lecrae Day of Fire Britt Nicole
The event returned to Magic Kingdom after two years of being held at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Early Years (1983-2009)
2009
Friday, September 11: Above the Golden State Abandon Josh Wilson Chris Tomlin P.O.D. Newsboys Kutless Needtobreathe Leeland Superchick
Saturday, September 12: Above the Golden State Abandon Josh Wilson MercyMe Flyleaf Skillet Jars of Clay Family Force 5 GRITS Mandisa
The official 2009 lineup was announced in March 2009. It featured more rock bands than usual and incorporated three acts common to both days of the performance, following "Conversations" with acts performing one of the two days. This is the final Night of Joy held at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
2008
Friday, September 5: Chris Tomlin MercyMe Rebecca St. James BarlowGirl Matthew West Rush of Fools Brandon Heath Britt Nicole
Saturday, September 6: Casting Crowns tobyMac Music in the Rockies (Best of Show winner from GMA) Fred Hammond Marcos Witt Mandisa Aaron Shust Red (band) pureNRG
This is the first of two consecutive events held at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Previously, Night of Joy was held exclusively at the Magic Kingdom theme park.
2007
Friday, September 7: Third Day Chris Tomlin David Crowder Band Jaci Velasquez Brian Littrell BarlowGirl Leeland Jessie Daniels Sanctus Real
Saturday, September 8: Newsboys Steven Curtis Chapman Salvador Mark Schultz Smokie Norful Kutless Red Mary Mary Flyleaf Music in the Rockies
2006
Friday, September 8: BarlowGirl Casting Crowns MercyMe Rebecca St. James David Crowder Band Vicky Beeching Matthew West Todd Agnew Building 429
Saturday, September 9: BarlowGirl TobyMac Kirk Franklin Smokie Norful Jeremy Camp Crystal Stark The Afters ZOEgirl Hawk Nelson
2005
Friday, September 9: MercyMe Casting Crowns Audio Adrenaline Steven Curtis Chapman Mark Shultz Big Daddy Weave Nicole C. Mullen Matthew West Vicky Beeching
Saturday, September 10: Newsboys CeCe Winans Donnie McClurkin TobyMac Kutless Superchick Further Seems Forever Tree63 Stellar Kart Kierra Sheard
2004
Friday, September 9: Michael W. Smith Avalon Jars of Clay Point of Grace FFH 4HIM Mark Shultz Across the Sky
Saturday, September 10: Third Day Skillet Stryper Rebecca St. James SONICFLOOd Steven Curtis Chapman downhere Warren Barfield
Sunday, September 11: Kirk Franklin Jaci Velasquez CeCe Winans Salvador Jump 5 Jeremy Camp Joy Williams 12 Stones
2003
Friday, September 5: Petra Jars of Clay Michael W. Smith Stacie Orrico Rebecca St. James Nicole C. Mullen Switchfoot downhere Daily Planet
Saturday, September 6: The O.C. Supertones Point of Grace ZOEGirl Kirk Franklin Rachael Lampa Salvador Freddie Colloca Yolanda Adams
2002
Friday, September 6: Plus One Kirk Franklin Benjamin Gate Mary Mary Steven Curtis Chapman ZOEgirl Natalie Grant Phat Chance
Saturday, September 7: Petra Audio Adrenaline Michael W. Smith Jaci Velasquez Stacie Orrico Plus One Joy Williams Jump5
2001
Friday, September 7: Kirk Franklin Jars of Clay Plus One Jaci Velasquez Staci Orrico Rachael Lampa Salvador
Saturday, September 8: Michael W. Smith Jars of Clay Plus One Anointed Rebecca St. James Whisper Loud Salvador
2000 Newsboys Jaci Velasquez Out of Eden Plumb Raze CeCe Winans
1999 Michael W. Smith Fred Hammond Delirious? Jaci Velasquez Avalon Audio Adrenaline Out of Eden
1998 God's Property Jars of Clay Avalon Third Day Bob Carlisle Greg Long
1997 Steven Curtis Chapman Jars of Clay NewSong Anointed Sarah Masen Hezekiah Walker
1996 dc Talk Michael W. Smith Newsboys Hezekiah Walker Rebecca St. James Clay Crosse
1995 Carman Steven Curtis Chapman Audio Adrenaline Shirley Caesar Point of Grace
1994 dc Talk Twila Paris Geoff Moore & The Distance Point of Grace Richard Smallwood Singers Whiteheart
1993 Carman Steven Curtis Chapman 4HIM Shirley Caesar Bruce Carroll Susan Ashton
1992 Petra dc Talk The Winans Steven Curtis Chapman Geoff Moore & The Distance Cindy Morgan
1991 Petra Stryper REZ
1990 Shirley Caesar Carman Steven Curtis Chapman DeGarmo & Key Petra REZ DC Talk Whiteheart
1989 Margaret Becker & the Reckoning Shirley Caesar Phil Keaggy Petra REZ Michael W Smith Take 6
1988 Geoff Moore & the Distance Mylon & Broken Heart Stryper Russ Taff Take 6 White Heart BeBe & CeCe Winans
1987 Kim Boyce The Clark Sisters Benny Hester The Imperials Petra Michael W Smith Randy Stonehill Greg X Volz
1986 Darrell Mansfield Leon Patillo Petra Stryper Russ Taff Sheila Walsh The Winans
1985
Friday, May 7: The Archers Phillip Bailey Debby Boone Andraé Crouch Phil Driscoll Glad
Friday and Saturday, September 6 and 7: AD (band) David and the Giants David Meece Michael W Smith Petra White Heart
Night of Joy 1985 is the only instance where an event occurred outside of September.
1984 Debby Boone Clark Sisters Dion Amy Grant Darrell Mansfield Leon Patillo REZ
1983 Leon Patillo (First performer to headline Disney's Night of Joy.) Shirley Caesar Petra Phil Keaggy Sheila Walsh Benny Hester David Meece Scott Wesley Brown
References