Epic Universe is having an amazing summer. Just weeks after celebrating its first birthday, Universal Orlando started testing a new fireworks display. That finally broke big for crowds this week, and head honcho Michael Aiello sent a sweet message to theme park fans as the show garnered its first reactions online. Meanwhile, along with the new display, the theme park is finally figuring out late night events, which should both prove to be a cash cow for the parks and a fun change up for the fans.
Let’s break it all down.
The Sweet Message Michael Aiello Shared With Universal Orlando Fans
Senior Director Of Entertainment Creative Development Michael Aiello has long been a fixture at the Universal theme parks. He was there to comment on the grand opening of “Celestial Goodnight,” the combination light show, water show and fireworks show that is now running as the park closes each night. One thing I hadn’t really thought through about the big fireworks show was that it marks the first time the parks have had a nightly fireworks event in “decades.”
Tonight is a really special night for Epic Universe and Universal Orlando Resort. Celestial Goodnight officially comes to life, bringing nightly aerial fireworks back to Universal Orlando Resort for the first time in decades. This show is filled with fountains, music, lights, fireworks, and a whole lot of heart. But more than anything, it represents the incredible team behind it.
When I think about it, a lot of Universal’s other nighttime events are things like The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle, which is beautiful and fun, but is a show based around projections on the famous school for Witchcraft and Wizardry. CineSational is also popular, but uses drones instead of fireworks for its nighttime display.
Aiello also said on X (Twitter) it took a lot of work to bring this addition to Epic’s closing show.
Long nights, early mornings, programming, rehearsals, changes, problem-solving, and so much creative energy went into making this happen. I’m incredibly proud of this team and all of our partners who helped bring this show to life. Tonight, Guests get to look up and experience something truly special. Thank you to everyone who made it possible.
Meanwhile, fans online could not stop posting video after video of the gorgeous display online, if you’ve been wanting a taste of what you can get if you shell out for an Epic Universe ticket.
Full Video: Check out Celestial Goodnight's debut performance, now playing at Universal #EpicUniverse! pic.twitter.com/elpMEzaePlJuly 8, 2026
It really does look like it caps the night off in the perfect way, doesn’t it?
Epic Universe Is Also Making Good On Later Hours
In an announcement this week, Universal Orlando also mentioned the parks will stay open later on select nights. This is good news and bad news. A lot of people really love staying in the parks as late as possible. While Epic Universe has listened to fan comments and pushed hours a bit later, the parks aren’t open late late in the same way CityWalk is.
The solution is an interesting one, so why is it both good and bad news for frequent parkgoers? On select nights, Epic Universe will be staying open later, from 9 p.m. to midnight. I know, you're still waiting on the catch, and here it is: It’s going to be a ticketed event in the way Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios or Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party at Disneyland is.
The event will be called Universal Nights and will run on October 3 and October 17. Tickets for just the event will go for $179, and it’s worth noting the cheapest entry ticket for a regular day at Epic Universe is only $139.99. For comparison’s sake, Halloween Horror Nights tickets start at $88.99 (though premium tickets are significantly more).
The other interesting wrinkle is if you have a nighttime pass for those select dates, you will not be able to access the parks until 7 p.m. The theme parks is touting the extra two hours before the ticketed event begins as an added benefit, but if you want to go to the park during the day, you’ll need a separate ticket.
A few weeks back, Universal VPs told CinemaBlend and other outlets there was only “one rule” when it came to putting the theme parks together: if it was going into the parks it had to fit the definition of Epic. Staying open late is definitely what the people have wanted as part of this, particularly in the Darkmoor and Celestial Park areas. It’s currently getting dark so late right now, fans don’t get a ton of time to see Burning Blade catch fire at night or to jump on the reopened Stardust Racers.
I’ll be interested to see if the crowds are thinner and stuff is easier to do during the special ticketed event too. If so, it may be well worth the entrance fee.
Tickets go on sale August 13th.
